make you see gold and red. I'll warm and cook your
food for you, giving you fresh life and strength. With my crackling
coals and my leaping flames I'll change your world of despair into a
world of hope.'"

"Hear! Hear!" said Happy Tom. "Arthur has turned from a sodden soldier
into a giddy poet! Is any more poetry left in the barrel, Arthur?"

"Plenty, but I won't turn on the tap again to-day. I've translated for
you. I've shown you where beauty and happiness lie, and you must do the
rest for yourself."

They crowded about the huge fire which ran the entire length of the cove,
and watched the cooks who had brought their supplies on horseback.
Great quantities of coffee were made, and they had bacon and hard
biscuits.

Although the rain still reached them in the cove they forgot it as they
ate the good food--any food was good to them--and drank cup after cup of
hot coffee. Youthful spirits rose once more. It wasn't such a bad day
after all! It had rained many times before and people still lived.
Also, the Potomac had risen many times before, but it always fell again.
They were riding to clear the way for Lee's invincible army which could
go wherever it wanted to go.

"Men on horseback looking at us!" hailed Happy Tom. "About fifty on a
low hill on our right. Look like Yankee cavalrymen. Wonder what they
take us for anyway!"

Harry, St. Clair, Langdon and Dalton walked to the edge of the cove,
every one holding a cup of hot coffee in his hand. Sherburne was already
there and with his glasses was examining the strange group, as well as he
could through the sweeping rain.

"A scouting party undoubtedly," he said, "but weather has made their
uniforms and ours look just about alike. It's equally certain though
that they're Yankees. No troop of ours so small would be found here."

Harry was also watching them through glasses, and he took particular note
of one stalwart figure mounted upon a powerful horse. The distance was
too great to recognize the face, but he knew the swing of the broad
shoulders. It was Shepard and once more he had the uneasy feeling winch
the man always inspired in him. He appeared and reappeared with such
facility, and he was so absolutely trackless that he had begun to appear
to him as omniscient. Of course the man knew all about Sherburne's
advance and could readily surmise its purpose.

"They're an impudent lot to sit there staring at us in that supercilious
manner," said