The Star of Gettysburg

Sherburne was a host in himself, and he was greatly attached to him. He rode a good horse and there was ple

Army of Northern Virginia was not depressed by Antietam. It had been a bitter disappointment to the Southern people, who expected to see

l up again. Lee had retreated across the Potomac after Antietam with less than forty thousand men. Now he had more than seventy tho

en followed by a fine autumn, the most glorious of all seasons in North Amer

y the fields on which they had fought the First and Second Manassas, and off in another, behind the loom of the blu

ouses. This soil had been trodden over and over again by great armies, and it would be a long time before it called ag

then Sherburne and Harry, from the summit of a l

h autumn, and the clear, cool streams flowing through almost every va

ce this side of the Potomac," said Sherburne. "Certainly, if he were

'em before we reach

fight. But if General Stuart could ride away up into Pennsylvania, make a complete circuit around the Union

y sm

l, Captain. I consider y

, it will not be for lack of trying. Forward, my la

eeping cautiously out of the way, because it was sometimes difficult now to tell Federals from Confederates. But it did not mat

d the place at which they say McClel

we draw near, or we may run square into an ambush. Do you see that grove about

e, on which the horses could graze. The trunks of the trees also were close enough together to hide them from anyone else w

ght of the afternoon blaze they saw a horseman on the crest of a hill, watching the

us and knows us for what we are, b

using glasses. "I can't see his face well enough to

n to our heels and watching us,

troop turn aside

ke the rest of the company straight along the road at an ea

ommand, and taking the lead

followed. While they were yet hidden, Sherburne and his chosen band suddenly detached themselves from the others at a break in the hedge a

f the distance, and then with aggravating slowness he turned and rode over the opposite side of the hill. Harry had been watching him intently, and when he

t him when President Davis was inaugurated at Montgomery and I saw him again at Was

ce we've put him to flight, I think we'd better stop. Ten to one, if w

ll come back soon with a heavy cavalry detachment. I've no dou

detachment, returning at a gallop, joined the main troop,

rry, looking back at the hill on w

st. The background was so intense and vivid that the horsemen did not form a mass, but every figure sto

and since they've had practice the Northern cavalry has improved a lot. It must be a part

, too, that night

valry is going to pursue us, and I don't mean to turn back. General Jac

o Old Jack without the inf

we. We've got to lose the Union

qual to their own. He felt much apprehension. The road through the forest led straight before them, but the trail of two hundred horses could not be hidden even by night.

his side in silence, and he, too, was seeking a solution. Through the trees, now nearly leafless

e of a man on the long, lean figure of a horse shot from the tre

he said to Sherburne, touching one finger

a thin, clean-shaven face w

way from the Yankees," s

no anger showed in hi

y're five to our one, and we have business els

You'd have seen it when you passed by, if you hadn't been in such a hurry. Just settin' down to take a smoke when Mandy, my wife, tells me she hears the feet of many horses thunderin' on the road. In a moment

u intend t

runnin' jump out of the woods, landed beside you. Now, listen, Captain; I re

eckon

alley. It goes nearly to the north, and at last reaches the Potomac. A half mile from the crossin' ahead it runs through steep, high banks tha

never do what we want to do. Lead the way to that blessed creek. We don't w

the bottom is so rocky they won't know whether we've gone up or down the stream. And if they

e creek shining through the darkness. Everything was falling out as Lankford had

stream. "We don't want to make too much noise splashing

ough to

way. The men can

rough dense forest. Sherburne and Harry were satisfied that no Union horseman had either seen or heard them, and they followed Lankford with absolute confidence

ween banks fifty feet high, rocky and steep as a wall. But the stone bed of the creek was al

was pitchy black where he sat on his horse, and listened to his contented gurglings as he drank. He could merely make out the outlines of his comrades, but he knew that Sherburne w

debt, Mr. Lankford

m not goin' on the firin' line. It's not worth while for all of us to ge

laugh, "and you, for one, although you haven't gone on the firing lin

behind, I knowed that you needed help. I knowed that this creek run down a gorge, and that I could lead you into the gorge and escape pursuit. I figgered, too, that you were on your way to see about McClellan crossin' the Potomac, an' I fi

now and I think we'd bette

eyes had grown somewhat used to the darkness, and he could make out the rocky walls,

hey had thrown off the pursuit-there could be no doubt of it-and the first step in their mission was accomplished.

s, hung upon their mission, and Lee and Jackson might be together at that very mom

ittle sound to the tread of the horses, and here Lankford said that he would leav

his service, Mr. L

e a cross-country road in 'bout a quarter of a mile. It leads you to the

y, half field, half forest. They came to a road which was smooth and hard, and increased their speed. They soon reached

d have ample opportunity for observation before morning. A half hour later they

gain detached himself, Harry and eight others from the tr

d be back by dawn. Of course, if any force of the enemy threatens you, you'

point near the river, and as they went forward quietly they saw many lights. They heard also a great tumult, a mixture of many noises, the rumbling of cannon and wa

