The National tribune., 1902-12-04
CHAPTER V.
BAPTISM.

Strength matched with strength, and
power confronted power;
Both are alike; and both alike we like"
-Shakspere.
Five miles, ut least" said Joe; land |
am shore it's not Centervile It's right
between MS and Manassas, do believe"
How far DO you suppose we are from
Manassas?'
about 10 miles; as shore as you are
horn that shellin' is just about half way
What do you reckon it means"
The enemy must be attacking" re-
piled Dan.
II don't like the sound bit I'm a-goin
to hail the next mnn,I see. That shOotin
don't sound right 10, me; it's not in the
right place; II S heap nearer than it ought
to be- tGfT
The two were riding hard. The firing
was louder. and had increased in volume
The Gum Spring road, was running straight
toward the sOunds.U
stop. Joe said Dan, bringing his horse
TO n halt. 7 10
What's up nowi''r
1.-The Yankees are certainly between us
and our men,. iguy.
How do you make that out?"
Because the firing, is on the south side
of the run. Don't you see? If Our men
had attacked, the! noise would be in the
east over that way; but the Yankees have
crossed Bull Run and moved down against
Beauregard's left. Y lTt 5-
How do yon happen, to know that?"
''Bull Run flows southeast, doesn't it?''
'Then you see that the Yankees must
have crossed it above our army, else the
fighting would be in the southeast. We
ought to go west and get across as quickly
as possible"
Hold on" says Joe; "yonder comes
somebody"
A farm wagon was approaching. 1t
was loaded with women and children; two
men were walking by its side.
Where do you come frOm?" shouted
Joe.
Down near Sudley," was the reply.
whats gOin' on down there?'
The wagon had stopped. The men fully
corrObOrated Dams opinion. An immense
body of Federals had crossed Bull Run at
Sndley; the firing was on the south side
Of the run; country people were fleeing
from danger.
How far is it to the creek straight
across here" asked Dan. pointing west.
Not mOre'n half a mile"
The refugees drove north. Dan and Joe
turned west through the woods and found
difficult crossing. Now on the south side
of Bull Run, they still moved on west, Dan
in the lead, for his accurate prOgnostic
had given him ascendency. Morgan was
riding hard-as hard as the nature of the
ground would allow him to ride He had
10 cross small fields and go through thick
woods. to let down fences, leap over logs,
and plunge across brooks, but he kept di-
rectly west: he had Il fixed purpose He
knew intuitively that he must outreach the
line of Federal infantry extending south
west, and he had sense enough to give that
line miles of distance. He would not 90
near it; he would go around it, and in this
case, as in many others, the long way was
the shortest way. The cannon rOared, but
no louder than before, and Dan knew that
he was getting no nearer to the battle. A
high hill was reached, and there he paused
and looked south and then southeast.
Joe came up and turned his gaze also
southeast.
They're a-tearin' up the landr' he ex-
claimed. "'Y Jul, Dan, you're General!"
Morgan gave no reply. Miles away the
atmosphere was dim with smoke in which
blacker spots here and there rose slowly
as if struggling to rise.
Above the musketry's continuous grOan
could be heard the desultOry fire of the
greater guns, coming to the ear seeming
ly by tOucll-throbbing thrObbing cOnvul-
sively. Except in that one quarter, the
sky was pure.
The sun shone hot; there was no wind:
Ten seconds they gazed; then turned and
hastened west. ain,
A road was reached; it ran due south
Morgan did not pause; he gallOped down
the road. Joe followed, wondering, for this
route was now almost direct to the battle.
growing loud as they advanced. Uphill
and downhill, across. brooks and past
houses, they gailoped, Morgan always in
the lead. And soon the sound was at the
and they knew their cOurse
was right. and they kept on and on, until
the roar had passed from left-oblique to
left. ~
In the woods before him-woods on
either side-MOrgap could see moving OBJ
jects which he thought men. There were
but few-if they were soldiers they were
stragglers hurrying forward, or skulkers
hurrying back. Jsa. too, saw them. and
by hard squirting ,Made his horse leap to
A'EEHn,t "What sre s1sei they I'll DAMP
In his right hand Morgan was holding
his shotgun by the small of the stock. the
barrel vertical.
Better go slow, Dan"
'Look behind you!' Morgan shouted. |
Joe turned in his saddle. In an instant he
had drawn his saber and had taken a pis-
tOl from his holster, his saber dangling by
the strap from his right wrist, and was
facing forward again; for in turning he
troops, and he knew that safety
was at the front, if anywhere. The thicket
was thinning; moment more and there
burst into view an open hillside alive with
liHes of battle, while all the ground be-
tween was dotted with struggling men as
far back as the road itself winding along
the edge of the forest. 1t was now or