he curtain was drawn
steadily back, but it was always there.

One of the encounters rose almost to the dignity of a battle. A heavy
division of Northern regulars drove in all the Southern skirmishers,
but Jackson, sending forward a strong force, pushed back the regulars in
their turn. Harry watched the fighting most of the time, but at other
times he watched his general's face. It was the usual impenetrable mask,
but late in the afternoon Harry saw a sudden sparkle in the blue eye.
He always believed that at that moment the general divined the enemy's
intentions, but the boy never had any way of knowing.

Scouts came in presently and reported that another heavy column was
marching from the Rappahannock to join Hooker in the Wilderness, and
now the advance of the Southern force became slower. It was obvious to
Harry that Jackson, while resolute to follow Hooker, intended to guard
against all possibility of ambush. Harry knew nothing then of the
Chancellor House, but Dalton told him.

"It's a big place," he said, "standing on a heavy ridge surrounded by
thick timber, and it's a natural presumption that Hooker will stop
there. From the timbered ridge his cannon can sweep every approach."

Harry had no doubt that Hooker would halt at the Chancellor House.
It was incredible that a great army of brave and veteran troops should
continue to retreat before a force which his scouts had surely informed
Hooker was far smaller, and only a portion of the Confederate army.
It must be merely a part of some comprehensive plan, and he was
confirmed in his belief by the increasing stubbornness of the defense.

There was not sufficient room on either the plank road or the pike for
all the Confederate infantry, and masses were toiling through the dense
thickets of bushes and briars and creeping vines. The afternoon was
growing late, and while it was yet brilliant sunshine in the open,
it was dark and somber in the Wilderness.

The division of Jackson seemed almost lost in the forest and
undergrowth. The cavalry riding along some of the narrow paths were
checked by large forces in front, and fell back under the protection
of their own infantry. On another path a strong body of Southern
skirmishers drove back those of the North, but were checked in their
turn by a heavy fire of artillery.

Harry witnessed the repulse of the Southern riflemen and saw them
crowding back down the path and through the bushes which lined it on
eit