"
"To New Orleans! And a new malignant fever of some horrible, unknown
type, raging there!" exclaimed Herbert,
"So much the more need of a physician! Herbert, I am not the least
uneasy on the subject of infection! I have a theory for its
annihilation."
"I never saw a clever young professional man without a theory!"
laughed Herbert.
The drum was now heard beating the tattoo, and the friends separated
with hearts full of revived hope.
The next morning Traverse presented the order of the Secretary to
the Commander-in-Chief and received his discharge.
And then, after writing long, loving and hopeful letters to his
mother and his betrothed, and entreating the former to try to find
out who was the secret benefactor who had sent him such timely aid,
Traverse took leave of his friends, and set out for the Southern
Queen of Cities, once more to seek his fortune.
Meantime the United States army continued to occupy the City of
Mexico, through the whole of the autumn and winter. General Butler,
who temporarily succeeded the illustrious Scott in the chief
command, very wisely arranged the terms of an armistice with the
enemy that was intended to last two months from the beginning of
February, but which happily lasted until the conclusion of the
treaty of peace between the two countries.
Colonel Le Noir had not been destined soon to die; his wound, an
inward canker from a copper bullet, that the surgeon had at length
succeeded in extracting, took the form of a chronic fester disease.
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