The Tree of Appomattox

ho had dismounted, walked forward a little distance with Colonel Winchester, and, in the moonlight, he was able to see that a large division of the army was gathered near,

e, they soon fell asleep. But the officers waited and watched, and Dick saw other regime

-dozen great moun

o make a trench, n

er shook

n carried too far to the rear. In my opinion ext

silver or gold. We're no treasure hun

ook his h

, with the movement now at hand. To the right of us, regiments, including several of colored t

attack," said Dick, "but I don'

dusk and confusion invariably forbade victory. But the faculties that create anxiety and alarm had been du

s it?" asked

g," replied Dick, who was able

then. Day comes early

ester. "It's desirable for you to be as fresh as possible when you're wante

troops near them decreased also and Dick's curiosity began to grow again. He stood up, but he saw no movement, nothing to indicate the nature of any coming event. He looked at

m their eyes and then, through habit, looking to their ar

will come soon," whi

with pink and red and yellow, the colors of the morning. Dick caught a glimpse of massed bayonets nea

blazed with fire, as if a volcano, after a long silence, had burst suddenly into furious activity. Black objects, the bodi

at first that a magazine had exploded, but, as the dawn was rapidly advancing, he beheld in front of them, where Southern breastworks had stood, a vast pit two or three hundred feet long and

ne!" cried Warner, "and our m

e rushing into the pit, intending to climb the far side and sever the Southern line. But Colonel Winch

he surprise, they rushed forward their batteries and riflemen. Mahone, a little, alert man, commanded them, and in an instant they deluged the pit, afterward famous under the name of "T

ld him, and they stood in silence gazing at the appalling scene in the crater. A tunnel had been run directly under the Confederates, and then

filled with smoke, and from which came shouts and cries as the rim of it blazed with the fire of those who were pouring in such a s

ck. "Why don't we ad

we may need help ou

others to rescue the men in the crater. A bright sun was shining now, and the Southern leaders saw the heavy, advancing column. They were rapidly

in the crater surrendered. The trumpets sounded the unwilling call to withdraw, and the Winchester men, many of them shedding tears of grief and rage, fell back to

in the crater was so overwhelming

after the faintness passed. "Why do we w

right as far as it went, but it broke against a hedge of fire a

had been faint too. "It's enough to have seen it

esters themselves had suffered little, but they were quite content to remain in their old pl

," he said, "but in such times as these i

r his eyes and a rotund figure, but he looked uncommonly alert and

son, the contra

Shake

was strong and dry. He hated damp hands, which always seemed

is good with you,

ch as you. I may profit by the great struggle, but I have not wished either the war or its continuance. Someone must do the work I

call it, th

ess with me is a bette

her directions. I'm not depreciating your occupatio

not fight if my kind did not find the sinews, and after the war the woods will be fu

ut what happened this morning made m

ever want a friend write to me in Washington

rsuits. Public and literary life and the soil were the great things to him. Now he realized that the vast strength of the North, a strength that could survive any num

was glad to avail himself of it. He still felt weak, and ill, and, with a tender smile, remembering

ions, and the others were listening. The Winchesters were known as a happy regiment, because they had an able colonel, st

py of "Les Miserables," which had just reached them.

head of it, and the French and English never fought any such campaign as that when Grant came down through the Wilderness. What's that

in any war. I don't know whether Napoleon was right or wrong-I suppose he

he death of Stonewall Jackson, although next to Le

comment, his monotone was pleasant and soothing, and Dick fell asleep. When he awoke h

had convinced all the generals that Lee's trenches could not be forced, and the commander-in-chief was turning his eye elsewhere. While the deadlock before Petersburg lasted he would push the operations in some othe

at event my regiment is sure to go. Yours has served as a mounted regiment, and I t

ity, and of the cramped and painful life in the trenches. To be on horseback again, riding over hills and across valleys, seemed

ter from my mind," said Warner. "T

hief reason with him, although he, too, was eager en

d for it," said Penningto

ry leader. All regiments, despite new men, had been reduced greatly by the years of fighting, and the three combined did not number more than fifteen hundred horse. But t

I was born horseback, so to speak, and I never had to do any walking until I came to

ers and hills and fores

horizon that doesn't touch the ground anywhere within fifteen or eighteen miles of me. And t

Sioux or Cheyennes, as your peopl

ap and disclosed an uncom

If a fellow can live through big battles as I've l

k now, and you can see t

rising from a spot which he knew to be the crater. He shuddered, and was glad when the force, riding on again, passed over the hill. Before them now stretched a desolate

ntinually through glasses to guard against ambush. Stuart was gone and Forrest was far away, but they knew that danger from the fierce riders of the South was always present. Just when the cap

led down. Many of the houses and barns and all the fences had been burned. The roads had been t

nd more wounded, and, when the cavalrymen forced a path through the brush in pursuit of the hidden sharpshooters, they found nothing. The

d Warner, "I don't like it. They can't stop our advance, but

t other ride we took in

nd, and we're not persecuted by mosquitoes. Nor is the count

had grazed Warner's bridle han

," he said, "but there are still lit

cket, but the sharpshooter was already fa

have to pay, but I'd like to see th

Virginians know their own ground and the lurking sharps

combat, but there was forest and thicket sufficient to shelter many men who were not only willing to shoot, but who knew how to shoot well. Ye

far out on either flank. Dick was chosen to lead a band of thirty picked men who rode about a mile on the right, and he had with him as his second, and, in reality, as his guide and

