preter, he would avail himself of her mediation.

"Your name is not mentioned on this lady's passport, Monsieur Philippe."

"I was not in Orleans when it was granted. It is, I believe, a general permit to the Donna Eunice Perry and her party."

"Have you, then, lately arrived from

Paris?"

"The worshipful Don Silas has just now sailed for Paris. For myself, I only overtook the ladies, by the aid of horses often changed, at the rapids of the Red River. I count myself fortunate that I overtook them. His Excellency was himself pleased to direct me to use every means at his command in their service, and I have done so."

Nolan would not have said this were it not true. Strange to say, it was literally and perfectly true. For one of the absurdities of the divided command which gave Louisiana to one Spanish Governor and Texas to another at this time, was the preposterous jealousy, which maintained between these officers a sort of armed or guarded relation, as if one were a Frenchman because his province had a French name, and only the other were a true officer of the Catholic King. An absurdity, but not an unusual absurdity. Just such an absurdity, not twenty years before, made the discord between Cornwallis and Clinton, which gave to Washington the victory of York town, and gave to America her independ

ence.

So was it, that while the Marquis of Casa Calvo at New Orleans was Nolan's cordial friend, the Governor Salcedo, who had succeeded De Nava at Chihuahua, was watching and dogging him as an enemy.

"Will my lady ask the hidalgo what was the public news in Paris? Our two crowns, -or, rather, His Catholic Majesty's crown and the First Consul of France-they are in good accord? What were the prospects of the treaty?"

Major Morales had heard some rumor of this policy even in San Antonio. The allusion to it made by Nolan confirmed him in his first suspicion, that this young Frenchman, who could speak no Spanish, was some unavowed agent of the First Consul, Napoleon.

If he were, it was doubtless his own business to treat him with all respect.

At the moment, therefore, that Nolan confessed he must speak with reserve, the Spaniard's doubts as to his character gave way entirely. He offered his hand frankly to the young Frenchman, and bade him and the lady rely on his protection.

"Your party is quite too small," he said. "I am only sorry that I cannot detail a fit escort for you. But I am charged with a special duty-the arrest of an American freebooter who threatens us with an army of Kenny, -Kenny-tuckians. The Americans have such hard names! They are indeed allies of the savages! But I will order four of my troopers to accompany you to Nacogdoches, and the Commandant there can do more for you."

Nolan and Eunice joined in begging him not to weaken his force. They were quite sufficient for their own protection, they said. The servants were none of them cowards, and had had some experience with their weapons. But the Major was firm in his Castilian politeness. And as any undue firmness on their part in rejecting so courteous an offer must awaken his suspicions, they were obliged to comply with his wish, and accept the inopportune escort which he provided for them.

Inez, meanwhile, wild with curiosity and excitement, as the colloquy passed through its different stages of suspicion and of confidence, had not dared express her fear, her amusement, or her surprise, even by a glance. She saw it was safest for her to drop her veil, and to sit the impassive Castilian maiden, fresh from a nunnery, which the Major Morales supposed her to be.

As for old Ransom, the major-domo of Eunice's establishment, he sat at a respectful distance, heeding every word of the con

pardon me if I do not speak. He will respect my confidence."

The truth was, that even at this early moment a suspicion was haunting men's minds, of what was true before the month was over, that by the treaty of Ildefonso the Spanish King would cede the territory of Louisiana to Napoleon.

VOL. XI.-33

with a face as free from expression as the pine knot on the tree next him. Once and again he lifted his eyes to the heavens with that wistful look of his, which was rather the glance of an astronomer than of a devotee. But the general aspect of the man was of an impatient observer of events, who had himself, Cassandra like, stated in At last his patience was relieved. Major Morales drew from his haversack a slip of paper, on which he wrote:

" By order of the King: Know all men, that the Lady Eunice and Lady Inez, with Mons. Philippe, the intendant of their household, with one Ransom and four other servants, have free

He then told off a corporal or sergeant

do not be anxious, Miss Eunice. My anxieties are almost over now. I can take good care of myself, and the King of Spain seems likely to take care of you. I am well disposed to believe old Ransom, that your father has gone to the King to tell him all about it."

Eunice said that she did not see how he could speak so. How could he bring his party up to them, if there were these four spies hanging on all the way?

"I can see," replied Nolan, laughing, "that dear Ransom would like nothing better than to blow out their brains, and throw them all into the next creek. But really that is a very ungracious treatment of men who only want to take care of fair ladies.

loath, accompany the Orleans party to Nacogdoches. He gave his hand courteously to the Señora Eunice and Mons. Philippe; touched his hat as courteously to the Señorita Inez, and even threw his party into military order as the others passed, and gave them a military salute as his last farewell.

