"Instead of a double ticket here are two singles," said Dalton, as he drew from under his cloak two fine dressed chickens. "Don"t these take me in?"
"They certainly do. Go in on the jump, Dalton."
The next arrival was Sherburne, who brought a five-pound bag of coffee. Then came the two colonels together, one with the half of a side of bacon, and the other with a twenty-pound bag of flour. More followed, bringing like tickets that were perfectly good, and it seemed that all the invited ticket holders were in, when a big black man on a big black horse rode up and saluted Langdon respectfully. He held out a pa.s.s.
"This pa.s.s am from Gen"ral Jackson," he said.
"Am it?" said Langdon, looking at the pa.s.s, "Yes, it am."
"Is you the orf"cer in command of this yere house?" asked the colored man, his wide mouth parting in an enormous grin that showed his magnificent white teeth.
"For the present I am, Sir Knight of the Dark but Kind Countenance. What wouldst thou?"
The man scratched his head and looked doubtfully at Langdon.
"Guess you"re asking me some kind of a question, sah?"
"I am. Who art thou? Whence comest thou, Sir Knight of Nubia? Bearest thou upon thy person some written token, or, as you would say in your common parlance, what"s your business?"
"Oh, I see, sah. Yes, sah, I done got a lettah from Mr. Theophilus Moncrieffe. That"s the owner of this house, and I belong to him. I"se Caesar Moncrieffe. Here"s the lettah, sah."
He handed a folded paper to Harry, who opened and read it. It was addressed to the chief of whatever officers might be occupying his house, and it ran thus, somewhat in the old-fashioned way:
SIRS AND GENTLEMEN:
The bearer of this is Caesar Moncrieffe. He and his ancestors have been servants of my family and my ancestors in the State of Virginia for more than two hundred years. He is a good man, as were his father and grandfather before him. He will not steal unless he should think it for his benefit or yours. He will not lie unless convinced of its necessity. He will work if you make him.
All of his impulses are good, and though he will strenuously deny it at first, he is about the best cook in the world. Knowing the scarcity of nutritious food in the army, I have therefore sent him to you with what I could gather together, in order that he might cook you a dinner worthy of Christmas. Put him to work, and if he disobeys, shuffles or evades in any manner, hit him over the head with anything that you can find hard enough or heavy enough to make an impression.
Wishing the Army of Northern Virginia the continued and brilliant success that has attended it heretofore,
I remain, Your most obedient servant, THEOPHILUS MONCRIEFFE.
"Ah, Sir Knight of the Dark but not Rueful Countenance, thou art doubly welcome!" said Happy Tom, now thrice-happy Tom. "It is a stout and goodly horse from which thou hast dismounted, and I see that he yet carries on his back something besides the saddle. But let me first speak to my Lord Talbot, our real commander, who is within."
Caesar did not wholly understand, but he saw that Langdon meant well, and he grinned. Happy Tom rushed toward Colonel Talbot, who stood before the fire with Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire.
"Colonel Talbot! Colonel Talbot, sir!" he exclaimed.
"What is it, Thomas, my lad? You appear to be excited, and that is not seemly in a soldier of your experience."
"But, Colonel, this isn"t a battle. Of course, I wouldn"t let myself be stirred up by the Yankees, but it"s a dinner, Colonel! It"s a Christmas dinner, and it bears all the signs of being as fine as any we ever ate in the old times of peace!"
"Thomas, my lad, I regret it, but I must say that you are talking in a much more light-headed way than usual. All that we had we brought with us, and your young brother officers, who I must say excel you in industry, are now a.s.sembling it."
"But, Colonel, there"s a big black fellow outside. He"s just come in with a loaded horse, belonging to the owner of this house, and he"s brought a letter with him. Read it, sir."
Colonel Talbot gravely read the letter and pa.s.sed it to Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire, who read it with equal gravity.
"Sounds well, eh, Hector?" Colonel Talbot said.
"Most excellent, Leonidas."
They went to the door with Happy Tom, and again Caesar saluted respectfully.
"You are welcome, Caesar," said Colonel Talbot. "I am commander here. What has your kind master sent us?"
Caesar bowed low before the two colonels and then proceeded to unload his horse. The young officers had come crowding to the door, but Happy Tom received the first package, which was wrapped in sacking.
"An old Virginia ham, nut-fed and sugar-cured!" he exclaimed. "Yes, it"s real! By all the stars and the sun and the moon, too, it"s real, because I"m pinching it! I thought I"d never see another such ham again!"
"And here"s a dressed turkey, a twenty-pounder at least!" said Harry. "Ah, you n.o.ble bird! What better fate could you find than a tomb in the stomachs of brave Confederate soldiers!"
"And another turkey!" said Dalton.
"And a bag of nuts!" said Sherburne.
"And, as I live, two bottles of claret!" said St. Claire.
"And a big black cake!" said Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire.
"And a great bunch of holly!" said Colonel Talbot, in whose eye, usually so warlike, a large tear stood.
"Dat," said Caesar, "was sent by little Miss Julia Moncrieffe, just nine years old. She wished she had a bunch for every soldier in the army, an" she sent her lub to all uv "em."
"G.o.d bless little Julia Moncrieffe, aged nine," said Colonel Talbot, much moved.
"G.o.d bless her, so say we all of us," the others added together.
"And now, Caesar," said Colonel Talbot, "put your horse in the part of the stable that remains. I noticed some hay there which you can give to him. Then come to the kitchen. Mr. Moncrieffe, whose name be praised, says that you"re the best cook since those employed by Lucullus. It"s great praise, Caesar, but in my opinion it"s none too great."
Caesar, highly flattered, led his horse to the stable, and the approving looks of the youths followed him.
"Sometimes I"ve had my doubts about Santa Claus" said Happy Tom.
"So have I," said St. Clair, "but like you I have them no longer."
"And there"s a curious thing about this restoration of our belief in Santa Claus," said Dalton.
"Since we see him in person we all observe the fact," said Harry.
"That he is a very large man."
"Six feet two at the very least."
"Weight about two twenty, and all of it bone and muscle."
"And he is coal black."