The late moon had brightened, and many stars had come out as if for their especial benefit. They saw the broad stream of the Poto

ellan's army

we can't help their entering the state, but we can

do you suppo

rry. We've got seventy thousand men of our own, and Lee and Jackson, who, as you have been told befor

the other Union generals in the East

acting. Queer, isn't it, that a young general should be slow, and older ones so much

ow the cannon wheels rumble! And I know that a thousand whip

ime we'll be back at General Jackson'

hom we saw on the hill watching, the one who I said was

't forgo

s a lineal descendant of Argus, and has all the old man's hundred eyes, with a few extra ones added in convenient places. He's a witch doctor, medicine man, and other thi

re turning the man int

the way I fee

as fast as we can. We've seen enough, anyhow. We'll go

rlowe. But before they could gallop back toward the south, the loud, clear call of a tr

Shepard," exclaim

rseman galloping among the trees, followed in a

d alertness, and they urged the troop to its greatest speed. Even if they should be able to defeat their imm

ey were still out of range and the pursuit did not make any gain in the next few minutes. But Harry, looking back, saw

every effort," he

has certainly inherited all the eyes of his ancestor, Argus, and

hey ga

get back to Old Jack with the news. So we're bound to scatter. When we reach that patch of woods on the left running down to the r

e the fir

e most trustworthy. Now, Harry, off with you, and re

mong them, guiding his horse between the trunks, pausing a moment further o

up it without trouble. He feared nothing but Shepard. A single horseman in the darkness could throw off any pursuit by cavalry, but the terrible spy migh

he plunged boldly in and rode against the stream, passing into the depths of the gorge. It was d

sounds above, and drawing his horse in by the cliff he stopped and waited. Voices came down

lry riding practically at random-if they were led b

lf more closely against the wall. Another stone fell near and a laugh came from above. Evidently the lads in blue had pushed th

ged from the stream and entered the forest. It was a cold dawn, that of late October, white with frost, and Harry shivered. There was stil

ncreased chill. The food Harry had eaten defended him somewhat against the cold, but his body had been weakened by so

his glasses, he saw several farm houses, but no smoke was rising from their chimneys. Silent and cold, they added to his own feeling of desolation. He wonde

y which he had come, and urged his horse into that easy Southern gait known as a pace. He would have b

hildhood to the horse. They had become at once cavalry of the highest order; but the lads of the North were learning, too. H

heir number blew a musical note on a trumpet, and then all of them, with a shout, urged their horses

inia. Others from Sherburne's troop might arrive with the same news, but he did not know it. It was not his place to reckon on the possible achievements of

not have sufficient reserve of strength to increase his speed and maintain the increase. He kn

ve him, but it was far from a certainty, and he could not take it into his calculations. He was now riding betw

toward the right. He had never seen a finer forest, a more magnificent forest, o

hunting note of the trumpet, much nearer than before. Harry felt a thrill of anger. He remained the fox, and

a few weeks earlier he might have sprung from his horse and have escaped in the thick and standing corn, but now he would be an ea

and even in front. Men began to shout to him, and he heard certain words that meant surrender. Chance had kept the bu

e the forest. The rifles behind him were now crashing faster. It seemed to him that he could almost smell their smoke, and still neither he nor

illful and daring rider, and he guided his horse so expertly that in a few moments he was hidden from the view of the cavalry. But he knew that it could not continue so long. They would spread

ugh of a tree. Then some of his pursuers caught sight of him again, and a half dozen shots were fired. He was not touched, but he felt his hors

was left to him. Throwing one leg over the saddle, he leaped clear and darted away. Before he had gone a dozen

f hoofs. Evidently they were puzzled. They had no use for a dead horse, but they wanted his rider, and they did not know which way he had gone. Harry knew, however

He heard the horsemen crashing here and there among the bushes and calling to one another. He knew that they pursued him so persisten

k, as it were, a trick which would have deluded the Union cavalry, but his res

ged anew into the deep wood. If he could only reach a part of the forest that was much roughened by outcroppings of rock or gulleyed by rains, he felt that his chance of escape would almost turn into a certainty. He presen

ther. Then he rose and ran forward again, slipping as quietly as he could among the trees and bushes. He still had the feeling of being t

antage of it. Yet they utilized their numbers and pursued in a long line. Once, two of them would have galloped directly upon hi

seen him, as his body was but partly covered. But they looked only in front, thinking

d it best to keep directly in their track, because then no one was

he knew by the sounds of the hoofs that they were separating, and he followed the one who

pon him again. This flight through the forest and hiding among bushes and gulleys was more like t

e able to read every sound. Not a whisper in the forest escaped his understanding, and t

did not extend much farther, and he also saw not far ahead of him the single horseman whom he was following. The man ha

ng from the shelter of one tree trunk to that of another with all the deftness of a primit

olled unconscious from the saddle. It was a tribute to Harry's humanity that he caught him and broke his fall.

se directly through the opening toward the cleared ground. He relied with absolute faith upo

oo soon, and speaking encouraging words in his horse's ears, raced toward the south. He heard shouts behind hi

erence. Perhaps some one had found their wounded comrade in the

e had favored him in giving him another splendid horse, and now, as h