to run
the great race according to his inner vision! If he really conflicts
with me, I'll let him know it."

They rode on, now talking, now silent. To either side, beyond stone
walls, the fields ran bare and brown to distant woods. The shadow of the
wayside trees grew longer and the air more deep and cold. They passed a
string of white-covered wagons bearing forage for the army. The sun
touched the western hills, rimming them as with a forest fire. The
horsemen entered a defile between the hills, travelled through twilight
for a while, then emerged upon a world still softly lighted. "In the
country at home," said the Englishman, "the waits are practicing
Christmas carols."

"I wish," answered the Virginian, "that we had kept that old custom. I
should like once to hear English carols sung beneath the windows on a
snowy night." As he rode he began to sing aloud, in a voice not
remarkable, but good enough to give pleasure--

"As Joseph was a-walking,
He heard an angel sing,
'This night shall be born
Our Heavenly King--'"

"Yes, I remember that one quite well," said Captain Marchmont, and
proceeded to sing in an excellent bass,--

"He neither shall be born
In housen nor in hall,
Nor in the place of Paradise,
But in an ox's stall--

"Do you know the next verse?"

"Yes," said McNeill.

"He neither shall be clothed
In purple nor in pall,
But all in fair linen
As are babies all!"

"That's it," nodded the other. "And the next goes,--

"He neither shall be rocked
In silver nor in gold
But in a wooden cradle
That rocks on the mould--"

Alternately they sang the carol through. The sun went down, but the pink
stayed in the sky and was mirrored in a tranquil stream which they
crossed. It faded at last into the quiet dusk. A cricket chirped from a
field of dried Michaelmas daisies. They overtook and passed an infantry
regiment, coming up, an officer told them, from Harper's Ferry. The
night fell, cold and still, with many stars. "We are not far from
Frederick," said Marchmont. "You were never here before?"

"No."

"I'll take you at once to General Banks. You go back to Kelly at Romney
to-morrow."

"Just as soon