“I thought so. And you ran the blockade to get here.”
“That’s so, too. I got across at Berlin.”
“I wish you’d tell me how.”
I told him how. I sat down on the stairs to talk, and my enemy sat down beside me. Captain Hosmer came in, looked up, and saw the confidential and apparently friendly situation, laughed, and went on to breakfast.
“I don’t call that running the blockade,” he said. “I call that storming it. I didn’t think it possible to cross at Berlin or, indeed, at any other point. Our line at the Potomac has been greatly strengthened and the rules are very rigid and inspection most thorough.”
“I managed to cross at Berlin because you had such a nice provost marshal there. He knew two little women couldn’t do any harm.”
“Humph! He doesn’t know women as I do, then!”
“Perhaps he had always known only very lovely ladies,” I said with the softness of a purring cat.
He grinned. “You’ll be wanting to run back soon, I dare say.”
“I reckon I will. I wish you’d help me. Can’t you tell me how?”