“Anything more I can do for you, cousin?” he asked, surveying the scene with a rather wistful look.
“Only come and sit with us and talk over war times with Mr. Randal.”
“When I’ve foddered the cattle and done my chores I’d be pleased to. What regiment were you in?” asked Saul, looking down from his lofty height upon the slender gentleman, who answered briefly,—
“In none. I was abroad at the time.”
“Sick?”
“No, busy with a novel.”
“Took four years to write it?”
“I was obliged to travel and study before I could finish it. These things take more time to work up than outsiders would believe.”
“Seems to me our war was a finer story than any you could find in Europe, and the best way to study it would be to fight it out. If you want heroes and heroines you’d have found plenty of ’em there.”
“I have no doubt of it, and shall be glad to atone for my seeming neglect of them by hearing about your own exploits, Major.”