The child would have preferred to stay by the side of her beloved parent, but she did as requested, and her elder sister slipped back, and, as the ground permitted, ran her own arm beneath her father's, and the two walked together.
"Well, Maggie, what is it?" he asked, tenderly.
The brave girl repressed her distress as best she could, but he detected the tremor in the voice which asked the question:
"Father, have you told us all about Fred?"
"I saw him a while ago."
"Do you know whether he is alive or—or—dead?"
"Be courageous, my child; I cannot answer that question, but I have hope that we shall see him again. He hurried home from the army to help us, but arrived too late. Reaching Monocacy Island, he became so anxious to find out what had become of me, that he returned to the battle-ground at great risk to himself. We met, providentially, and found that neither was hurt—a remarkable piece of good-fortune indeed."
"But how did you become separated?"
"We started up the river bank in the direction of Fort Wintermoot, believing we would stand a better chance of getting across without molestation, for he had learned from a fugitive that you had gotten over. Fred made me promise, while on the way, that if we became separated I should make no effort to rejoin him—that is, to help him, for he must have felt that I could do him no good. I gave the promise, and then demanded that he should make me a similar pledge-but he actually refused."
"Just like my noble brother!" exclaimed Maggie, with a glowing countenance; "well?"