“Watch while you sleep. Never mind me. I am used to it. I have often stood guard, and can do it just as well as not.”
“I don’t believe that anything will bother us, brother. I wish you would sleep too.”
“No,” said Dick sturdily, “not now.”
Jeanne tried to obey him but sleep would not come to her. The dark pines were on all sides of them. The owls hooted dismally, and the chill wind sobbed and moaned fitfully in the pine trees. Presently Dick stooped over her.
“Are you cold, Jeanne?”
“Yes, Dick. And I can’t sleep a bit. Can’t we talk, or walk, or do something?”
“We will walk,” decided Dick. “I think that the horse must be rested by this time. What is his name?”
“Robert E. Lee,” answered Jeanne in a hesitating tone fearing that Dick might not like the animal to be so called. “Bob called him ‘Rel’ for short, and so do I because I don’t like the full name.”
“Lee is a fine general,” commented Dick. “If we had had him on our side to begin with, the war would have been over by this time. I hope the horse is worthy of his name. Take my hand, Jeanne, and we will start.”
Throwing the rein over his shoulder Dick guided himself by the stars and the brother and sister again took up their journey to the westward. Slowly they proceeded, stopping occasionally to rest and picking their way carefully through the forest. At last, just at the break of day, they came to a clearing in the woods in which stood a cabin. The blue smoke curled invitingly from the chimney, and in the open door stood a venerable darky.