the spring had come again, and a little more than its first month had elapsed when, early one morning, as the sun was stealing up softly from the east, and before it had brought the hour for the slumbering troops to be aroused by another réveille, or had gilded the hills and valleys with its light, captain marshall, accompanied by his faithful orderly, franco, entered the half-slumbering town of minneopoli and turned toward the inn, whence the coach was soon to leave for the nearest railway station.
"lieutenant styles will be in command, franco, till i return, you know, and i fear he will form a dangerous substitute, with his affable nature," said the captain, as the hour of parting drew near.
"well, never mind that, captain; no matter how affable, we boys do not wish a new commander just now," returned the true-hearted boy.
"take care of your scalps, franco. don't let the 'red-skins' surprise you while i am gone. there, i see the coach is ready. i must soon bid you adieu."
"if i remember the bravery of my captain, the red devils won't get my scalp, i'll wager. but i hope they are settled for a time. come back as soon as you can, captain, and in your absence think occasionally of franco, will you? there comes the coach. the horses are fine and gay."
"rest assured, franco, i will think of you, and often too. how i would like to take you with me! but take care of yourself. a month's absence is not such a long time, after all. good-by, my dear fellow, good-by;" and seating himself in the waiting coach, captain marshall waved an adieu to his sorrowful young companion, and at the same moment the coach driver hallooed, "all ready!" and gave a sharp crack of the whip; the horses dashed forward, and recruit and captain were soon separated-separated forever. in less time than a fortnight, captain marshall had accomplished his long and troublesome journey, and was safe once more within his native state.
"i tell you, fred," said the captain, one day when he was visiting a friend in the queen city, "the agitated, portentous state of affairs in this section distresses and alarms me. i had no dream of the warlike aspect of this quiet queen city of the sea. i fancied we had all the trouble with us, in the north-west, among those wretched savages. i came home for a month of recreation and pleasure, and--" he uttered with slight hesitation--"for the fulfilment of my plighted troth; for the realization of the bright dream of a love that has brightened my heart for nearly two years. yes, fred, and if it were not for the business that takes me to fair melrose, i should regret that my coming home had been just at this time. i tell you, my good fellow, the future portends evil, if not bloodshed."
"well, marshall, bloodshed is inevitable, unless as a section we are allowed our constitutional rights; and i, for one, say, if it must, let it come, even with the fury of a storm. i am for state rights, and the palmetto state forever!"
"not bloodshed, fred, if we can avert it," replied the young officer to the enthusiastic outburst of the impetuous young pinckney, the beloved friend of his boyhood. "i am just from the gory field, where i saw my brave men fall beneath the treacherous blows of the indians. i have seen bloodshed, and desire to see no more of it. i have always loved military life, you know, fred; but i tell you it tries the heart of a man to see his men shot down like dogs."
"oh, yes; you are for the union, i see," replied young pinckney with impatient gesture. "your service in the regular army has weaned your heart from your native state, i fear."
"oh! yes; i am for the union just now-the union of hearts, at least; and as you go with me to melrose, you shall see that the union is maintained."
"o bother! marshall; you can think of nothing now but matrimony. i am for the union of hearts myself; but the union of states as it has existed, i detest. peaceable secession, you see, we cannot have; and if it must come in bloodshed, why, in the name of mankind, let it come! i am ready for the issue of my state's action."
"i pray your blood may never be required as the price of forcible secession, my dear fred. but the condition of the country appals me! i-whom duty calls to one place, and whom ties of affection bind to another-i am placed in no enviable position. yet i still hope the trouble will soon clear up, and all will yet be bright."
"your duty is plain before you, marshall. it's for or against us now, and no equivocation."
"well, we'll not fall out about our country's troubles. they may be better and they may be worse than we anticipate. i'll hope for the best, though evil come. let's talk of melrose, and the fair flower that blooms there. eh, fred?"
fred replied smiling, "so we will, dear boy; here, take this cigar. let's have a smoke, and if you like we'll stroll down to the battery and see the encampment."
