The Tree of Appomattox

n earlier in the war. All of the men before they went to sleep that night had felt confirmed in the belief that a strong hand was over them, and that a powerful and clear

ndid army and a splendid equipment,

r own discomfort, as the trumpets sounded before dawn, and they ate a hasty breakfa

. "Why, it's not daylight yet. Isn't t

o would lead," said War

y! Isn't that too

s to fight, and the sooner we fight t

he bugles are singing to us to march. It

arts. The valley was twenty miles wide before they came to the Massanuttons, but after the division the western extension for some distance was not more than four miles across, and it was here that they were going. At the

aw the guns and columns of infantry, and also a body of Southern horse, drawn up on one flank of the hill.

en he turned his attention to the mountains which here hemmed in the valley to such a straitened width. He saw a signal station of the enemy on a culminating ridge ca

fields, and on either side rose the ranges as if to protect it. Mountains like trees always appealed to him, and the steep slopes were wooded densely. Lower down they were brow

ng and well at the Southern defenses. Then he called his generals, an

t that we'll do a lot of riding tonight. That position is too strong to be attacked. It would cost us too many men

Dick. "Maybe we can make a passage

I take it that it will occur t

at he hasn't tho

nswer. I am but a lieutenan

regiment being sent further west until it was against the base of the Massanuttons. He

He has an idea that some fighting may occur, and so it's better for a small detachment

utenant Pennington with me? It would

he feelings of those two young men

ur army. He can follow a trail where there is no trail. He ca

almost true. Take the sergeant by a

, as the first slope they intended to carry was too steep for a horse to climb. They were also

. It was as if night and the wilderness had blotted them out, but every member of the little party felt relief and actual p

their foes, and Warner whispered to Pennington that the mountain

he floor of the valley all the way to the mountains on the other side, and it was a wonderful sight, with its two opposing lines of camp fires that shot up redly and glowed across

above it in the body, but that you are

ed long since that the spy was an uncommon man, m

hat they're going to fight again tomorrow, and that we'll probably be in the thick o

posed. He'll have to come out of his trenches then, and that will give Grant a chance to attack him with an

t all those big defeats in Virginia might make our people too wea

ying to it with another fiery signal on this mountain.

ground in this region. How did you

bove us is a grove of splendid nut trees, and along the edge of it runs a ravine. I mean to lead

taste for being shot obscurely h

're above the steepest part now, and I know a little path

al line across the face of the mountain, gradually ascending to the summit. The ravine itself was not more than three or four feet deep, but as its banks were

r the little pines they clearly saw a fire blazing on the crest and waving flags

Shepard. "I suppose the lookouts

y the time they've spelled out from the flags what

hey were now near the enemy, and his great scouting abilities were needed. It was a wise precaution, as presently he held up hi

g swiftly down the ravine. In another minute they came in sight, Confederate troopers, obviously scouting. Luckily, the r

go on?"

, and it's likely they're trying for a good view of our army. But I fan

n their coverts. In about ten minutes the two riflemen came bac

er part of the slop

a thing about the Yankee movements from down there. We can leave t

fellow Sheridan is going to press us hard, and they have ev

nyhow. Still, I wish o

we'll have to do the b

ravine and disappeared. Then Dick and his li

two said that Early's men

in bad shape, besides being small, and now that we have a

be plenty of h

have to win

f scout and trailer climbed up the rocky side and looked about a little, while the others waited. He

, sergeant?

passed by the ravine not long sin

time? Why, sergeant

it isn't.

Within the palm lay a tin

ush not twenty yards away. A half hour ago they were a part of a woman's dress. A thorn bush grows

was only a half hour o

ed, and it was so late that their wounds are still bleeding,

"but likely it was a mountain woman

ant shook

d ground mostly, but I thought I might find the trace of a footstep somewhere. I found several, and not one of them was made

his mountain she's a long

of what I say, sir

ing with the keenest attention. "Will you mind l

ck. "In such work as this we r

ake a look at those

ce of Shepard, always so calm and steady hitherto, and he wondered. N

y careful scrutiny they found a half dozen more leading in a diagonal direction up the side of the m

tracks have just been made?"

