“I am his wife,” I said.
He saluted. “Can you tell me where the adjutant is, ma’am?”
“He will be here on the next train.”
“That might be midnight, ma’am, or it might be to-morrow. My orders were to meet the adjutant here about this time.”
“The adjutant got left by the regular passenger. But a freight was to leave Richmond soon after the passenger, and the adjutant will come on that.”
“The freight?” the orderly looked doubtful. “Maybe so.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, ma’am, all trains are uncertain, and freight trains more so. And sometimes freight trains are mighty pertickular about what kind of freight they carry.”
I laughed, but the orderly did not see the point. Dan’s body-servant was to drive the ambulance back, so the orderly, turning it over to a man whom he picked up in the tavern, went back to camp according to instructions. As soon as he was out of sight I began to repent. If Dan shouldn’t come on that freight, what would I do with myself and that strange man and the ambulance and the mules? It was getting late when the welcome sound of a whistle broke upon my ear and the freight came creeping in. On the engine beside the engineer stood my husband, with that abominable little bundle of General Lee’s in his hand.
“Josh got left somewhere,” Dan said of his servant, “the man will have to drive.”