"Certainly, I do," and the lad led the horse away from the road into the thicket. "I thought I was going to have lots of trouble to get you away from those people," he said, when they were a safe distance. "They don't care anything about me," said the girl, sadly. "O Dick, I've had such a time!" "There! There!" Dick drew her head against his shoulder caressingly. "It's all over now. I'll take care of you. But tell me, Jeanne, how in the world did you come down here in this benighted country? I left you safe at home in New York and find you here. How did it happen?" "I thought that perhaps father had written," and Jeanne looked up through her tears. "No; I have not heard from the folks for quite a while, but we have been on the march, and I was taken prisoner. I know that there are letters for me somewhere." "Then I will begin at the beginning," said Jeanne, stroking his hair tenderly. "Oh, Dick, it is so good to be with some one who belongs to me!" CHAPTER XXIII RECAPTURE "We must not stay here, Jeanne," said Dick, after his sister had finished her narrative. "We must strike out for the Mississippi River. Once there we may see some of our boats. That will be our best show for getting to our lines." "Is it far to the river, Dick?" "I don't know, Jeanne. If I felt sure that Colonel Peyton would send you to our men, I would let you go on with him, but after the treatment given you, I don't like to let you go back." "No; let me stay with you, Dick. I feel as if I never wanted to see a rebel again." "You are liable to see a good many of them before we are out of this," remarked Dick. "The woods are full of them. I fear----" "What?" asked Jeanne, as the lad paused. "For you, sister. It will be a long, hard journey. I wish I had known just how matters stood and I would have left you where you were. You have shown yourself a brave girl, and it will take all your courage and resolution now to stand up under the perils we will have to encounter. I wish we had some money. The Johnnies aren't averse to taking our money for all their devotion to their cause. It would help us wonderfully." "See here, Dick!" Jeanne took a roll of bills from her dress. "Will this be enough?" "Where did you get it?" cried Dick in delight. "Why, this is fine!" "Father gave it to me just before I left," answered Jeanne. "He little thought that it would help us both to get back to him. I know Aunt Clarisse would have taken it if she had remembered telling me to hide it." "Father will have a settling with Uncle Ben and his wife," cried the boy, his eyes flashing. "I'd just like to meet the lady myself. I don't think she'd like what she would hear!" "I know it," and the girl looked at him admiringly. "I just feel as if my troubles were all over. What a soldier you are, Dick!"