The Blue Birds' Winter Nest

Excerpt: ...whence fresh air entered the cavern, and held the lantern up for me to see her pet. "I stood making friendly advances to the beauty and, to Becky's amazement, he never moved an inch, but wrinkled his nose for sugar. "'Witch! that is what you are!' laughed Becky, as Imp poked his nose under my arm. 'I have never known him to do such a thing.' "Imp stood listening to his mistress as if he thoroughly understood the situation. "I turned to tell Rebecca what a beauty he was, and he deliberately poked his nose out against my face. "After all the supplies were stacked away, Rebecca 155 slipped the halter over Imp's head and led him to a ring cemented in the solid rock. "'Now, Imp, you will have to be good and not whinny or make a sound. I know what is good for you, and you must do just as I tell you, or a bad Yankee soldier will catch you and then you will see!' warned Rebecca, shaking her finger at him. "The horse stood looking at her as if striving to understand what that strange word 'Yankee' meant; then he threw up his head and shook it defiantly. "We said good-by to Imp and returned to the cart where Tim waited. We sent Tim to the barns with the mule and we went back to the house. "That was such a busy day that everyone felt weary and glad when the sun showed its slanting rays over the trees. It must have been about four o'clock when sounds of approaching cavalry reached the house. It was the company Newell and his brother had formed a few months before. They had been driven over the mountainside and decided to spend the night in hiding at home. 156 "The sewing room was filled with neighbors whose boys were members of the company, so you can imagine the joy of seeing them again. "The boys were covered with mire halfway to the waist, and their horses looked as if they must drop where they stood. Many of the soldiers were...