ungainly. Upon her face she thought that this sentence was plainly
written: "There are three men hidden in the feed-box."

The grey-bearded soldier came toward her. She stopped; she seemed about
to run away. But the soldier doffed his little blue cap and looked
amiable. "You live here, I presume?" he said.

"Yes," she answered.

"Well, we are obliged to camp here for the night, and as we've got two
wounded men with us I don't suppose you'd mind if we put them in the
barn."

"In--in the barn?"

He became aware that she was agitated. He smiled assuringly. "You
needn't be frightened. We won't hurt anything around here. You'll all be
safe enough."

The girl balanced on one foot and swung the other to and fro in the
grass. She was looking down at it. "But--but I don't think ma would like
it if--if you took the barn."

The old officer laughed. "Wouldn't she?" said he. "That's so. Maybe she
wouldn't." He reflected for a time and then decided cheerfully: "Well,
we will have to go ask her, anyhow. Where is she? In the house?"

"Yes," replied the girl, "she's in the house. She--she'll be scared to
death when she sees you!"