a few moments in
enjoying their triumph. They captured great quantities of food and
clothing which Kenly had not found time to destroy, and which they
joyously divided among themselves.
Harry found the two colonels and all the rest of the Invincibles lying
upon the ground in the fields. Some of them were wounded, but most
were unhurt. They were merely panting from exhaustion. Colonel Leonidas
Talbot sat up when he saw Harry, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St.
Hilaire also sat up.
"Good afternoon, Harry," said Colonel Talbot, politely. "It's been a
warm day."
"But a victorious one, sir."
"Victorious, yes; but it is not finished. I fancy that in spite of
everything we have not yet learned the full capabilities of General
Jackson, eh, Hector?"
"No, sir, we haven't," replied Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire,
emphatically. "I never saw such an appetite for battle. In Mexico
General Winfield Scott would press the enemy hard, but he was not
anxious to march twenty miles and fight a battle every day."
Harry found St. Clair and Langdon not far away from their chief
officers. St. Clair had brushed the dust off his clothing, but he was
regarding ruefully two bullet holes in the sleeve of his fine gray
tunic.
"He has neither needle nor thread with which to sew up those holes,"
said Langdon, with wicked glee, "and he must go into battle again with a
tunic more holy than righteous. It's been a bad day for clothes."
"A man doesn't fight any worse because he's particular about his
uniform, does he?" asked St. Clair.
"You don't. That's certain, old fellow," said Langdon, clapping him
on the back. "And just think how much worse it might have been. Those
bullets, instead of merely going through your coat sleeve, might have
gone through your arm also, shattering every bone in it. Now, Harry, you
ride with Old Jack. Tell us what he means to do. Are we going to rest
on our rich and numerous laurels, or is it up and after the Yanks
hot-foot?"
"He's not telling me anything," replied Harry, "but I think it's safe to
predict that we won't take any long and luxurious rest. Nor will we ever
take any long and luxurious rest while we're led by Stonewall Jackson."
Jackson marched some distance farther toward Strasburg, where the army
of Banks, yet unbelieving, lay, and as the night was coming on thick and
black with clouds, went into camp. But among their captured stores they
had ample food now, and tents and blankets to
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