"Save me from my friends," said Nolan, as he joined the Donna Eunice after this formality was over, and each party was out of sight of each other. "Save me from my friends. This civility of your friend the Major is more inconvenient to us than the impudence of my Captain on the prairie yonder."

"I see it is," said Eunice, thoughtfully. "I am afraid I have done wrong. But really, Captain Nolan, I was so eager to take you under our protection, -I knew my brother would be so glad to serve you,-I thought the Governor had this very purpose in his mind, that I thought, even if the truth was for once good policy, I would tell him the truth still!"

And she pretended to laugh, but she almost cried.

"Of course you could tell him nothing else,” said he.

"Indeed I could not. Nobody could ask me actually to betray you by name to your enemies."

" I hope not," said the Kentuckian, laughing without reserve. "If indeed they are my enemies. I wish I could tell them at sight. If they would show their colors as they make us show ours, it would be well and good," he added. "If when we see a buckskin rascal with the King of Spain's cockade, he would wear a feather besides, to say whether he is a Texan Spaniard or an

Then he added more seriously :

"I am afraid this meeting may cut off from me the pleasure of many such rides as this, and, believe me, I have looked forward eagerly to more of them than was reason. As soon as these fellows will spare me, I must ride across and meet my party, and warn them not to come too near your line of travel. But I can put another 'intendant' in my place, and, if need be, more than one; and I can leave you the satisfaction, if it is any, to know that I am not far away."

"If it is any! What would my brother think if he did not suppose that five of you were behind Inez, and five before; five on the right hand and five on the left. Still 1 suppose we are perhaps even safer now." This somewhat anxiously.

"Dear Miss Eunice, you are never so safe in this world as when you make no pretense of strength, while, in truth, you are well guarded. When I am weak, then I am strong." This he said with his voice dropping, and very reverently. "If this is true in the greatest things; if it is true in trials where the devil is nearest, all the more is it true in the wilderness. A large party, with the fuss of its encampment, attracts every Bedouin savage, and every cut-throat greaser, within a hundred miles. They come together like crows. But a handful of people like yours will most likely ride to San Antonio without seeing savage or Christian, except such as are at the fort and the ferries. Then the moment these four gentlemen are tired of you, I shall be in communication, and my men in buckram will appear."

"Men in buckram! that is too bad," said "Where may your men in buckram be just now?"

"They are a good deal nearer to us than your admirer, Major Morales, supposes. But he is riding away from them as fast as he can ride, and they are riding away from him at a pace more moderate. You shall see, Miss Inez, when the camping time comes, whether my men are in buckram, in broadcloth, or in satin."

Sure enough, when the sun was within an hour of setting, as that peerless October day went by, the little party, passing out from a tract rather more thickly wooded than usual, came out upon a lovely glade, where the solitude was broken. Two tents were pitched, and on one of them a little blue flag floated. Three or four men in leathern hunting-shirts were lying on the ground, but sprang to their feet the moment the new party appeared.

"My lady is at home," said Nolan, resuming the mock air of formal courtesy with which he and Inez so often amused themselves. "My backwoodsmen have come in advance, as puss in boots did, to arrange for my lady's comfort."

"Are these your men? You are too careful, Captain, or too careless, I do not know which to say. Too careful for me, and too careless for your own safety."

"That for my safety," said the reckless young man, snapping his fingers. "If your ladyship sleeps well, we ask nothing more. To say true, my lady, I am the most timid of men. Praise me for my prudence. Were I not caution personified, I should have commanded William yonder to fly the stars and stripes over your majesty's tent. But I had care for your majesty's comfort. I knew these greasers would know those colors too

well."

"And he has! and he has! oh, you are good, Captain Nolan! See, Aunty, the flag that flies over us!"

England or of Austria.

"Welcome home, ladies," said the tall, handsome young soldier, who took Eunice's horse by the head, while Nolan lifted her from the saddle.

"This is the ladies' own tent, Captain. We have set the table in the other." And the ladies passed in at the tent door to find the hammocks swung for them, two camp-stools open, a little table cut with a hatchet from the bark of large pines, and covered with a white napkin, on which stood ready a candlestick and a tinder-box, and another rough table like it, with a tin basin full of water, and two large gourds, tightly corked, on the pine carpet at its side.

