"Oh, I am so glad!" and she caught Jack warmly by the hand. At heart she was a true woman, and could appreciate what our hero had done for her.
St. John stood by in silence, hardly knowing what to say. At last he shuffled into the house.
"The water has made an awful mess," he declared, later, to his mother. "They needn't have drowned out the whole house like this."
"Don't say another word, St. John," answered his mother severely. "I am thankful the fire is out, even if you are not." And then she turned away to direct the servants in clearing away the muss that had been made.
The tide of battle had swept off in the direction of Jack's home, and anxious to know how Marion and his foster mother were faring, our hero soon after left Mrs. Mary Ruthven's plantation, and with him went Larry Wilson and three others of the Guard.
From a distance came the constant cracking of rifles and the booming of cannon.
"Let us take the short cut," suggested Jack, as he pushed across the fields. "There can be no time to spare."
"It is hard to tell who is winning to-day," returned Larry. "At first I thought the Yankees were in retreat."
"So did I, Larry. Well, we'll know how matters stand by night."
As they came in sight of our hero's home a Federal battery dashed into sight, drawn by horses covered with foam. The battery was followed by a regiment of infantry.