General Jackson?"

"Quite well, general."

"Most remarkable man! Wants to tie a bandage round everybody's eyes but
his own!"--all this plaintively treble. "Would ask to have it off if I
was facing a firing party, and in the present circumstances don't like
it at all!--Did you happen to meet any of my couriers?"

"Yes, general. One at the foot of the Massanuttons, one in Elk Run
Valley."

"Got to send them. Got to ask what to do. By God, out on the plains with
fifty dragoons I'd know! And here President Davis has made me a
major-general, and I don't know!--Draw up to the table, sir, draw up!
You can drink coffee; I can't. Can't sleep at night; don't want to lie
down; curl up on the ground and think of my fifty dragoons.--Well, sir,
and what does General Jackson say?"

"I have a letter for you, sir."

He presented it. Ewell, head on one side like a bird, took and opened
the paper. "I really do believe the sun's up at last! What does he say?
'_Move in three days by Stanardsville. Take a week's rations. Rest on
Sunday. Other directions will be given as needed._' Hm! Highly
characteristic! Never anything more than a damned dark lantern!--Well,
it's something to know that we're going by Stanardsville and are to rest
on Sunday! Where is Stanardsville?"

"It is a few miles this side of Swift Run Gap."

The general helped his guest to cornbread and himself began upon
frumenty. "All right! I'll move, and I suppose when I get there old
Jackson'll vouchsafe another gleam.--Bob, you damned Ethiopian, where
are your wits? Fill Major Cleave's cup.--Glad to welcome you, major, to
Camp Ewell. Pretty tidy place, don't you think?"

"I do indeed, sir."

"Have you seen Dick Taylor's beauties--his Creoles and Tigers and Harry
Hayes, 7th Louisiana? The Maryland Line, too, and Trimble and Elzey?
Damned fine army! How about yours over there?" He indicated the Blue
Ridge with a bird-like jerk, and helped himself again to frumenty.

"Your description applies there, too, sir. It's a little rough and
ready, but--it's a damned fine army!"

"Kernstown didn't shake it?"

"Kernstown was as much a victory as a defeat, sir. No, it didn't shake
it."

"_Morale_ good?"

"Extraordinarily so. That army is all right, sir."

"I wish," said Ewell plaintively, "that I knew what to make of General
Jackson. What do you make of him, major?"

"I make a genius, sir."

Ewell raised his shoulder and ducked his head, his bright round eyes
much l