"We are in a palace," cried Inez. "How can we thank these gentlemen enough for their care?"

"I must tell you who they are. Why, William, where have the others gone? Miss Eunice, Miss Inez, this is my other self, William Harrod. William, you knew who these ladies were long before you saw them. Ladies, if I told you that William Harrod was Ephraim Harrod's brother, it would not help you. If I said he was the best marksman in the great valley, you would not care. When I say he is the best fellow that lives, you must believe me."

"Leave them to find that out, Captain." "The Captain tells enough when he says you are his other self. In a country like this, one is glad to find two Philip Nolans."

Old Ransom and his party, meanwhile, were a little disgusted that the preparations they had made for the mistress's accommodation on her first night away from the river should be thus put in the shade by the unexpected encampment on which they had lighted. Before their journey was finished, they were glad enough to stumble on cattle-shed or abandoned camp which might save them from the routine of uncording and cording up their tents. But to be anticipated on the very first night of camp life was an annoyance. When, however, Ransom found that these were Captain Nolan's people, and that the preparation had been dictated by his forethought, his brow cleared, and the severe animadversions by which he had at first condemned every arrangement, changed, more suddenly than the wind changes, into expressions of approval as absolute.

While the ladies were preparing for the supper, Ransom amused himself with the I

One of them had asked what the flag was which was displayed above the ladies' tent. "Ignorant nigger!" said Ransom afterward, as he detailed the conversation to Miss Eunice. (The man was no more a negro than Ransom was; but it was his habit to apply this phrase to all persons of a Southern race.) "Ignorant nigger! axed him ef he didn't know the private signal uv his own King. I told him the King uv Spain, when he went out to ride with the ladies uv the court, or when he sot at dinner in his own pallis, had that 'ere flag flyin' over his throne. I told him that he gin your brother a special permit to use it, wen he gin him the star of San Iago for wot he did in the war with the pirates."

"Ransom! how could you!" said Eunice, trying to look forbidding, while Inez was screaming with delight, and beckoning to her new friend, Mr. Harrod, to listen.

"Only way with 'em, marm. They all lies; and ef you don't lie to 'em, they dunno wot you mean. Answer a fool accordin' to his folly is the rule, mum. Heerd it wen I was a boy. Wen I'm in Turkey, I do as the turkeys do, marm; they ain't no other way."

Cæsar appeared, grinning, and said that supper was ready. One of Harrod's aids stood at the door of the second of his tents, saluted, as his officer and Nolan led the ladies in, and Cæsar and Ransom followed, -Cæsar to wait upon the hungry travelers, and Ransom in his general capacity of major-domo, or critic-in-chief of all that was passing.

"We give you hunters' fare," said Nolan, who took the place and bearing of the host at the entertainment. "But you have earned your appetites."

"It would be hard if two poor girls could not be satisfied with roasted turkey; with venison, if that be venison; with quails, if those be quails; and with rabbits, if those be rabbits-let alone the grapes and melons. You must have thought we had the appetite of the giant Blunderbore."

"I judged your appetite by my own," said Nolan, laughing. "As for Harrod, he is a lady's man; he has no appetite; but perhaps he will pick a bone of the merrythought of this intimation of a partridge," and he laid the bone on the plate of his laughing friend.

sure that a little traveling table service, actually of silver, should be packed for the ladies; and in this forest near the Sabine, under their canvas roof, they ate from a board as elegantly appointed as any in Orleans or in Mexico, partaking of fare more dainty than either city could command. So much for the hardships of the first day of the campaign.

CHAPTER VI.

GOOD-BYE.

"The rule of courtesy is thus expressed,Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest." -MENELAUS in the ODYSSEY.

"WHEN hunger now and thirst were fully satisfied," Nolan called Ransom to him, and asked the old man in an undertone where the Spanish soldiers were.

"They's off by they own fire. Made a fire for theyselves. The men asked 'em to supper, and gin 'em all the bacon and whisky they'd take. Poor devils, don't often have none. Now they's made they own fire, and is gamblin' there."

By the word gambling, Ransom distinguished every game of cards, however simple. In this case, however, it is probable that he spoke within the mark.

"Then we can talk aloud," said Nolan. "A tent has but one fault-that you are never by yourself in it. You do not know what Redskin or panther is listening to you." Then he went on :

" William, I have kept myself well out of these rascals' sight all the afternoon. I have not looked in their faces, and they have not looked in mine. For this I had my reasons. And I think, and I believe the ladies will think, that if you put on my cap and this hunting-shirt to-morrow, and permit me to borrow that more elegant equipment of yours, if you will even take to yourself the name and elegant bearing of 'Monsieur Philippe,' supposed Chargé d'Affaires of the Consul Bonaparte, and certainly partner of Mr. Silas Perry, -you may serve the ladies as well at the Spanish guard-house yonder, and I shall serve them better even than you, in returning for a day or two to our friends in buckram."

