in great bunches around his ankles; the jacket came down to his knees; and the sleeves hung like yawning caverns, in which his hands disappeared so far that it seemed doubtful if he would ever find them again. But there were the gilt buttons and cavalry stripes; and Tobe's inmost soul rejoiced over them. He was so absorbed in his clothes, that he seemed to have forgotten the banjo; when, one day, the captain suddenly held one up before him. His eyes dilated till they seemed to cover half the face; and he gasped out, "Yer gwine to gib me dat ar, Massa Cap'n?" "You said you wanted a banjo, didn't you? "I knows I axed yer fer ter buy me one; but I t'ought mebbe yer wouldn't gi' me de clo's an' de banjo too." Well, which will you have, — the banjo, or the clothes?" Tobe answered not a word, but pulled off his jacket, and laid it at the captain's feet. Capt. Leigh laughed. he said, "if you want a banjo as bad as that, have it. Here, take it." 66 66 66 Well," you shall "Whar mus' I put de clo's at, Massa Cap'n?" You needn't put them anywhere. Keep them on." "Does yer mean to gi' me de clo's and de banjo too?" And, understanding at last that it was really so, Tobe gave vent to his feelings in a prolong Ki yi! " then stood on his head, kicking his heels in the air, till, his voluminous garments proving too much for him, he lost his balance, and rolled over. This sobered him. He picked himself up, and walked off, carrying the banjo as if it were a baby. After that there was no lack of music. Tobe played all day, and only stopped at night when the captain sent him to bed. It proved that Tobe had told the truth about his skill in taking care of horses. Capt. Leigh's horse had never looked so well as now, and the captain was delighted. Tobe turned out, moreover, to be a very good boy, But the army is not a very good place for boys. So one day Capt. Leigh said, “Tobe, how would you like to go North?" "Whar's it at, Mass Cap'n?" "I mean my home at the North." "When is yer gwine, Mass Cap'n?" "I am not going at all now." "Does yer mean ter sen' me away from yer, Mass Cap'n?" Capt. Leigh was touched, and answered him very gently, "Yes, I want to send you away from me now, because it will be better for you. But, when the war is over, I shall go home; and then you can stay with me always, if you are a good boy. "I allus does jes' de t'ings yer tell me, Mass Cap'n." “I know you do. And, just because you do what I tell you so well, I want to send you to my home, to run errands for my wife, and do what work she will give you in the house. And I have three little children, - two little girls and a baby boy. I want you to go with them when they go out to play, and take care of them. My home is in a very pleasant place, in the country. Don't you think you would like to go there?" "Ef yer goes too, Mass Cap'n." “But, my boy, I can't possibly go now. "I'se do jes de t'ing yer say, Mass Cap'n. Ef yer tells me to go, I'se go. An' I'se jest do ebery word the missus say, an' I look af'r de chillens de bes' I knows, ontel yer comes dar. On'y please come right soon, Mass Cap'n." And, as the captain left the tent, Tobe laid his head on his banjo, and cried as if his heart would break. Capt. Leigh found a brother officer who was expecting to go home on a furlough, and who readily agreed to take charge of the boy in whom his friend was so deeply interested. But that night came news that made everybody give up the idea of a "furlough," or "going home." The Richmond government, determined to "make the North feel the war as she had not felt it," had organized the "grand raid.” An order came for Capt. Leigh's regiment to march at daylight. "Tobe," said the captain, " you can go in one of the baggage-wagons. Strap up my blanket and poncho, and take them along; and these boots, take particular care of them, for it's not often I can get a pair of cavalry boots to fit as they do." "Yer needn't be feared, Mass Cap'n; I'se take care of 'em de bes' I knows." The main body of the raiders were reported on the line of the South Mountains, making for Gettysburg. Scouting expeditions were sent out from the Northern army in all directions; and a body of troops, including Capt. Leigh's regiment, were