The Scouts of Stonewall | Page 4

and he was modern and watchful to the core. He had felt
instinctively that it was a trumpet of the foe, and the Northern trumpets
were not likely to sing there in Virginia unless many Northern
horsemen rode together.
Then he saw their arms glinting among the trees, the brilliant beams of
the sun dancing on the polished steel of saber hilt and rifle barrel. A
minute more, and three hundred Union horsemen emerged from the
forest and rode, in beautiful order, down to the edge of the stream.
Harry regarded them with an admiration which was touched by no hate.
They were heavily built, strong young men, riding powerful horses, and
it was easy for anyone to see that they had been drilled long and well.
Their clothes and arms were in perfect order, every horse had been
tended as if it were to be entered in a ring for a prize. It was his thought
that they were not really enemies, but worthy foes. That ancient spirit
of the tournament, where men strove for the sake of striving, came to
him again.
The Union horsemen rode along the edge of the stream a little space,

and then plunged into a ford. The water rose to their saddle skirts, but
they preserved their even line and Harry still admired. When all were
on his own shore the golden trumpet sang merrily again, and they
turned the heads of their horses southward.
Harry rode deeper into the ancient wood. They might throw out scouts
or skirmishers and he had no mind to be taken. It was his belief that
they came from Romney, where a Northern army had gathered in great
force and would eventually march toward Jackson at Winchester. But
whatever their errand, here was something for him to watch, and he
meant to know what they intended.
The Northern troop, youths also, the average of their age not much
more than twenty, rode briskly along the edge of the little river, which
was a shining one for them, too, as well as Harry. They knew that no
enemy in force was near, and they did not suspect that a single
horseman followed, keeping in the edge of the woods, his eyes missing
nothing that they did.
As for themselves, they were in the open now and the brilliant sunshine
quickened their blood. Some of them had been at Bull Run, but the
sting of that day was going with time. They were now in powerful force
at the head of the great Virginia valleys, and they would sweep down
them with such impact that nothing could stand before them. The
trumpet sang its mellow triumphant note again, and from across a far
range of hills came its like, a low mellow note, faint, almost an echo,
but a certain reply. It was the answer from another troop of their men
who rode on a parallel line several miles away.
The lone lad in the edge of the forest heard the distant note also, but he
gave it no heed. His eyes were always for the troop before him. He had
already learned from Stonewall Jackson that you cannot do two things
at once, but the one thing that you do you must do with all your might.
The troop presently left the river and entered the fields from which the
crops had been reaped long since. When the horsemen came to a fence
twelve men dismounted and threw down enough panels for the others
to ride through without breaking their formation. Everything was done

with order and precision. Harry could not keep from admiring. It was
not often that he saw so early in the war troops who were drilled so
beautifully, and who marched so well together.
Harry always kept on the far side of the fields, and as the fences were
of rails with stakes and riders he was able by bending very low in the
saddle to keep hidden behind them. Nevertheless it was delicate work.
He was sure that if seen he could escape to the forest through the speed
of his horse. But he did not want to be driven off. He wished to follow
that troop to its ultimate destination.
Another mile or two and the Union force bore away to the right,
entering the forest and following a road, where the men rode in files,
six abreast. They did not make much noise, beyond the steady beating
of the hoofs, but they did not seem to seek concealment. Harry made
the obvious deduction that they thought themselves too far beyond the
range of the Southern scouts to be noticed. He felt a thrill of
satisfaction, because he was there and he had seen them.
He rode in the forest parallel with the troop