plainly showed signs
of deep disgust. His heart was full of battle and he wished to get at
the enemy. But prudence forbade another charge upon a force double
his numbers and now sheltered by a wood. At this moment it was the boy
beside him who was cooler than he.

"Captain Sherburne," he suggested mildly, "didn't General Jackson merely
want to find out what was ahead of him? When the army comes up it will
sweep this force out of its way."

"That's so," agreed Sherburne reluctantly, "but if we retire they'll
claim a victory, and our men will be depressed by the suspicion of
defeat."

"But the Yankees are retiring already. Look, you can see them
withdrawing! They were on the same business that we were, and it's far
more important for them to be sure that Jackson is advancing than it is
for us to know that an enemy's in front."

"You're right. We knew already that he was there, and we were watching
to get him. It's foolish for us to stay here, squabbling with a lot of
obstinate Yankees. We'll go back to Jackson as fast as we can. You're a
bright boy, Harry."

He dropped a hand affectionately on Harry's shoulder, then gave the
order to the men and they turned their horses' heads toward the army.
At the same time they saw with their own eyes the complete withdrawal
of the Union troops, and the proud Virginians were satisfied. It was no
defeat. It was merely a parting by mutual consent, each moving at the
same instant, that is, if the Yankees didn't go first.

They galloped back over the frozen road, and Captain Sherburne admitted
once more to himself the truth of Harry's suggestion. Already the
twilight was coming, and again it was heavy with clouds. In the east all
the peaks and ridges were wrapped about with them, and the captain knew
that they meant more snow. Heavy snow was the worst of all things for
the advance of Jackson.

Captain Sherburne gave another signal to his men and they galloped
faster. The hoofbeats of nearly two hundred horses rang hard on the
frozen road, but with increased speed pulses throbbed faster and spirits
rose. The average age of the troops was not over twenty, and youth
thought much of action, little of consequences.

They saw in a half hour the heads of columns toiling up the slopes,
and then Jackson riding on Little Sorrel, his shoulders bent forward
slightly, the grave eyes showing that the great mind behind them was
still at work, planning, planning, always planning. Their expressi