“There have been some surprising desertions from the Confederate ranks,” said the General, as he wrote.  “That’s the trouble.” he looked at his watch as he handed the message over his shoulder to Chad.  “You have ten hours before sunrise and it is nearly sixty miles there and back If you are not here with a stay of execution both will be shot.  Do you think that you can make it?  Of course you need not bring the message back yourself.  You can get the Commandant to telegraph—­” The slam of a door interrupted him—­Chad was gone.

Harry was holding Dixie’s bridle when he reached the street and Chad swung into the saddle.

“Don’t tell them at home,” he said.  “I’ll be back here on time, or I’ll be dead.”

The two grasped hands.  Harry nodded dumbly and Dixie’s feet beat the rhythm of her matchless gallop down the quiet street.  The sensitive little mare seemed to catch at once the spirit of her rider.  Her haunches quivered.  She tossed her head and champed her bit, but not a pound did she pull as she settled into an easy lope that told how well she knew that the ride before her was long and hard.  Out they went past the old cemetery, past the shaft to Clay rising from it, silvered with moonlight, out where the picket fires gleamed and converging on toward the Capital, unchallenged for the moon showed the blue of Chad’s uniform and his face gave sign that no trivial business, that night, was his.  Over quiet fields and into the aisles of sleeping woods beat that musical rhythm ceaselessly, awakening drowsy birds by the wayside, making bridges thunder, beating on and on up hill and down until picket fires shone on the hills that guard the Capital.  Through them, with but one challenge, Chad went, down the big hill, past the Armory, and into the town—­pulling panting Dixie up before a wondering sentinel who guarded the Commandant’s sleeping quarters.

“The Commandant is asleep.”

“Wake him up,” said Chad, sharply.  A staff-officer appeared at the door in answer to the sentinel’s knock.

“What is your business?”

“A message from General Ward.”

“The Commandant gave orders that he was not to be disturbed.”

“He must be,” said Chad.  “It is a matter of life and death.”

Above him a window was suddenly raised and the Commandant’s own head was thrust out.

“Stop that noise,” he thundered.  Chad told his mission and the Commandant straightway was furious.

“How dare General Ward broach that matter again?  My orders are given and they will not be changed.”  As he started to pull the window down, Chad cried: 

“But, General—­” and at the same time a voice called down the street: 

“General!” Two men appeared under the gaslight—­one was a sergeant and the other a frightened negro.

“Here is a message, General.”

The sash went down, a light appeared behind it, and soon the Commandant, in trousers and slippers, was at the door.  He read the note with a frown.