ordered to proceed by the shortest route to Gettysburg, and head the rebels of. One of the baggagewagons broke down. The driver of another wagon stopped to help his comrade. The troops passed on, and the two wagons were left alone on the mountain. In one of them was Tobe, with the captain's boots, over which he kept constant watch. The men worked busily at the wagon, and Tobe sat watching them. Suddenly a trampling of horses' feet was heard, and a party of cavalry came round a turn in the road. "That's good," said one of the men: "there's some of the boys. If they'll wait a few minutes, we can go along with 'em." ""Tain't none of our boys," said the other, after a keen glance; "them's rebs." At the word, Tobe slid down in the bottom of the wagon under some blankets, and lay silent and motionless with the boots clasped in his arms. As the soldiers advanced, the officer said, apparently in reply to a question, "No, let the men go: we can't do any thing with prisoners here. But we'll look through the wagon; and, if the Yanks have any thing we want, ́all's fair in war. 999 They reined their horses by the wagon, and, after a few short, sharp questions, proceeded to break open trunks and bags, and appropriate their contents. The soldiers were about finishing their examination, when one of them said, "What's that under the seat of that wagon?" "Oh! nothing but a torn blanket," said another. ""Tain't worth taking. We have got all we want. "There may be something under it, though." He pushed aside the blanket with his sabre; and there lay Tobe, endeavoring but unsuccessfully to hide the boots under him. "Ah!" said the officer, "this is worth while. Here's just what I wanted. Come, boy, hand over those boots, quick." 669 ''Deed, massa," said Tobe, "I can't gib 'em ter yer. Dey 'longs ter Mass Cap'n, an' he tole me take keer ob 'em mos' partic'lar." "Can't help that. I've got to have them: so pass them along. 66 'Please, massa," began Tobe; but the rebel cut him short. "Will you give me those boots? If you don't do it, and in double-quick time too, I'll put a ball through your black skin. I won't ask you again. Now, will you give them up?” and he pulled out his pistol. "'Deed, massa, I can't, case Massa Cap'n "— There was a sharp click, a flash, a long, sobbing moan, and Tobe lay motionless, the boots still clasped in his arms, and great drops of blood slowly gathering upon them. 66 Enemy in sight," shouted a picket, riding up. The officer hastily gave an order; and the rebels dashed off at a furious speed a few moments before a party of Union cavalry, with Capt. Leigh at their head, appeared, riding from the opposite direction. A few words sufficed for explanation. Capt. Leigh laid his hand on Tobe's shoulder, and spoke his name. At the sound of the voice he loved so well, his eyes opened, and he said faintly, "Mass Cap'n, I done de bes' I knowed. I keep the boots." "O Tobe!" groaned the captain, "I wish you had given them up. I would have lost every thing, rather than have had this." "Mass Cap'n." "Yes, Tobe, what is it?" "De little chillens, Mass Cap'n; I meaned ter wait on 'em right smart. eyes closed. Tell 'em " His voice grew fainter, and his "Yes, my boy: what shall I tell them?" "Tell 'em I didn't lose de boots; I kep 'em de bes' I knowed." There was a faint sigh, a flutter of the eyelids, and the little life that had been so truly "de bes' he knowed" (ah, if we could all say that!) was ended. Very reverently Capt. Leigh lifted the boots, all wet and stained with blood. "I will never wear those boots again," he said; “but I will never part with them. They shall be Tobe's monument." In the hall of Capt. Leigh's house is a deep niche; and in it, on a marble slab covered with a glass case, stands a pair of cavalry-boots with dark stains upon them; and on the edge of the slab, in golden letters, is the inscription, — "In memory of Tobe, ELIZABETH KILHAM. gave his hand a hearty grip. "So you are back again? They say you have been pirating Or was it some rich Indiaman Of course you have been breaking hearts "I kept my ship in sight, The little anchor on the left, The great one on the right.’ "I heard last night that you were in: When one comes home from sea. |