stationed that regiment there. Anyhow, it
makes it awkward for us. We should be sure to be questioned where we are
going, and as I know nothing whatever of the geography of the place, we
should find it very difficult to satisfy them. We must cross the river
somewhere else. There are sure to be some boats somewhere along the
banks; at any rate, the first thing to do is to move further away from
the road."

They walked for two or three miles across the country. The fields for
the most part were deserted, and although here and there they saw
cultivated patches, it was evident that most of the inhabitants had
quitted that part of the country, which had been the scene of almost
continued fighting from the commencement of the war; the sufferings of
the inhabitants being greatly heightened by the bands of marauders who
moved about plundering and destroying under the pretense of punishing
those whom they considered hostile to the cause in whose
favor--nominally, at least--they had enrolled themselves. The sight of
ruined farms and burned houses roused Vincent's indignation; for in
Virginia private property had, up to the time of Pope's assuming command
of the army, been respected, and this phase of civil war was new and
very painful to him.

"It would be a good thing," he said to Dan, "if the generals on both
sides in this district would agree to a month's truce, and join each
other in hunting down and hanging these marauding scoundrels. On our
side Mosby and a few other leaders of bands composed almost entirely of
gentlemen have never been accused of practices of this kind; but, with
these exceptions, there is little to choose between them."

After walking for four or five miles they again sat down till evening,
and then, going down to the river, endeavored to find a boat by which
they could cross, but to their disappointment no craft of any kind was
visible, although in many places there were stages by the riverside,
evidently used by farmers for unloading their produce into boats.
Vincent concluded at last that at some period of the struggle all the
boats must have been collected and either sunk or carried away by one of
the parties to prevent the other crossing the river.

Hitherto they had carefully avoided all the farmhouses that appeared to
be inhabited; but Vincent now determined to approach one of them and
endeavor to gain some information as to the distance from the next
bridge, and whether it was guarded by troo