Southern division before it, but the vigilant Jackson,
informed by his scouts of what was happening behind him, turned his rear
guard to meet the attack, and Sickles was driven off a second time with
great loss. Then Jackson's men quickly rejoined him and they continued
their march, the vanguard, in fact, never having stopped.

Harry took no part in this, but from a distance he saw much of it.
Once more he admired the surpassing alertness and vigor of Jackson,
who never seemed to make a mistake, a man who was able while on a great
march to detach men for the help of his chief, while never ceasing to
pursue his main object.

The Northern forces, although they had fought bravely, retreated,
and the great movement that was going on remained hidden from them.
The gap between Lee and Jackson was growing wider, but they did not know
it was there. Hooker's retreat with his great army into the Wilderness
had given his enemies a chance to befog and bewilder him.

Harry's supreme confidence returned. All things seemed possible to his
chief, and once more they were marching, unimpeded. It was now much
past noon, and they turned into a new road, leading north through the
thickets.

"It scarcely seems possible that we can pass around a great army in this
way," said Dalton; "but, Harry, I'm beginning to believe the general
will do it."

"Of course he will," said Harry. "It's Old Jack's chief pleasure to do
impossible things. He leaves the possible to ordinary men. See him.
He didn't even stop to look back while our rear guard returned to help
drive off the Yankees."

The sun was near the zenith and the afternoon grew warm. They had come
upon hard, dry paths, and under the tread of the army great clouds of
dust arose, but it did not float high in the air, the thick boughs of
the trees and bushes catching it. But as it hovered so close to the
ground it made the breathing of the soldiers difficult and painful.
It rasped their throats, and soon they began to burn with the heat.
Many fell exhausted beside the paths, but they were helped by their
comrades or were put into the wagons, and the long column of steel never
ceased to wind onward.

Near the middle of the afternoon, when they were about to cross the
western extension of the plank road, a young cavalry officer galloped up
and rode straight for Jackson. It was Fitzhugh Lee, whose services were
great at Chancellorsville. His glowing face showed that he brought new