"We had some blankets and quilts yesterday," added his companion, "but we had to throw them away this morning in order to make light weight through the thick woods. We would have been in rags if it had not been for our good friends, the darkeys."
"I can supply your wants, and shall be glad to do so," said Ned promptly. "But you must never mention my name where any of my neighbors can hear it. Come into the house, and Cæsar will stand outside to see that no one slips up on you. There ought to be four of you. Where are the other two?"
"We left them in the woods at the end of the lane, keeping guard over a prize we gobbled this afternoon," replied one of the blue-coats; and when they were conducted into the room in which Mrs. Griffin was sitting they removed their remnants of hats respectfully, and dropped with something like a sigh of satisfaction into the chairs that Ned pulled up for them; but they held fast to their guns.
It took but a minute's time for Ned to explain the situation to his mother, and scarcely longer to provide for the immediate wants of the two fugitives; for when Mrs. Griffin said that they were welcome to everything there was in the house, the half a dozen black heads that filled one of the doors were quickly withdrawn, and in less time than it takes to tell it a plate filled with cold bread and meat was handed to each of the hungry blue-coats.
"I'se mighty sorry I aint got some store coffee for you, honey," said one of the women, who by virtue of her age and position took it upon herself to act as mistress of ceremonies. "But I isn't got none."
"We're sorry for that, aunty; not on our account, but on yours," said one of the soldiers; "but it seems to me that you white folks ought to be able to get such things as coffee out here. There was lots of trading going on with country people when we left Baton Rouge."
"We've had a few things through the kindness of my employer," replied Ned, "and we hope to have more when I get a permit to trade myself. Mr. Gray thought it wasn't best to trouble the provost marshal for too many permits, for fear that he would shut down on all of them."
"Well, the marshal will not shut down on you, nor on any other Union man whose name we have on our list," said the soldier confidently. "We are not going to forget our friends, I assure you." And then he almost made Ned jump out of his chair by adding: "You spoke Mr. Gray's name just now; I suppose he is Rodney's father, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is," cried Ned. "But what do you know about him?"