Actingonthisplainhint,wewalkedaroundthehouseandwentup—town。
Theguardsimplyconstruedhisordersinaliberalspirit。Hereasonedthattheyhardlyappliedtous,sincewewereevidentlyabletotakecareofourselves。
Laterwehadanotherillustrationofthisdoglikefidelityofthecoloredsentinel。Anumberofuswerequarteredinalargeandemptywarehouse。Onthesamefloor,andclosetous,wereacoupleofveryfinehorsesbelongingtosomeofficer。Wehadnotbeeninthewarehouseverylonguntilweconcludedthatthestrawwithwhichthehorseswerebeddedwouldbebetterusedinmakingcouchesforourselves,andthissuggestionwasinstantlyactedupon,andsothoroughlythattherewasnotastrawleftbetweentheanimalsandthebareboards。Presentlytheownerofthehorsescamein,andhewasgreatlyincensedatwhathadbeendone。Herelievedhismindofafewsulphurousoaths,andgoingout,camebacksoonwithamanwithmorestraw,andacoloredsoldierwhomhestationedbythehorses,saying:
\"Now,lookhere。Youmusn\'tletanybodytakeanythingswayfromthesestalls;d\'youunderstandme？——notathing。\"
Hethenwentout。AndrewsandIhadjustfinishedcookingdinner,andweresittingdowntoeatit。Wishingtolendourfrying—pantoanothermess,Ilookedaroundforsomethingtolayourmeatupon。NearthehorsesIsawabookcover,whichwouldanswerthepurposeadmirably。