told him that the demonstration in Hooker's front,
instead of decreasing, had increased in vigor. It was assuming the
proportions of a real battle, and with thickets and forests to obscure
sight, Hooker might well believe that the whole Southern army was yet
in front of him.

The onward march had become rhythmic now. It was to Harry like the
regular throbbing of a pulse. The tread of many men, the beat of
horses' hoofs, and the clanking of guns melted into one musical note.
The sun crept slowly up, gilding thickets and forests with pure gold.
The sky was still an unbroken blue, save for the little white clouds
that floated in its bosom. The breeze of that May morning was
wonderfully crisp and fresh. It came tingling with life to the
thousands, so many of whom were about to die.

It seemed to Harry as they went on through the thickets of the
Wilderness that the Union scouts would never discover them, but Northern
troops on an open eminence of Hazel Grove had seen a long column
moving away through the thickets and made report of it to the Northern
generals. But these leaders did not understand it. They had not
grasped the great daring of Jackson's march.

They believed that Lee was merely extending his lines, but an hour
before noon a battery opened fire from a hill upon the marching
Confederate column. Harry and Dalton heard shrapnel whizzing over their
heads. After the first involuntary shiver they regained the calm of
youthful veterans and rode on in silence.

But the fire of the Northern artillery was damaging, even at great
range. Shells and shrapnel sprayed showers of steel over the column.
Men were killed and others wounded. As they could not turn back to
fight those troublesome cannon, the column turned farther away and
forced a road through a new path. It seemed now that Jackson's march
was discovered and that the whole Northern army might press in between
him and Lee. Harry's heart rose in his throat and he looked at his
general. But Jackson rode calmly on.

The curiosity of the Union generals in regard to that marching column
increased. Several of them appealed to Hooker to let them advance in
force and see what it was. Sickles was allowed to go out with a strong
division, but instead of reaching Jackson he was confronted by a portion
of Lee's force, thrown forward to meet him, and the battle was so fierce
that Sickles was compelled to send for help. A formidable force came
and drove the