egion the
whole Mississippi Valley might now be in the hands of the Johnnies."

"Didn't I tell you, Dick, not to argue with him?" said Pennington.
"What's the use? New England has the writers and when this war is ended
victoriously they'll give the credit of all the fighting to New England.
And after a while, through the printed word, they'll make other people
believe it, too."

"Then you Nebraskans and Kentuckians should learn to read and write.
Why blame me?" said Warner with dignity.

Colonel Winchester joined them at that moment, having returned from a
brief council with Sheridan and his officers. Dick, without a word,
passed him a plate of hot ham and a tin cup of sizzling coffee. The
colonel, who looked worn to the bone but triumphant, ate and drank.
Then he settled himself into an easy place before one of the fires and
said:

"A messenger has gone to General Grant with the news of our victory,
and it will certainly be a most welcome message. The news will also
be sent to the nearest telegraph station, and then it will travel on
hundreds of wires to every part of the North, but while it's flashing
through space we'll be riding forward to new battle."

"I expected it, sir," said Dick. "I suppose we advance again at dawn."

"And maybe a little sooner. Now you boys must rest. You've had eighteen
hours of marching and fighting. I've been very proud of my regiment
today, and fortunately we have escaped without large losses."

"And you sleep, too, sir, do you not?" said Warner, respectfully.
"If we've been marching and fighting for eighteen hours so have you."

"I shall do so a little later, but that's no reason why the rest of you
should delay. How that coffee and ham refreshed me! I didn't know I was
so nearly dead."

"Here's more, Colonel!"

"Thank you, Dick. I believe I will. But as I say, go to sleep. I want
all my regiment to sleep. We don't know what is before us tomorrow,
but whatever it is it won't be easy. Now you boys have had enough to eat
and drink. Into the blankets with you!"

He did not wait to see his order obeyed, but strode away on another hasty
errand. But it was obeyed and that, too, without delay. The young
warriors rolled themselves in their blankets and hunted a soft place for
their heads. But their nerves were not yet quiet, and sleep did not come
for a little while. The long lines of fires still glowed, and the sounds
of an army came to them. Dick looked up int