artial they would be shot.

On the twenty-ninth Ashby, from the other side of the Shenandoah, made a
demonstration in force against the enemy at Harrisonburg, and the next
day, encountering the Federal cavalry, drove them back to the town. That
same afternoon the Army of the Valley, quitting without regret Elk Run
Valley, found itself travelling an apparently bottomless road that wound
along the base of the mountains.

"For the Lord's sake, where are we going now?"

"This is the worst road to Port Republic."

"Why are we going to Port Republic?"

"Boys, I don't know. Anyway, we ain't going through the Gap. We're still
in the Valley."

"By gosh, I've heard the captain give some mighty good guesses! I'm
going to ask him.--Captain, what d' ye reckon we camped ten days in that
mud hole for?"

Hairston Breckinridge gave the question consideration. "Well, Tom, maybe
there were reasons, after all. General Ewell, for instance--he could
have joined us there any minute. They say he's going to take our place
at Elk Run to-night!"

"That so? Wish him joy of the mud hole!"

"And we could have been quickly reinforced from Richmond. General Banks
would know all that, and 't would make him even less eager than he seems
to be to leave the beaten way and come east himself. Nobody wants _him_,
you know, on the other side of the Blue Ridge."

"That's so--"

"And for all he knew, if he moved north and west to join Fremont we
might pile out and strike Milroy, and if he went south and west to meet
Milroy he might hear of something happening to Fremont."

"That's so--"

"And if he moved south on Staunton he might find himself caught like a
scalybark in a nut cracker--Edward Johnson on one side and the Army of
the Valley on the other."

"That's so--"

"The other day I asked Major Cleave if General Jackson never amused
himself in any way--never played any game, chess for instance. He said,
'Not at all--which was lucky for the other chess player.'"

"Well, he ought to know, for he's a mighty good chess player himself.
And you think--"

"I think General Banks has had to stay where he is."

"And where are we going now--besides Port Republic?"

"I haven't any idea. But I'm willing to bet that we're going somewhere."

The dirt roads, after the incessant rains, were mud, mud, mud!
ordinarily to the ankles, extraordinarily to the knees of the marching
infantry. The wagon train moved in front, and the heavy wheels made for
the