terans soon built long rows of fires which
contributed wonderfully to their cheerfulness.

"There's nothing like a fine fire on a cold, dark night," said Sergeant
Whitley, holding his hands over the flames. "Out on the plains when
there was only a hundred or so of us, an' nothin' on any side five
hundred miles away 'xcept hostile Indians, an' a blizzard whistlin' an'
roarin', with the mercury thirty degrees below zero, it was glorious to
have a big fire lighted in a hollow or a dip an' bend over the coals,
until the warmth went right through you."

"It was the power of contrast," said Warner sagely. "The real comfort
from the fire was fifty per cent and the howling of the icy gale, in
which you might have frozen to death, but didn't, was fifty per cent
more. That's why I'm feeling so good now, although I'd say that those
red cedars and their dark background are none too cheerful."

"I've got two good blankets," said Pennington, who was returning from a
trip further down the line, "and I'm going to sleep. Haven't you fellows
learned that all your foolish talking before a battle never changes
the result? I can tell you this. Our three divisions that are marching
toward Murfreesborough are in touch. We've put out swarms of scouts and
they all tell us so. They know exactly where the enemy is, too, and he's
too far away to surprise us to-night. So it's sleep, my boys, sleep.
Sleep will recover for you so much strength that it will be much harder
for you to get killed on the morrow."

Dick had dried himself very thoroughly before one of the fires, and
wrapping himself in his two blankets he slept soundly and heavily. There
was fog again the next morning, but they reached a little village
called Triune and all through the day they heard the sounds of scattered
firing. One of the scouts told Colonel Winchester that the whole
Southern army would be concentrated the next day on the line of Stone
River, but that it would be inferior to the Union army in numbers by ten
thousand men. Bragg's force, however, had the advantage of experience,
being composed almost wholly of veterans.

It was on the afternoon of this day that Dick came into personal contact
with General Thomas again. He had been sent through the cedar forest
with dispatches to him from General McCook, and after the general had
read them he glanced at the messenger.

"You reached General Buell safely with my letter, Lieutenant Mason," he
said, "and I'm very glad to