ir weariness. They were still upborne
by a great anxiety and a great exaltation, too. Feeling to the full
the imminence and immensity of the crisis, they were bending themselves
heart and soul to prevent it, and no thought of weariness could enter
their minds. Each was another Billy, only on a larger and older scale.

Later on, the moon and all the stars slipped away, and it became very
dark. Harry felt that it was merely a preliminary to the dawn, and he
asked Dalton if he did not think so, too.

"It's too dark for me to see the face of my watch," said Dalton, "but I
know you're right, Harry. I can just feel the coming of the dawn. It's
some quality in the air. I think it grows a little colder than it has
been in the other hours of the night."

"I can feel the wind freshening on my face. It nips a bit for a May
morning."

They slackened speed a little, wishing to save their horses for a final
burst, and stopped once or twice for a second or two to listen for the
sound of other hoofbeats than their own. But they heard none.

"If the Yankee armies are already on the turnpike they're not near us.
That's sure," said Dalton.

"Do you know how many men they have?"

"Some of the spies brought in what the general believed to be pretty
straight reports. The rumors said that Shields was advancing to Manassas
Gap with ten thousand men, and from what we heard we know that is true.
A second detachment, also ten thousand strong, from McDowell's army is
coming toward Front Royal, and McDowell has twenty thousand men east
of the Blue Ridge. What the forces to the west are I don't know but the
enemy in face of the general himself on the Potomac must now number at
least ten thousand."

Harry whistled.

"And at the best we can't muster more than fifteen thousand fit to carry
arms!" he exclaimed.

Dalton leaned over in the dark, and touched his comrade on the shoulder.

"Harry," he said, "don't forget Old Jack. Where Little Sorrel leads
there is always an army of forty thousand men. I'm not setting myself up
to be very religious, but it's safe to say that he was praying to-night,
and when Old Jack prays, look out."

"Yes, if anybody can lead us out of this trap it will be Old Jack," said
Harry. "Look, there's the dawn coming over the Blue Ridge, George."

A faint tint of gray was appearing on the loftiest crests of the Blue
Ridge. It could scarcely be called light yet, but it was a sign to the
two that the darkness there w