to the road, which was fairly packed with men in the gray of
the Confederate army, some on horseback, but mostly afoot, their cannon,
ammunition and supply wagons sinking almost to the hub in the mud. As
far as Dick could see the gray columns extended.

"There must be six or seven thousand men here," he said to Captain
Markham.

"Undoubtedly," replied Markham, "this is the main Confederate army
advancing to attack ours, but the badness of the roads operates against
the offense. We shall reach General Thomas with the word that they are
coming long before they are there."

They watched the marching army for a half hour longer in order to be
sure of everything, and then turning they rode as fast as they could
toward Thomas, elated at their success. They swam the creek again, but
at another point. Carpenter told them that the Southern army would cross
it on a bridge, and Markham lamented that he could not turn and destroy
this bridge, but such an attempt would have been folly.

They finally turned into the main road along which the Southern army was
coming, although they were now miles ahead of it, and, covered from head
to foot with the red mud of the hills, they urged on their worn horses
toward the camp of Thomas.

"I haven't had much experience in fighting, but I should imagine that
complete preparation had a great deal to do with success," said Captain
Markham.

"I'd put it at sixty per cent," said Warner.

"I should say," added Dick, "that the road makes at least eighty per
cent of our difficulty in getting back to Thomas."

In fact, the road was so bad that they were compelled after a while to
ride into the woods and let their ponies rest. Here they were fired upon
by Confederate skirmishers from a hill two or three hundred yards away.
Their numbers were small, however, and Captain Markham's force charging
them drove them off without loss.

Then they resumed their weary journey, but the rest had not fully
restored the horses and they were compelled at times to walk by the side
of the road, leading their mounts. Sergeant Whitley, with his age and
experience, was most useful now in restraining the impatient young
men. Although of but humble rank he kept them from exhausting either
themselves or their horses.

"It will be long after dark before we can reach camp," said Captain
Markham, sighing deeply. "Confound such roads. Why not call them
morasses and have done with it!"

"No, we can't make it much befor