looked again at the quiet man on the horse, put his fingers
to his lips and blew loudly. An officer emerged from the woods and said:

"What is it, Felton?"

Then he glanced at the man on the horse and started violently.

"General Jackson!" he exclaimed.

The sentinel turned pale, but said nothing.

"Yes, I'm General Jackson," said the general, "and I ride with this
lieutenant of my staff on an errand. But both of you must swear to me
that you have not seen me."

Then he turned to the sentinel.

"You did right to stop us," he said. "I wish that all our sentinels were
as faithful as you."

Then while the man glowed with gratitude, he and Harry rode on. Jackson
was in deep thought and did not speak. Harry, a little awed by this
strange ride, looked up at the trees and the dusky heavens. He heard
the far hoot of an owl, and he shivered a little. What if a troop of
Northern cavalry should suddenly burst upon them. But no troop of the
Northern horse, nor horse of any kind, appeared. Instead, Jackson's own
horse began to pant and stumble. Soon he gave out entirely.

It was not yet day, but dimly to the right they saw the roof of a house
among some trees. It was a poor Virginia farm that did not have horses
on it, and Jackson suggested to Harry that they wake up the people and
secure two fresh mounts.

The commander of an army and his young aide walked a little distance
down a road, entered a lawn, drove off two barking dogs, and knocked
loud on the front door of the house with the butts of their riding
whips. A head was at last thrust out of an upper window, and a sleepy
and indignant voice demanded what they wanted.

"We're two officers from General Jackson's army riding on important
duty," replied the general, in his usual mild tones. "Our horses have
broken down and we want to obtain new ones."

"What's your names? What's your rank?" demanded the gruff voice.

"We cannot give our names."

"Then clear out! You're frauds! If I find you hanging about here I'll
shoot at you, and I tell you for your good that I'm no bad shot."

The shutter of the window closed with a bang, but the two dogs that had
been driven off began to bark again at a safe distance. Harry glanced at
his general.

"Isn't that a stable among the trees?" asked Jackson.

"Yes, sir."

"Then we'll find our horses there. Get the other two and bring them
here."

Harry obeyed promptly, and they opened the stable, finding good horses,
of which