"Haven't you got anything?" persisted Deck.
"Not a thing; a dozen of you runaways came here last night, and took everything I had, and never paid me a cent for what they carried off, and threatened to shoot me if I made a row about it. I can't afford to keep store for sech fellers," protested the man, with intense disgust.
"But I have a little money, and I am willing to pay for whatever we obtain," added the lieutenant.
The storekeeper raised his head sharply, and appeared to be wide awake at these words.
"Don't you think you could raise something for us?" asked Deck.
"Provisions is mighty skeece down here, for the army has picked up everything they could find; and we are as poor as starved turkeys."
"Well, if you hain't got nothin', of course we can't git nothin'," added Life.
"If you're gwine to pay for what you have, I might raise somethin' for you," said the storekeeper. "I bought two mighty handsome chickens yesterday, and had to give a dollar apiece for 'em. My wife roasted 'em last night, and hid 'em away for our own use. If you don't mind payin' two dollars apiece for 'em, you shall have 'em."
"All right; bring them along," answered Deck.
The man left the store, and was absent about ten minutes, when he returned with the chickens. They were quite large, and were a toothsome morsel for hungry men. Deck then called for a dollar's worth of crackers, which the storekeeper had to bring from their hiding-place outside the building. General Woodbine had provided him with five gold half-eagles, which the lieutenant had concealed in as many different places about his own and Life's person, and a few dollars' worth of silver.