ing off the fugitive.

When Harry eased his horse's flight he saw the troop, very distant but
still pursuing, and he read the mind of the Union leader. He was saving
his mounts, trailing merely, in the hope that Harry would exhaust his own
horse, after which he and his men would come on at great speed.

Harry looked down at his horse and saw that he was heaving with his great
effort. He knew that he had made a mistake in driving him so hard at
first, and with the courage of which only a young veteran would have been
capable he brought the animal almost to a walk, and resolutely kept him
there, while the enemy gained. When they were almost within rifle shot
he increased his speed again, but he did not seek for the present to
increase his gain.

As long as their bullets could not reach him his horse should merely go
stride for stride with theirs, and when the last stretch was reached,
he would send forward the brave animal at his utmost speed. His were the
true racing tactics drawn from his native state. He had no doubt of his
ability to leave his pursuers far behind when the time came, but his true
danger was from interference. He too knew that many Union cavalry troops
were abroad, and he watched on either flank for them as he rode on.
At the crest of every little hill he swept the whole country, but as yet
he saw nothing but peaceful farmhouses.

The day was clear and bright, not so warm as its predecessors, and he
calculated by the sun that he was going straight toward Lee. He knew
that a great army always marched slowly, and he was able to reckon with
accuracy just how far the Army of Northern Virginia had come since
Gettysburg. He should reach it in the morning, with full information
about the Potomac, and the best place for a crossing.

He arrived at the crest of a hill higher than the others, and saw the
Union troop, about a quarter of a mile behind, stop beside a clump of
tall trees. Their action surprised Harry, who had thought they would
never quit as long as they could find his trail. To his further surprise
he saw one of the men dismount and begin to climb the tallest of the
trees. Then he brought his glasses into play.

He saw the climber go up, up, until he had reached the last bough that
would support him. Then he drew some thing from his pocket which he
unrolled and began to wave rapidly. It was a flag and through his
powerful glasses Harry clearly saw the Stars and Stripes. It was evid