He went back to Dundee, remounted, passed again through the sombre wood,
over the boggy earth, entered the water and recrossed. Turning the
little point of the swamp, he rode before his regiment on his way to
find Winder. His men greeted him. "Colonel, if you could just get us
over there we'd do anything in the world for you! This weeping-willow
place is getting awful hard to bear! Look at Dundee! Even he's drooping
his head. You know we'd follow you through hell, sir; and if you could
just manage it so's we could follow you through White Oak Swamp--"

Cleave passed the arm of the creek separating the 65th from the rest of
the brigade, and asked of Winder from the first troops beyond the screen
of trees. "General Winder has ridden down to the bridge to see General
Jackson."

Cleave, following, found his leader indeed before Jackson, just
finishing his representations whatever they were, and somewhat perturbed
by the commanding general's highly developed silence. This continuing
unbroken, Winder, after an awkward minute of waiting, fell a little
back, a flush on his cheeks and his lips hard together. The action
disclosed Cleave, just come up, his hand checking Dundee, his grey eyes
earnestly upon Jackson. When the latter spoke, it was not to the
brigadier but to the colonel of the 65th. "Why are you not with your
regiment, sir?"

"I left it but a moment ago, sir, to bring information I thought it my
duty to bring."

"What information?"

"The 65th is on General Winder's extreme right, sir. The stream before
it is fordable."

"How do you know, sir?"

"I forded it. The infantry could cross without much difficulty. The 65th
would be happy, sir, to lead the way."

Winder opened his lips. "The whole Stonewall Brigade is ready, sir."

Jackson, without regarding, continued to address himself to Cleave. His
tone had been heard before by the latter--in his own case on the night
of the twenty-seventh as well as once before, and in the case of others
where there had been what was construed as remonstrance or negligence or
disobedience. He had heard him speak so to Garnett after Kernstown. The
words were simple enough--they always were. "You will return to your
duty, sir. It lies where your regiment is, and that is not here. Go!"

Cleave obeyed. The ford was there. His regiment might have crossed, the
rest of the Stonewall following. Together they might traverse the swamp
and the bit of open, pass the hillside, and strik