As the chaplain paused again, Dennis impatiently broke in, "For the love of the Saints in heaven tell us what he has decided to do! I can't stand much more o' this. It isn't the spache we want. It's to know what the Prisident said." "He has decided to pardon every one of you." A shout went up from the guard-tent. In their enthusiasm several were for leaving the place at once. "Hold on," warned the chaplain. "I have no right to let you go. I was permitted to come and bring you the word. You will have to wait until orders come from the colonel before you will be free. It won't hurt you very much to wait a little while because you know you will not have to stay long. It's a great message and I'm glad I am the one to bring it to you. Are you pleased, both of you?" "In course I'm pleased," said Dennis. "And how is it with you, Noel?" asked the chaplain keenly as he turned to the other young soldier. "I didn't want any 'pardon'," declared Noel quietly. "I haven't done anything for which I ought to be pardoned. I have been charged with being a deserter, by a man whose word was taken instead of ours, and, too, he is now said to be a spy. I don't feel like taking a pardon because I haven't done anything which deserves a pardon." "Don't be foolish, lad," suggested the chaplain. "This matter will all be straightened out. If there is time you may be sent back to the division where you belong, but if there isn't and we have to advance now, there will be plenty of work for you to do before many hours have passed. Don't stand on a little thing like that." "I don't want to," said Noel, "and perhaps I shall not stay in the guard-tent. I am not made of the stuff of which they used to make martyrs. I appreciate what President Lincoln intended to do, but at the same time I don't want to stay here as one who has been pardoned for something which he never did." "That will be fixed all right," said the chaplain soothingly. "And just as soon as you receive word from the colonel that you are free, I hope you won't stay here any longer." "Niver a bit will we stay here any longer," declared Dennis. "You watch me, if you want to! You'll see some dust, but not me nor me feet when I get word to lave this tent." True to the promise of the chaplain, word was brought in a brief time that a message from the President had been received and that all the deserters had been pardoned on the condition that every man should resume his place in the army and do his duty. Nor had they been long released before another and more startling experience came. The heavy firing of cannon in the distance had now increased, and it was manifest throughout the camp that preparations for an advance were rapidly being made. CHAPTER XXIX THE BATTLE Noel Curtis was standing in front of the colonel's tent listening to the word of that anxious officer, who in response to the request of the chaplain was showing the young soldiers the pardon received from the President.