d already fallen, for the Virginia regiments of
Stonewall Jackson's brigade had been terribly thinned; but the loss of
so many friends and the knowledge that their own turn might come next
did not suffice to lessen the high spirits of these brave young men. The
hard work, the rough life, the exposure and hardship, had braced and
invigorated them all, and they were attaining a far more vigorous
manhood than they would ever have possessed had they grown up in the
somewhat sluggish and enervating life led by young planters.

Many of these young men had, until the campaign began, never done half
an hour's hard work in their lives. They had been waited upon by slaves,
and their only exercise had been riding. For months now they had almost
lived in the saddle, had slept in the open air, and had thought
themselves lucky if they could obtain a sufficient meal of the roughest
food to satisfy their hunger once a day. In this respect, however, the
cavalry were better off than their comrades of the infantry, for
scouting as they did in small parties over a wide extent of country,
they were sure of a meal and a hearty welcome whenever they could spare
time to stop for half an hour at the house of a farmer.

"It's a glorious life, Wingfield! When we chatted over the future at
school we never dreamed of such a life as this, though some of us did
talk of entering the army; but even then an occasional skirmish with
Indians was the limit of our ideas."

"Yes, it is a glorious life!" Vincent agreed. "I cannot imagine anything
more exciting. Of course, there is the risk of being shot, but somehow
one never seems to think of that. There is always something to do and to
think about; from the time one starts on a scout at daybreak to that
when one lies down at night one's senses are on the stretch. Besides we
are fighting in defense of our country and not merely as a profession,
though I don't suppose, after all, that makes much difference when one
is once in for it. As far as I have read, all soldiers enjoy
campaigning, and it does not seem to make any difference to them who are
the foe or what they are fighting about. But I should like to feel a
little more sure that we shall win in the long run."

There was a chorus of indignant protests against there being any
possible doubts as to the issue.

"Why, we have thrashed them every time we have met them, Wingfield."

"That is all very well," Vincent said. "Here in Virginia we have held
o