ated the favor and
flushed with pleasure.

"Thank you, sir," he said briefly.

Jackson nodded. He seemed to like the lack of effusive words. Harry knew
that his general had not tasted food. Neither had he. He had actually
forgotten it in his keenness for his work, and now he was proud of the
fact. He was proud, too, of the comradeship of abstention that it gave
him with Stonewall Jackson. As he rode in silence by the side of the
great commander he made for himself an ideal. He would strive in his
own youthful way to show the zeal, the courage and the untiring devotion
that marked the general.

The sun, wintry but golden, rose higher and made fields and forest
luminous. But few among Jackson's men had time to notice the glory of
the morning. It seemed to Harry that they were marching back almost as
swiftly as they had come. Langdon was right and more. They were getting
continuous practice not only in the art of living without food, sleep or
rest, but also of going everywhere on a run instead of a walk. Those who
survived it would be incomparable soldiers.

Winchester appeared and the people came forth rejoicing. Jackson gave
orders for the disposition of the stores and then rode at once to a
tent. He signalled to Harry also to dismount and enter. An orderly took
the horses of both.

"Sit down at the table there," said Jackson. "I want to dictate to you
some orders."

Harry sat down. He had forgotten to take off his cap and gloves, but he
removed one gauntlet now, and picked up a pen which lay beside a little
inkstand, a pad of coarse paper on the other side.

Jackson himself had not removed hat or gauntlets either, and the heavy
cavalry cloak that he had worn on the ride remained flung over his
shoulders. He dictated a brief order to his brigadiers, Loring, Edward
Johnson, Garnett, the commander of the Stonewall Brigade, and Ashby, who
led the cavalry, to prepare for a campaign and to see that everything
was ready for a march in the morning.

Harry made copies of all the orders and sealed them.

"Deliver every one to the man to whom it is addressed," said Jackson,
"and then report to me. But be sure that you say nothing of their
contents to anybody."

The boy, still burning with zeal, hurried forth with the orders,
delivered them all, and came back to the tent, where he found the
general dictating to another aide. Jackson glanced at him and Harry,
saluting, said:

"I have given all the orders, sir, to thos