"It's horses," says the sergeant; "they are galloping--and there's more than one too." We both spring for the gate. "Shall I order the men to fall in?" asks the sergeant. "No; there are not many horses coming. Let us wait and see." In another moment appears through the trees, a black boy mounted on a horse, and behind him two mules on a gallop. The black boy repeats his wild "Yoo, yoo--yo, yoo," and when he does so the mules redouble their speed. As he approaches the gate, he pulls up. "What are you galloping for?" I ask. "Is anything the matter?" "Oh, no, sah; I been a ploughing all day, and am a comin' home." "What! do those mules plough all day and gallop home in this way at night?" "Oh, yes, sah; they likes it. Why, it does 'em good." The boy and mules all look so bright and fresh that I am bound to believe it does them all good; and as we thus talk the other girl comes up the road, carrying her heavy grubbing hoe upon her shoulder, and with many startled looks at us, goes toward the house. They are a strange people these Southerners, full of inconsistencies and all sorts of incongruous traits. They are not a musical people; you never hear a boy whistle, or a girl singing at her work; they are not liberally educated, and schools and schoolmasters are few. Yet in half the houses you will find pianos, and half the women play by note. In this house the ceiling is not plastered; the unpainted mantel is covered with broken bottles and old candlesticks; the rough log walls are adorned with twopenny engravings cut from almanacs and country papers; all the furniture in the house is not worth $5; but there is a piano, a handsome one, with a showy cover. It is so with their characters: some are very high-minded, and some are very mean; and some, with a stock in trade of honor, unite the most Indian-like duplicity. And here let me tell you a story to the point. As the black boy loiters round, I say to him, "Well, Dick, have you seen any soldiers before this?" "No, sah," says Dick; "but missus has." "Ah! where did she see them?" "Why, thar was some of your soldiers up to Mr. Clokes' a spell ago, one Sunday, and missus she was thar." Now, as you will recollect, we were at Mr. Clokes' on a Sunday, and there were one or two visitors there then. The doctor and I had been very polite to everybody, and everybody had been very polite to us, and none more so than these visitors. When we left, I complacently said to the doctor that this was much the best way to treat these people, it must conciliate them; and the doctor had said, "Oh, certainly; if we have not made them loyal, we have at least impressed them favorably." So, recollecting all this, I said to Dick: "Well, Dick, what did your missus say about the Union soldiers?" "Oh! she said they made her so mad she could hardly eat." "Hardly eat! Indeed--why what did they do to her?"