On the way to the house Miss Lou explained more fully the circumstances relating to the dead soldier, Yarry, and Ackley said good-naturedly, “I’ll have Uncle Lusthah and two others detailed to dig the grave and you can carry out your intentions; but, Miss Baron, you must be careful in the future how you let your inexperience and enthusiasm involve you in conflict with all recognized authority.  We are safely out of this scrape; I can’t answer for anything more.”

“Believe me,” she said earnestly, “I don’t wish to make trouble of any kind, and after your course toward me, I will seek to carry out your orders in every way.  If I dared I would ask one favor.  Uncle Lusthah is too old to work in the field and he is a kind, good old man.  If you would have him detailed to wait on the wounded—­”

“Yes, yes, I will.  You are a brave, good-hearted girl and mean well.  I shall rely on your promise to work cordially with me hereafter.  Now go to your room and get calm and rested.  You are trembling like a frightened bird.  I’ll see your uncle, cousin and Dr. Borden.  You shall bury your chivalrous Yank just as you wish.  Then all must go according to regulations.”

She smiled as she gave him her hand, saying, “You may put me under arrest if I don’t mind you in everything hereafter.”

“Well,” muttered the surgeon, as he looked after her, “to think that a girl should have a probe long and sharp enough to go straight to the heart of a man of my age!  No wonder Maynard and Whately are over head and ears.”

CHAPTER XXIX

“Angel of death”

It would seem as if the brief tempest of the morning had cleared the air.  Two strong natures had asserted themselves.  Surgeon Ackley’s recognition of Miss Lou’s spirit and the justice of her plea turned out to be as politic as it was sincere and unpremeditated.  The slaves learned all they could hope from her or any one now in authority and were compelled to see the necessity of submission.  Whately was taught another lesson concerning the beauties of headlong action, while even his egotism was not proof against the feeling that his cousin’s straightforward fearlessness would baffle all measures opposed to her sense of right.  As for Perkins, he began to fear as well as hate her, seeing her triumph again.  The only reward of his zeal had been Whately’s words, “Get out of the way, you fool.”  Thereafter, with the exception of the girl’s scathing words, he had been ignored.  He had been made to feel that Ackley’s threats had a meaning for him as well as for the negroes, and that if he needlessly provoked trouble again he would be confronted with the stern old army surgeon.  Having known Whately from a boy he stood in little fear of him, but was convinced that he could not trifle with Ackley’s patience an instant.  He now recognized his danger.  In his rage he had forgotten the wide difference in