“Very well, the circumstances considered,” replied Albert, “though I must say their quarters are rather restricted. You can see the house up there; they have been living for the last three or four days and nights in its cellar, crowded up with other women, with a hospital beside them, and the cannon balls from your army often crashing over their heads. It’s rather a lively life for women.” “Can’t I see your sister, Mistress Catherine?” I asked. “I have something to say to her about Chudleigh.” “Why, certainly,” he replied. “Kate will always be glad to see an old playmate like you, Dick.” He was so obliging as to go at once and fetch her. She looked a little thin and touched by care, but the added gravity became her. She greeted me with gratifying warmth. We had stepped a little to one side, and after the greetings, I said, indicating Chudleigh: “I have brought him back as sound and whole as he was the day he started on this campaign.” “That must be very pleasant to Captain Chudleigh,” she said with a faint smile. “I saved him from a possible death too,” I said. “Captain Chudleigh’s debt of gratitude to you is large,” she replied. “I have taken great trouble with him,” I said, “but I was willing to do it all on your account. I have brought him back, and I make him a present to you.” She looked me squarely in the eyes for a moment, and said, as she turned away: “Dick, you are a fool!” Which I call abrupt, impolite, ungrateful, and, I hope, untrue. CHAPTER XVIII. THE BATTLE OF THE GUNS. I returned to our camp downcast over the failure of good intentions, and convinced that there was no reward in this life for self-sacrifice. Perhaps if I were to fall in the fighting and Kate Van Auken were to see my dead body, she would be sorry she had called me a fool. There was comfort in this reflection. The idea that I was a martyr cheered me, and I recovered with a rapidity that was astonishing to myself. An hour’s rest was permitted me before my return to active duty, and I had some opportunity to observe our tactics, which I concluded must be most galling to the enemy. Some clouds of smoke hung over both encampments, and the crackling of the rifles of the sharpshooters and the occasional thud of the cannon had become so much a matter of course, that we scarce paid attention to them. When my hour of leisure was over I was assigned to duty with an advanced party close up to Burgoyne’s camp. It was much to my pleasure that I found Whitestone there too. It was but natural, however, that we should be often on duty together, since we belonged to the same company. Whitestone, according to his habit, had made himself comfortable on the ground, and, there being no law against it, was smoking the beloved pipe, which like its master was a veteran of many campaigns. From his lounging place he could see a portion of the British camp.