The Guns of Bull Run

of the city, and over it, as ever, flew the defiant flag, the red and blue burning in vivid colors in the thin January sunshine. The heart of Charleston, that most intense of all Southern citi

earthworks and batteries were manned. What would happen? It still seemed almost incredible to Harry that the people of the Union

k the first smoke of the Star of the West, Harry became conscious that another man

een here some time," said Shepard, as if he sought to in

rleston," said Harry, who h

"So much of overwhelming interest is happenin

s and scanned the sea's rim. He looked a lon

exclaimed, more to himsel

West?" exclaimed Harry forgetting all doub

ther!" replied Shepard. "It can be no othe

ot possible to recognize any ship at that distance, but he felt instinctively that it was the Star of the West. He passed

it's the Star of the West. Do you know a

a small steamer, totally unf

fire upon her she'

ut it

t, and it rests with us whether

you're ri

ling murmur ran through the crowd gathered on the sea walls. To many the vessel, steaming toward th

now taking shape and rising fast upon the water. Then he examined the walls of Sumter and saw

Then he put them in the case which he hung over his shoulder. Glasses were no longer needed

If the Star of the West comes without interference up to the walls of Sumter there wi

d to choke in his throat. Har

atteries. A deep shuddering sigh ran through the crowd, and then came moments of intense, painful silence. The little blue f

he West, straight tow

dare not!" cried Shepard i

ilent, while that tongue of flame leaped a second time from the mouth of a cannon. Harry saw the water spring up, a spire of white foam, near the steamer, and a moment later a third shot clipped the water close by. He did not know whether the

iumph, came from the crowd, but Harry felt a chill strike to his heart. Young St. Clair, too, was silent a

certainty of prophecy. "The cannon have s

have slipped away after the

ree enough. Look, Harry! The ship is t

from the crowd, and then silence. Smoke from the cannon drifted lazily over the town, and, caught by a contrary breeze, was blown out over the sea in the track of th

rthur lingered on the wall, watching that trailing black dot on the horizon, until it died away and was gone forever. The blue figures on the walls o

g to do but go back to Mad

air, "but I fancy that later

not

if not

, Alabama went out the next day after Florida, Georgia eight days later, and Louisiana a week after Georgia. Exultation rose high in Charleston. All the Gulf and South Atlantic States were now sure, but the great border states still hung fire. There was a clamor for Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri, and, though the

ing odds of Santa Anna. He had been Secretary of War in the old Union, now dissolved forever, according to the Charleston talk. Other names, too, began to grow familiar in Harry's ears. Much was said about the bluff Bob Toombs of Georgia, who feared no man and who would call the roll of his slaves at th

f the West. The North seemed supine, and Sumter, grim and dark though she might be, was alone. The flag of the Stars and Stripes still floated above it. Everywhere else the Palmetto flag waved defiance. But there was still no passage of arms between Sumter and its hostile neighbors. Small

tia had seized the forts, Morgan and Gaines; Georgia had occupied Pulaski and Jackson; North Carolina troops had taken possession of the arsenal at Fayetteville, and those of Florida on the same day had taken the one at Chattahoochee. Everywhe

ften to the office of the Mercury, controlled by the powerful Rhett family, among the most fiery of the Southern leaders. Exchanges still came there from the northern cities, but he read little in

aracteristic of the North, courage and energy of the South. The new government was being formed with speed an

nearly six weeks now, and while six weeks are short, they had been long enough in such a tense time to make vital changes in his character. He was growing older fast. He was more of a man, and he weighed and measured things more. He recognized that Charleston, while the

ruary had passed, and the day had been one of unusual warmth for that time of the year, like a day in full spring. The wind from the south was keen with the odor of fresh foliage and of roses, and of faint far perfumes, unknown but thrillin

s dressed as usual in white and her shining bla

"and I know that we cannot find in Montgomery any such pl

hat the thread of an old romance st

"You will come back very soon. Surely, they will

ssion and feeling had

nk. A Union such as ours has been formed amid so much suffering and hardship, courage and danger, that it is not to be broken in a day. We may come back soon from Montgomery, Julie, but I see

