swelling of maternal pride. "I made him get in bed and cover himself
up, boots and all, when the Yankees came. Billy has been riding to-day.
He ain't very old, and he ain't very big, but put him on a horse and
he's mighty nigh a man."

The small, eager face was shining.

"What did you see, Billy, when you rode so far?" asked Dalton.

"Yankees! Yankees, Cousin George, and lots of 'em, toward Manassas Gap!
I saw some of their cavalry this side of the Gap, and I heard at the
store that there was a big army on the other side, marching hard to come
through it, and get in behind our Stonewall."

Harry looked at Dalton.

"That confirms the rumors we heard," he said.

"You can believe anything that Billy tells you," said Mrs. Pomeroy.

"I know it," said Dalton, "but we've got to go on and see these men for
ourselves. Stonewall Jackson is a terrible man, Cousin Eliza. If we tell
him that the Yankees are coming through Manassas Gap and closing in on
his rear, he'll ask us how we know it, and when we reply that a boy told
us he'll break us as unfit to be on his staff."

"And I reckon Stonewall Jackson will be about right!" said Cousin Eliza
Pomeroy, who was evidently a woman of strong mind. "Billy, you lead
these boys straight to Manassas Gap."

"Oh, no, Cousin Eliza!" exclaimed Dalton. "Billy's been riding hard all
day, and we can find the way."

"What do you think Billy's made out of?" asked his mother
contemptuously. "Ain't he a valley boy? Ain't he Jim Pomeroy's son and
mine? I want you to understand that Billy can ride anything, and he can
ride it all day long and all night long, too!"

"Make 'em let me go, ma!" exclaimed Billy, eagerly. "I can save time. I
can show 'em the shortest way!"

Harry and George glanced at each other. Young Billy Pomeroy might be
of great value to them. Moreover, the choice was already made for them,
because Billy was now running to the stable for his horse.

"He goes with us, or rather he leads us, Cousin Eliza," said Dalton.

Billy appeared the next instant, with his horse saddled and bridled, and
his own proud young self in the saddle.

"Billy, take 'em straight," said his Spartan mother, as she drew him
down in the saddle and kissed him, and Billy, more swollen with pride
than ever, promised that he would. But the mother's voice broke a little
when she said to Dalton:

"He's to guide you wherever you want to go, but you must bring him back
to me unhurt."

"We will, Cousin E