The ladies asked with some eagerness the reasons for such a change. But in a moment they were satisfied that Nolan was in the right. Any stray officer at the Fort might recognize him, well known as he was all along the frontier, and on both sides of it. And, on the other hand, his own direcmost valuable to all concerned. There was some laugh at the expense of the forest gear which was to be changed. The fringes to the hunting-shirts were of different dyes. One hat bore a rabbit's tail, and one the feather of a cardinal. But for the two men, they were within a pound of the same weight and a hair-breadth of the same size, as Harrod said, and he said it proudly.

"My other self, I told you," said Nolan, and then he assumed the mock protector, and charged the ladies that they must go to bed for an early start in the morning.

At sunrise, accordingly, the pretty little camp was on the alert. All the tents except those of the ladies were struck before they were themselves awake. Their toilet was not long, though it was elaborate, and when Inez stepped out from her sleeping apartment, and looked in to see the progress breakfast had made, she was provoked with herself that she was the first person deceived by the new-made Dromio.

She slyly approached Mr. Harrod, who stood at the table with his back to her, tapped him smartly on the shoulder, and said: "Philopœna! Captain Nolan-my memory is better than you think," to have the

handsome "other self" turn round and confuse her with his good-natured welcome.

"Philopœna! indeed, Miss Perry; but it was not I who ate the almond with you."

"To think it," said the girl, "that a bird's feather and a strip of purple leather should change one man into another! Well, I thought I was a better scout! Do you know I enlisted among Captain Nolan's rifles yesterday? If only my well-beloved Sovereign would make war with you freemen, he would not find me among his guards!"

The girl's whole figure was alive, and Harrod understood at once that she did not dislike the half equivocal circumstances in which they stood, of measuring strength and wit against the officers of the Spanish King.

Breakfast was as elegant and dainty as supper; but the impetuous and almost imperious Inez could not bear that they should sit so long. For herself, she could and would take but one cup of coffee. How people could sit so over their coffee she could not see! "Another slice from the turkey?" No! Had she not eaten corncake and venison, and grapes, and fricasseed rabbit, all because Ransom had cooked or gathered them himself for her! Would dear Aunt Eunice never be done?

Dear Aunt Eunice only laughed, and

waited for her second cup to cool, and sipped it by tea-spoonfuls, and folded her napkin as leisurely as if she had been on the plantation, and as if none of them had anything to do but to look at their watches till the hour for lunch-time came.

"Miss Perry," said Harrod to her, "I believe you are a soldier's daughter?"

"Indeed I am," said Eunice heartily, and then, with a laugh, "and a rifleman's aunt, I understand, or a riflewoman's."

"Any way, you dear old plague, you have at last drunk the last drop even you can pretend you want, and I do believe you have given the last fold to that napkin. Gentlemen, shall we not find it pleasanter in the air?יי

And she dropped a mock courtesy to them, sprang out of the tent singing:

"Hark, hark, tantivy; to horse, my brave boys, and away!"

And away they went. The same delicious fragrance of the pines; the exquisite freshness of morning; the song of birds not used to travelers; the glimpses now and then of beasts four-footed, who were scarcely afraid! Everything combined to inspirit the young people, and to make Inez rate at its very lowest the danger and the fatigue of the expedition.

Until they should come to the neighborhood of the Spanish post at San Augustine the two united parties were to remain together. To the escort provided by the eagerness or suspicion of Major Morales, the rencontre of the night before was only the ordinary incident of travel, in which two parties of friends had met each other, and encamped together. That they should make one body as they went on the next day was simply a matter of course. Nolan therefore had the pleasure of one day's more travel with his friends, and if the ladies had had any sense of insecurity, they would have had the relief of his presence and that of his backwoodsmen. But at this period they had no such anxiety except for him.

With laugh and talk and song of the four, therefore, varied by more serious colloquy as they fell into couples, two and two, the morning passed by, and Inez and Eunice were both surprised when the experienced backwoodsmen ordered the halt for lunch. They could not believe that they had taken half the journey for the day. But the order was given; the beasts were relieved of their packs; a shaded and sheltered spot was chosen for the ladies' picnic, and to