ush," he said to Dick, "be sure you

he plains, not only to have eyes in the back of his head, but to have 'em in th

but in his heart he was pleased. He was a sergeant who liked being

vals they saw the cavalry force riding steadily on, and again they were hidden from it by forest or bush. More than an hour passed and they saw no foe. Dick concluded that the sharp

mped up so much in narrow trenches, and there was the thrill of coming action

rom a sapling beyond him. The young lieutenant halted the troop instantl

d by a second, it's likely that only one man is there, and he

rout him out

t and six others advanced directly in front. He knew that if the marksman were still hidden inside he would not fi

painted white, except the shutters which were green, and a brick walk led to a portico, with fine and lof

ess as soon as they passed on. They pushed the gate open and rode upon the lawn, an act of vandalism that he regretted, but could not help. They reached the door without any apparen

nts to seize anybody trying to escape. Sergeant, you and I and the others will enter the h

he entered the house of an enemy. Dick's sense of hearing was not much inferior to that of the sergeant, and while at first they heard nothing, they det

with a high ceiling, and old-fashioned, dignified furniture. A blaze of sunlight poured in from the windows, and, where a sash was raised, came the faint, thrilli

indow a woman whose gray dress and gray hair blended so nearly with the gray colors of the chamber that even a soldier could have been excused for not seeing h

by the manner in which she sat, that she was a great lady, one of those great ladies of old Virginia who were great ladies in fact. She was rather small, Marth

nd he felt that she was watching them alertly from covert eyes. There was no indication that anyone else was in the buildin

hed, bowed

dam

ere fierce old eyes, and Dick felt as if they burned him, but he held his ground knowing th

ated Dick, sti

the fierc

of General Grant's soldiers was to fight those

t angry blood le

We were fired upon from this house. The man who did it has had no opportu

all-not find,"

search t

oce

sergeant whispered in th

nod

but I must obtain information f

y rude reminder

s your h

inted

impulsively. "I did not

our comrades will never

ave sons here

e, but they

e are

tall, strong man with brown hair and blue eyes. Another fell in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. They told me that his body lay across one of the Union

d, during another embarrassed pause, the click, clic

umed Dick, "but we must se

id again in that

hrough every room," said Dick to t

rose garden on guard, and he knew that they were as vigilant on the other sides of the house. The sharpshooter could not escape, and he was firmly resolved not t

ion. The uses of war are hard. We must search. No one can regret it more th

hen as well

here was angry blood in his vein

ow to a man the libert

intelligence and hone

efore Northern bullets might well be unforgiving. There was nothing more for him to say,

could escape the notice of Whitley, and he would surely find the sharpshooter. Then he heard their footsteps on a

so cleverly hidden, that we haven't been able to find him

, "but if I knew anything

miled sourly,

d not have escaped with the guard

rust their rifle barrels up the chimneys, and they turned down the bed covers, but again they found nothing. Dick meanwhile r

er, and the strangeness of the scene heightened its effect. It was like standing in a room in a dim old castle to which he had been brought as a prisoner, while the terrible old woman was h

the corner of his eye. He had learned to read people by their own eyes, and he had seen how hers burned when she looked at them. Stren

the soldiers. After their short dialogue she had returned to her old immobility. Neither her body nor her head moved, only her han

ld, but he did believe that this woman with the gray hair, the burning eyes and the sharp chin, looking as if it had been cut from a piece of steel, was the poss

, because the clearest glass even could obscure a signal meant to be faint, unnoticed by all except the one for whom it was intended. He would have that garden

the sergeant. "We've explored eve

ere," said Dick. "Look be

t spare my roses,

the lieutenant, "but my men must see

ooked everywhere but they damaged nothing. They did not even break off a single flower for themselves. Dick had felt confide

the other. Each said that they had failed, that they were wasting time, that there was nothing to be gained

my regret at being compelled to search your house in this

ody because no

so. Good-by. We

of you will be shot by our

he had raised her level tone, and the lifted eyes that looked into Dick's were blazing with

wish any such il

, without another word, walked out of the

oman could be so vi

the sergeant. "To her we, like all the rest

" said Dick thoughtf

a signal for the rest of his men to join them, and then he and the sergeant went slowly up the road. H

how it was do

he sergeant, sh

nd, uttering a cry, held up a bleeding arm. Dick had a lightning conviction that the bu

t!" he exclaimed. "We'

that had entered, Dick shouting a direction to the others to remain outside. The fierce little old

said, shooting him a gl

through all the house again. Our friend with the rifle may not ha

e of the roses came in again, strangely thrilling, overpowering. But something had awakened in Dick. The sixth, and even the germ of a seventh sense

He heard only the click of the knitting needles, and he saw only the small, strong hands moving swiftly back and forth. They were v

of a great lady should be kept, and it was all the more wonderful then that the right should have across the back

orward, seized the white h

tone was as fierce as hers had

ift her head. Then her eyes, hard, defiant and ruthless, looked into his. B

here is the rifle? It is

I de

where is

e so great that his hand closed upon hers in a strong muscular contr

The rifle!"

, and I will g

the wall. She turned back the fold and took from its hiding place a slender-barreled cap-and-ball ri

ut she gave back hi

ieve it, were it

imed well enough." Dick felt an emoti

e the rifle, and again say good

her wish that Dick and all his men be shot before night. He went out in silence,

w that the man has gone and we shall no

ck carried and made no comment. But

that w

that w