Another train rolled by, trailing a suffocating stench of cattle and hogs from its slatted stock-cars; and Ailsa was almost stifled before her train at last moved heavily southward, saluted by good-natured witticisms from the soldiers at the windows of the stalled troop train. Evening came, finding them somewhere in Delaware; the yellow stars appeared, the air freshened a little. Letty had fallen asleep; her dark lashes rested quietly on her cheeks, but the car jolted her head cruelly, and Ailsa gently drew it to her own shoulder and put one arm around her. A major of heavy artillery turned toward her from his seat and said: "Are you a volunteer nurse, ma'am?" "Yes," motioned Ailsa with her lips, glancing cautiously at Letty. "Can I do anything for you at Wilmington?" She thanked him, smiling. He was disposed to be very friendly. "You ladies arc the right stuff," he said. "I've seen you aboard those abominable transports, behaving like angels to the poor sea-sick devils. I saw you after Big Bethel, scraping the blood and filth off of the wounded zouaves; I saw you in Washington after Bull Run, doing acts of mercy that, by God, madam! would have turned my stomach. . . . _Won't_ you let me do something for you. You don't need any whisky for your sick boys, do you?" Ailsa smiled and shook her head, saying they had not yet been assigned to duty. "I haven't anything else to offer you except tobacco," said the Major ruefully, and subsided. At Wilmington, however, he got out, and presently reappeared with hard-boiled eggs and sandwiches, a big bottle of cold, sweet milk, and a basket of fruit. Letty awoke; realised that Ailsa had been holding her in her arms; looked at her in confusion, then impulsively bent and laid her lips against Ailsa's hands. "Why--child--I didn't mind," faltered Ailsa, flushing in response to Letty's swift emotion. "See what this very kind officer has brought us for dinner, dear! Isn't it delicious?" They were as hungry as two school children and ate everything; and by and by the Major of heavy artillery came back and reversed the seat he had been occupying, and arranged it so he could sit facing them. He was fat, red-faced, with a pair of terrific moustaches, and a closely clipped head showing two scars. "I've daughters older than you, ma'am," he said, in part explanation of his friendliness. "One's got a new baby. He's a devil!" "W-what?" asked Ailsa. "The right kind of devil, ma'am. I've been to see him! He wanted my sword; he tried to chew off my shoulder straps; he almost impaled himself on my spurs. By heaven, ma'am, _that's_ a boy for you!" Ailsa smiled. She knew about babies; implanted in her had always been a perfect madness to possess one.