r window he saw rising an ominous cloud of dust rapidly
approaching the Junction. To his trained eye it could mean but one
thing--retreat.

He sprang from the car and asked its meaning of a pale trembling youth
in disheveled, torn gray uniform.

Billy Barton turned his bloodshot eyes on the President. His teeth were
chattering.

"M-m-eaning of w-what?" he stammered.

"That cloud of dust coming toward the station?"

Billy stared in the direction the President pointed.

"Why, that's the--the--w-w-wagoners--they're trying to save the pieces I
reckon--"

"The army has been pushed back?" the President asked.

"No, sir--they--they never p-p-ushed 'em back! They--they just jumped
right on top of 'em and made hash out of 'em where they stood! Thank God
a few of us got away."

The President turned with a gesture of impatience to an older man,
dust-covered and smoke-smeared.

"Can you direct me to General Beauregard's headquarters?"

"Beauregard's dead!" he shouted, rushing toward the train to board it
for home. "Johnston's dead. Bee's dead. Bartow's dead. They're all
dead--piled in heaps--fur ez ye eye kin see. Take my advice and get out
of here quick."

Without waiting for an answer he scrambled into the coach from which the
President had alighted.

The station swarmed now with shouting, gesticulating, panic-stricken men
from the front. They crowded around the conductor.

"Pull out of this!"

"Crowd on steam!"

"Save your engine and your train, man!"

"And take us with you for God's sake!"

The President pushed his way through the crowd.

"I must go on, Conductor--the train is the only way to reach the
field--"

"I'm sorry, sir," the conductor demurred. "I'm responsible for the
property of the railroad--"

The panic-stricken men backed him up.

"What's the use?"

"The battle's lost!"

"The whole army's wiped off the earth."

"There's not a grease spot left!"

The President confronted the trembling conductor:

"Will you move your train?"

"I can't do it, sir--"

"Will you lend me your engine?"

The conductor's face brightened.

"I might do that."

The engine was detached to the disgust of the panic-stricken men and the
cool-headed engineer nodded to the President, pulled his lever and the
locomotive shot out of the station and in five minutes Davis alighted
with his staff near the battle field. By the guidance of stragglers they
found headquarters.

Adjutant General Jordan sent for