ade it come or not
they could have found no better aid.

He could not see far, but out of the vapors came the sound of men moving,
because they were restless and could not help it. He heard too the
murmur of voices, and now and then the clank of a cannon, as it was
advanced a little. More time passed. It was the hour when it would be
nearly dawn on a clear day, and thousands of hearts leaped as the sound
of shots came from a distant point out of the fog.

CHAPTER XI

CEDAR CREEK

The Winchester Regiment and the rest of the cavalry returned to the Union
army, and, on the memorable night of the eighteenth of October, they were
north of Cedar Creek with the Eighth Corps, most of the men being then
comfortably asleep in tents. A courier had brought word to General
Wright that all was quiet in front, and the same word was sent to
Sheridan, who, returning, had come as far as Winchester where he slept
that night, expecting to rejoin his command the next day.

But there were men of lower rank than Wright and Sheridan who were uneasy,
and particularly so Sergeant Daniel Whitley, veteran of the plains,
and of Indian ambush and battle. None of the Winchester officers had
sought sleep either in the tents or elsewhere, and, in the night, Dick
stood beside the suspicious sergeant and peered into the fog.

"I don't like it," said the veteran. "Fogs ain't to be taken lightly.
I wish this one hadn't come at this time. I'm generally scared of most
of the things I can't see."

"But what have we to be afraid of?" asked Dick. "We're here in strong
force, and the enemy is too weak to attack."

"The Johnnies are never too weak to attack. Rec'lect, too, that this is
their country, and they know every inch of it. I wish Mr. Shepard was
here."

"I think he was detailed for some scout duty off toward the Blue Ridge"

"I don't know who sent him, but I make bold to say, Mr. Mason, that he
could do a lot more good out there in the fog on the other side of Cedar
Creek, a-spyin' and a-spyin', a-lookin' and a-lookin', a-listenin' and
a-listenin'."

"And perhaps he would neither see nor hear anything"

"Maybe, sir, but if I may make bold again, I think you're wrong. Why,
I just fairly smell danger."

"It's the fog and your fear of it, sergeant."

"No, sir; it's not that. It's my five senses working all together and
telling me the truth."

"But the pickets have brought in no word."

"In this fog, pickets can't see