"By Hopewell and Christian, Wilcox and Westover,
Turkey Bridge, Malvern Hill, Deep Bottom and Balls
Four days, forty leagues, we rode round McClellan
As Jeremiah paced round Jericho's walls.--"

"It wasn't Jeremiah, general! It was Joshua."

"Is that so? I'll tell Sweeney. Anyhow, the walls fell.

"Halt! Advance! Firing! Engagement at Hanover.
Skirmish at Taliaferro's. Skirmish at Hawes.
Tragic was Totopotomoy, for there we lost Latane
Hampden-like, noble, dead for his Cause.

"At Old Church broke up meeting. Faith! 'twas a pity
But indigo azure was pulpit and pew!
Fitz Lee did the job. Sent his love to Fitz Porter.
Good Lord! Of Mac's Army the noble review!

"There isn't anything our horses can't do.

"Tunstall Station was all bubbly white with wagons.
We fired those trains, those stores, those sheltering sheds!
And then we burned three transports on Pamunkey
And shook the troops at White House from their beds!

"Loud roars across our path the swollen Chickahominy
'Plunge in, Confeds! you were not born to drown.'
We danced past White Oak swamp, we danced past Fighting Joseph
Hooker!
We rode round McClellan from his sole to his crown!

"There are strange, strange folk who like the Infantry!
Men have been found to love Artillery.
McClellan's quoted thus 'In every family
There should exist a gunboat'--ah, but we,
Whom all arms else do heap with calumny,
Saying, 'Daily those damned centaurs put us up a tree!'
We insist upon the virtues of the Cavalry!

"Now, friends, I'm going! It was a beautiful raid! I always liked Little
Mac. He's a gentleman, and he's got a fine army. Except for poor Latane
we did not lose a man. But I left a general behind me."

"A general? General who--"

Stuart gave his golden laugh. "General Consternation."

The sun slipped lower. Two horsemen came in by the Deep Run road and
passed rapidly eastward through the town. The afternoon was warm, but
the foremost wore a great horseman's cloak. It made all outlines
indefinite and hid any insignia of rank. There was a hat or cap, too,
pulled low. It was dusty; he rode fast and in a cloud, and there came no
recognition. Out of the town, on the Nine-Mile road, he showed the
officer of the guard who stopped him a pass signed "R.