hisper with him, now and then.

"I haven't known things to go so well before," Dick said, when they were
across the creek.

"They're going well, Mr. Mason," said Shepard, "because everything
is arranged. There is provision against every unlucky chance. It's
leadership. The difference between a good general and a bad general is
about fifty thousand men."

The entire division moved forward in the dusk at a fair pace, but so
many troops with cavalry and guns could not keep from making some noise.
Dick with Shepard and the sergeant rode off in the woods towards the
open valley to see if the enemy were observing them. Dick's chief
apprehensions were in regard to Slade and Skelly, but they found no trace
of the guerrillas, nor of any other foes.

The night was fairly bright, and from the edge of the wood they saw far
over hills and fields, dotted with two opposing lines of camp fires.
A dark outline was Fisher's Hill, and lights burned there too. From a
point in front of it a gun boomed now and then, and there was still an
intermittent fire of skirmishers and sharpshooters.

"That hill will be ours inside of twenty-four hours," said Shepard.
"We'll fall upon Early from three sides and he'll have to retreat to
save himself. He hasn't numbers enough to stand against an army driven
forward by a hand like that of General Sheridan."

* * * *

While Dick, the sergeant and the spy looked from the woods upon the
lights of Fisher's Hill the Invincibles lay in an earthwork before it
facing their enemy. Harry Kenton sat with St. Clair, Langdon and Dalton.
The two colonels were not far away. For almost the first time, Harry's
heart failed him. He did not wish to depreciate Early, but he felt that
he was not the great Jackson or anything approaching him. He knew that
the troops felt the same way. They missed the mighty spirit and the
unfaltering mind that had led them in earlier years to victory. They
were ragged and tired, too, and had but little food.

Happy Tom, who concealed under a light manner uncommonly keen perceptions,
noticed Harry's depression.

"What are you thinking about, Harry?" he asked.

"Several things, Happy. Among them, the days when we rode here with
Stonewall from one victory to another."

"We'll have to think of something else. Cheer up. Remember the old
saying that the darkest hour is just before the dawn."

"Whose dawn?"

"That's not like you, Har