“I know where you're going,” said the woman. “You don't look old enough for soldiers, but you're going South. Did you see any Yanks at Rolla?”
“Yes, lots of'em,” said Harry; “and't wasn't easy to get away from there.”
“Yes, yes, that's what they say,” responded the woman, fully convinced by Harry's answer that her suspicions were correct. And then she added, “Wonder 'f I could get to Rolla and get some snuff?”
The boys were non-committal on this point, but thought she would have no trouble if she went straight to the provost-marsha's office when she entered the village, and told what she wanted.
“And I want a little tea and coffee, too,” she added; “and then some salt and other things for the house.” Harry told her she might get a pound or so of each, but he was sure the officers would n't let anybody come through the lines with more than that. “That's what they told us at Rolla,” he added, “and so we did n't try to bring anything along,”—a statement which was literally true.
She promised to follow their directions, and then grew confidential. She told them her husband was down on the St. Francis river, where General Hardee was getting up an army to drive the Yanks out of Rolla and all that part of the state. “He's in Colonel Jones's regiment,” said she; “and if you see him, tell him we're getting on all right and hope they 'll be along soon, as we're getting mighty short of things to eat.”
Jack gravely made a mental note of the name of the man by pronouncing it several times, and promised to hunt him up as soon as they got where Colonel Jones's regiment was. The woman then invited the youths to stay and have something to eat. As they had just breakfasted they declined the invitation, but accepted the offer of some milk. One of the children brought it from the springhouse, and the young adventurers drank freely and with a good relish. They had a conscientious twinge in so doing, but swallowed the twinge along with the milk, and after thanking the kind-hearted woman for her hospitality continued on their way.
“Funny she should want snuff before anything else,” said Jack, as soon as they were out of earshot of the house.
“Nothing so very funny about that,” replied Harry. “Don't you know how they use it?”
“I've heard something about it, but don't know exactly.”