Delauna

or St. Hilair

aunay," he said, "I fear that Colonel

ame Delaunay. Presently she went back into th

d left Charleston long since, I should say tha

the piazza they could see into the street. Harry, too, caught a glimpse

ainly he!"

sure as we live that man is a spy, drawing maps of our fort

d, was carried along by the impetus. It was the first man-hunt in which he had ever shared, and soon he caught the thrill

ard the swift footsteps behind

e, his volatile blood leaping high.

ollowed him there he leaped over the low fence of a lawn, surrounding a great house, darted into the shr

here is no war, and hence, in a military sense, there can be no spies. I doubt whether we should have kno

nt, and Davis was on his way from his Mississippi home to the same town to be inaugurated. In the excitement over the great event, so near at hand, Harry forgot all about Shep

Charleston to Montgomery. Davis and Stephens would be inaugurated on the 17th of that month, which was February. But the Palmetto Guards would arrive at Montgomery be

th many rivers, great and small. He saw large houses, with white-pillared porticos, sitting back among the trees, and swarms of negro cabins. Much of the region was yet dead and brown fr

ome the new President. Jefferson Davis was expected on the morrow, and would be inaugurated on the day following. They heard that his coming was already a triumphal progress. Vast crowds held his train at many points, merely to see him and listen to a few

Talbot, late of the United States Army, was very strict in discipline. His second in command, Major Hector St. Hilaire, was no whit inferior to him in sternness. Harry had expected that this

fter a beautiful day, turned raw and chill, warning that early spring, even in those southern latitudes, was more of a promi

fort, saw the flames leap up and grow. The cooks were at work, and there was an abundance of food. They had brought much themselves, and the enthusiastic neighbors doubled and tripled their supplies. Th

hose father owned one of the smaller of the sea islands off the South Carolina coast. He was quite sanguine that everything would go exactly as they wished. The Yankees would not fight, but, if by any chance they did fight, they would get a most terrible t

President, do you appreciate that fa

ry, "and it makes m

etting up for ourselves I fancy we'll have to go up there and teach 'em to mind their own business. I wouldn't object, Harr

spirits were contagious even

ive on the land almost wholly, and the grass keeps on growing, whether there's war or not. Beside

or a great politician, Harry. If it's a long war, I'll come out a general; if it's a short one,

ou think that South Carolina has enough orators now?

d with the utm

caused by them. The world has been run with words. All great actions result from them. Now, if we should have a big war, it would be said long afterward that it

ughed in

I imagine that the sign over your future office will read, 'Thomas Langdon

my thoughts turn back to war. You think I never look beyond today, but I believe the North will come up against us. And you'll have

ot many, w

iron slee

gallant s

is years if

with us at

fought well. I was at Frankfort, the capital of our state, myself with him, when they unveiled the monument to our Kentucky dead a

in a sort o

troop, the f

's stirri

the dreadf

nd shout

ild note, no

with fier

s that never

ure of t

be seen no longer, their thoughts took a more solemn turn. Perhaps it would be fairer to call them emotions or feelings rather than thoughts. In the day all

sident is coming tomorrow,

at they fix the exact hour, and the G

ks like. They say he

Clair, who threw himself do

re taking, Tom," he said to Langdon.

Then he took from the inside pocket of his c

some to you. What do you think of this? It was written by a fellow in Boston named Holmes and published wh

exclaimed

re

has left us in p

ed sister so lo

own star from our

her brother th

Caroline, chi

get that our hea

oth sprinkled i

of blood with the

ound voice, and when he stopped

the fingers of flame.' After all, there's some grief in

children of the sun, too, but I've felt some mighty cold winds sweeping down from the Carolina hills, cold enough to make fur

hey saw the sentinels walking up and down. Harry felt for the first time that he was really within the iron bands of military discipline. He might choose to leave the camp and go into Montgomery, but he would choose and nothing more. H