afore she was Mrs. Boompointer, was dead set on findin' out where she
was, but never could. She seemed to drop out of sight a year ago. Some
said one thing, and some said another. But you can bet your bottom
dollar that Mrs. Senator Boompointer, who knows how to pull all the
wires in Washington, will know, if any one does."
"But is Mrs. Boompointer really disaffected, and a Southern
sympathizer?" said Brant, "or is it only caprice or fashion?"
While speaking he had risen, with a half-abstracted face, and had gone
to the window, where he stood in a listening attitude. Presently he
opened the window, and stepped outside. Hooker wonderingly followed him.
One or two officers had already stepped out of their rooms, and were
standing upon the veranda; another had halted in the path. Then one
quickly re-entered the house, reappeared with his cap and sword in his
hand, and ran lightly toward the guard-house. A slight crackling noise
seemed to come from beyond the garden wall.
"What's up?" said Hooker, with staring eyes.
"Picket firing!"
The crackling suddenly became a long rattle. Brant re-entered the room,
and picked up his hat.
"You'll excuse me for a few moments."
A faint sound, soft yet full, and not unlike a bursting bubble, made the
house appear to leap elastically, like the rebound of a rubber ball.
"What's that?" gasped Hooker.
"Cannon, out of range!"
CHAPTER V.
In another instant bugles were ringing through the camp, with the
hurrying hoofs of mounted officers and the trampling of forming men. The
house itself was almost deserted. Although the single cannon-shot had
been enough to show that it was no mere skirmishing of pickets, Brant
still did not believe in any serious attack of the enemy. His position,
as in the previous engagement, had no strategic importance to them; they
were no doubt only making a feint against it to conceal some advance
upon the centre of the army two miles away. Satisfied that he was in
easy supporting distance of his division commander, he extended his line
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