erruption was resumed.

CHAPTER XI

THE CHOICE OF FAIRFAX

"Ours are no hirelings trained to the fight,
With cymbal and clarion, all glittering and bright;
No prancing of chargers, no martial display;
No war-trump is heard from our silent array.
O'er the proud heads of our freemen our star-banner waves;
Men, firm as their mountains, and still as their graves."

--_T. Graves._

Although each member of the little party had borne himself well in the
face of peril, now each one found himself in the utter exhaustion that
follows unusual stress of mind or body. It was no longer possible to
lighten the tediousness of travel by conversation, and for this reason
the remainder of the journey seemed long and exceedingly wearisome.
Had conditions been other than they were both Peggy and Sally would
have noticed the broad morasses which bisected the wide plains they
were now traversing. They would have exclaimed at the acres of reeds
which covered the vast extent of these marshes, and at the wild fowl
which rose in clouds from them; for already the ducks were flying.
They would have discussed how these swamps became dangerous quagmires
at a later season, and how the sandy soil, now so firm and solid under
its blanket of snow, would become soft and yielding so that horses
could scarce travel through it.

All these things failed to rouse them from the weariness that held
them. The over-hanging branches of the leafless trees arched over the
highway, and obscured the light of the westering sun. Further on,
the road left the forest and ran by open fields and hedgerows of
cultivated lands. It was not until they had passed through a low lying
plain, and crossed the broad marsh which separated it from the wooded
heights of Freehold that it occurred to any of them that they were
passing over the battle-ground of Monmouth. Then, as the high peaked
roof of the court-house came into view, Nurse Johnson roused herself.

"Is it not somewhere hereabouts that the Battle of Monmouth was
fought?" she asked. "Methinks I remember 'twas at the seat of
Monmouth County that His Excellency's forces overtook the English."

"Yes." Fairfax looked about him. "The hottest part of the battle
occurred at yon parsonage; although I've heard that there was hard
fighting over the entire plain."

"Oh, don't talk of battles," broke in Sally glancing about fearfully.
"Every bush and tree seems but made to hide an enemy.