it, too, quietly, in a fence corner. _Close up, men--close up!_

A wind arose and blew the dust maddeningly to and fro. In the Colour
Company of the 65th a boy began to cough, uncontrollably, with a hollow
sound. Those near him looked askance. "You'd better run along home,
sonny! Yo' ma hadn't ought to let you come. Darn it all! if we march
down this pike longer, we'll all land home!--If you listen right hard
you can hear Thunder Run!--And that thar Yank hugging himself back thar
at Charlestown!--dessay he's telegraphin' right this minute that we've
run away--"

Richard Cleave passed along the line. "Don't be so downhearted, men!
It's not really any hotter than at a barbecue at home. Who was that
coughing?"

"Andrew Kerr, sir."

"Andrew Kerr, you go to the doctor the first thing after roll-call
to-night. Cheer up, men! No one's going to send you home without
fighting."

From the rear came a rumble, shouted orders, a cracking of whips. The
column swerved to one side of the broad road, and the Rockbridge
Artillery passed--a vision of horses, guns, and men, wrapped in a dun
whirlwind and disappearing in the blast. They were gone in thunder
through the heat and haze. The 65th Virginia wondered to a man why it
had not chosen the artillery.

Out of a narrow way stretching westward, came suddenly at a gallop a
handful of troopers, black plumed and magnificently mounted, swinging
into the pike and disappearing in a pillar of dust toward the head of
the column. Back out of the cloud sounded the jingling of accoutrements,
the neighing of horses, a shouted order.

The infantry groaned. "Ten of the Black Horse!--where are the rest of
them, I wonder? Oh, ain't they lucky dogs?"

"Stuart's men have the sweetest time!--just galloping over the country,
and making love, and listening to Sweeney's banjo--

If you want to have a good time--
If you want to have a good time,
Jine the cavalry!--

What's that road over there--the cool-looking one? The road to Ashby's
Gap? Wish this pike was shady like that!"

A bugle blew; the command to halt ran down the column. The First Brigade
came to a stand upon the dusty pike, in the heat and glare. The 65th was
the third in column, the 4th and the 27th leading. Suddenly from the 4th
there burst a cheer, a loud and high note of relief and exultation. A
moment, and the infection had spread to the 27th; it, too, was cheering
wildly. Apparentl