Two Little Confederates by Thomas Nelson Page

The raiders were up early next morning scouring the woods and country / around. They knew that the fugitive soldiers could not have gone far, / for the Federals had every road picketed, and their main body was not / far away. As the morning wore on, it became a grave question at / Oakland how the two soldiers were to subsist. They had no provisions / with them, and the roads were so closely watched that there was no / chance of their obtaining any. The matter was talked over, and the / boys' mother and Cousin Belle were in despair.

"They can eat their shoes," said Willy, reflectively.