"He's perfectly harmless," went on the soldier, looking out to see the
aged negro shuffling off. "You see, he used to be a slave in some
Southern family," the army man explained. "He was given his freedom, but
never took it, and they say he went insane when his mistress died. He had
taken care of her since she was a baby, and he took it very much to
heart."

"Poor old man," murmured Alice.

"Yes, we all like him around here," the soldier continued. "He has a
notion now that his 'little mistress,' as he calls her, is only lost, and
he keeps searching for her. Sometimes he scares the lady visitors, so we
try to keep him out of the lonely parts of the fort. But he must have
slipped in here when no one was watching. I'll give him a good lecture."

"Oh, please don't be harsh to him!" pleaded Alice. "Really he did
nothing!"

"But he scared you, Miss."

"Oh, not much. Only for a second. Then I guessed what his trouble was.
Please say you won't scold him!" she pleaded.

"Well, I guess I'll have to, if you ask me that way, Miss," said the
soldier with the air and manner of a Southern colonel. "We can't refuse
the ladies anything, you know," and he bowed and smiled in a frank manner
that pleased Alice.

"Then you won't punish him?" she asked.