very tired. Good by."

The Sergeant was only too glad of this release, which gave him an
opportunity to get back to camp, to enjoy some good cheer that he knew
was there, and bidding a hasty good-night, he left at a trot.

Fortner and Rachel rode on slowly up the pike, traversing the ground
that was soon to run red with the blood of thousands.

They talked of the fearful probabilities of the next few days, and
halted for some minutes on the bridge across Stone River, to study the
wonderfully picturesque scene spread out before them. The dusk was just
closing down. The scowling darkness seemed to catch around woods and
trees and houses, and grow into monsters of vast and somber bulk,
swelling and spreading like the "gin" which escaped from the copper can,
in the "Arabian Nights," until they touched each other, coalesced and
covered the whole land. Far away, at the edge of the valley, the tops of
the hills rose, distinctly lighted by the last rays of the dying day, as
if some strip of country resisting to the last the invasion of the dark
monsters.

A half-mile in front of the bridge was the town of Murfreesboro. Bright
lights streamed from thousands of windows and from bonfires in the
streets. Church bells rang out the glad acclaim of Christmas from a
score of steeples. The happy voices of childhood singing Christmas
carols; the laughter of youths and maidens strolling arm in arm through
the streets; the cheery songs of merry-making negroes; silver-throated
bands, with throbbing drums and gently-complaining flutes, playing
martial airs; long lines of gleaming camp-fires, stretching over the
undulating valley and rising hills like necklaces of burning jewels on
the breast of night,--this was what held them silent and motionless.

Rachel at last spoke:

"It is like a scene of enchantment. It is more wonderful than anything I
ever read of."

"Yes'm, hit's mouty strikin' now, an' when ye think how hit'll all be
changed in a little while ter more misery then thar is this side o'
hell, hit becomes all the more strikin'. Hit seems ter me somethin' like
what I've heered 'em read 'bout in the Bible, whar they went on feastin'
an' singin', an' dancin' an' frolickin', an' the like, an' at midnight
the inimy broke through the walls of ther city, an' put 'em all ter the
sword, even while they wuz settin' round thar tables, with ther drinkin'
cups in ther hands."

"To think what a storm is about to break upon this scene of ha