"Thomas, my lad, I regret it, but I must say that you are talking in a much more light-headed way than usual. All that we had we brought with us, and your young brother officers, who I must say excel you in industry, are now assembling it." "But, Colonel, there's a big black fellow outside. He's just come in with a loaded horse, belonging to the owner of this house, and he's brought a letter with him. Read it, sir." Colonel Talbot gravely read the letter and passed it to Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire, who read it with equal gravity. "Sounds well, eh, Hector?" Colonel Talbot said. "Most excellent, Leonidas." They went to the door with Happy Tom, and again Caesar saluted respectfully. "You are welcome, Caesar," said Colonel Talbot. "I am commander here. What has your kind master sent us?" Caesar bowed low before the two colonels and then proceeded to unload his horse. The young officers had come crowding to the door, but Happy Tom received the first package, which was wrapped in sacking. "An old Virginia ham, nut-fed and sugar-cured!" he exclaimed. "Yes, it's real! By all the stars and the sun and the moon, too, it's real, because I'm pinching it! I thought I'd never see another such ham again!" "And here's a dressed turkey, a twenty-pounder at least!" said Harry. "Ah, you noble bird! What better fate could you find than a tomb in the stomachs of brave Confederate soldiers!" "And another turkey!" said Dalton. "And a bag of nuts!" said Sherburne. "And, as I live, two bottles of claret!" said St. Claire. "And a big black cake!" said Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire. "And a great bunch of holly!" said Colonel Talbot, in whose eye, usually so warlike, a large tear stood. "Dat," said Caesar, "was sent by little Miss Julia Moncrieffe, just nine years old. She wished she had a bunch for every soldier in the army, an' she sent her lub to all uv 'em." "God bless little Julia Moncrieffe, aged nine," said Colonel Talbot, much moved. "God bless her, so say we all of us," the others added together. "And now, Caesar," said Colonel Talbot, "put your horse in the part of the stable that remains. I noticed some hay there which you can give to him. Then come to the kitchen. Mr. Moncrieffe, whose name be praised, says that you're the best cook since those employed by Lucullus. It's great praise, Caesar, but in my opinion it's none too great." Caesar, highly flattered, led his horse to the stable, and the approving looks of the youths followed him. "Sometimes I've had my doubts about Santa Claus" said Happy Tom. "So have I," said St. Clair, "but like you I have them no longer." "And there's a curious thing about this restoration of our belief in Santa Claus," said Dalton. "Since we see him in person we all observe the fact," said Harry. "That he is a very large man." "Six feet two at the very least." "Weight about two twenty, and all of it bone and muscle." "And he is coal black."