I know who made them. I didn't believe it at first. It seemed incredible.

rse," s

nd musical. He blew only a few notes. Then he took the whistle from his lips and waited. Dick saw that his excitement was growing. It sho

e higher up the slope came the notes of a wh

inute and then blew again, notes similar and just the same in

epard. "She'll be her

ad come. This was something amazing, something beyond their experience, but the excitement of Shep

now he had not really believed, despite the footprints, despite everything, that a woman was on the mountain. But he knew at last. He even hea

. But despite her smallness and thinness and years there was nothing insignificant in her appearance. As she stood there looking at them, she showed a pair of the brightest and most int

emblance to some one, although he could not recall, for a moment, who it was. But the silence that endured for a half minute, w

xclaimed, "you he

s around her a

ed. As they stood side by side the likeness was marked, the same eyes, the same nose, the same mouth, the sam

rves as I do, and for her, hardships and dangers are not less than mine for me. She works chiefly in Richmond i

mission of great importance and it is

away in the thickets. There was sufficient light for him to see a little flush of pride appear for a moment on the face o

ut I'll ask instead what you've brought. These young men are Lieutenant Mason, Lieutenan

ad to carry to General Sheridan. As a woman I could go where men cou

a girl you rode like a man and were afraid

onfederate numbers are even less than he thinks, that a large a

med Dick, eagerly, "we can cr

n could be hidden in the heavy timber along Cedar Creek, and then, if the pro

other side of the

it's only four or

es, I was merely locating t

federate position. It's in p

ce!" exclaimed Dick. "

my brother's whistle I didn't know whether it was No

returned and held out a broad sheet of heavy paper, upon which a map had been drawn with

ut General Sheridan and General Grant can. And

ared in her cheeks and she

k is finished," she s

eave your horse?

her down the side of the mountain. I'll mount and ride

was watching while they talked, whistled softly. Yet the

gently. "It's important that you shouldn't be

so," s

a moment later the distant beat of hoofs and he felt sure she was riding fast and far. Then he turned his attention to the danger confro

came down the slo

ter lie down, all

m, because all of them knew that the conditions made him most fit for the place. They knelt or lay but hel

f the Johnnies?

ergeant, "but I'm thinkin' from the way they come cre

hose fellows are woodsmen and they'll

well the lady left so soon, and

de had set out to be our evil g

avy timber on the slopes of some of them mountains out West, the names of which I don't know, and generally we had to go up against

moving," said Shepard, who was o

d they're creeping now so's to see what we are and then fall on us by s

t understand forests and darkness as Dick did, nor did he have the strong h

id to Pennington. "I'd r

ng surrounded by dangers you can't see. I guess a man in the African wildern

nce up the slope again," said the

a, but be v

ll, Mr. Mason.

not hear the noise of him passing, nor was there

certain what's become of us. It's Slade sure. I saw him sitting under a tree, wearing that big flap-brimm

elly, beyond a d

by being for the Union. Now, as we believed before,

sergeant. They're for th

ome plunder from us. But if you'll listen to me, Mr.

now, sergeant. Te

ke shelter in it, crawl up it, and open fire on 'em. They don't know our num

away with this map at once, but they'd c

l. Don't slip, and look out for the dead wood lying about. If a piece of it cracks unde

"If you don't do as the sergeant says, v

out the moonlight, but every one was able to discern the man before him creeping forward like a wild animal. It was easy enough for Dick to imagine himself that famous great grandfather of his, Paul Cotter reincarnated, and that the days of the wild

ntain until they came to a point where the cedars thinned out a little. Then the ser

head in the direction in w

e, evidently trying to decide upon a plan. One, a giant in size, was Skelly, and the ot

ck, "but I don't like to

ut we've got to do it, or we won'

mbled at last. Slade and Skelly instantly sprang for the trees and Slade blew sharply upon his whistle. Twent

oods with their breech-loading rifles. They were not sure whether they hit anything, but as the gul

g!" said Dic

ould see nothing in the woods beyond, but the sergeant announce

be off, too. I fancy we've a great prize in this map. Your sister

strength of the family, but to her the mind. Think of her life there in Richmond, surrounded by dangers! S

nd then he began to chuckle to himself,

s it?"

rk night in Richmond, or at least a part of it, and he could also tell an interesting story, or a part of it, of another map, almost as valuable as this, which disap

aid Dick, feelin

it, if you'll pardon m

id Dick, "because I hear the t

eant Whitley, who was a little a

ur relief," said Dick. "But we routed the enemy, we d

Winchester, who fully appreciated the great value of the inf

pard shall ride at once with me a