ll soon be so
good as to return it.' 'I will,' said he. 'Bedad,' said I, 'you ribils
are right good at returning things! I'll say that for you!' said I--and
he rolled up the map and put it under his arm."

The general drew a long breath. "Pennsylvania invaded by way of
Waynesboro. I am much obliged, Father--"

"Wait, wait, my son, I'm not done, yet! And thin, says he, 'General
Jackson wants a map of the country due east from here, one,' says he,
'that shows the roads to Baltimore.'"

"Baltimore!--"

"'Have you got that one?' says he. 'Yis,' says I, and unrolled it, and
he looked at it carefully and long. 'I see,' says he, 'that by going
north from Frederick to Double Pipe Creek you would strike there the
turnpike running east. Thank you, Father! May I take this one, too?'
And he rolled it up and put it under his arm--"

"Baltimore," said McClellan, "Baltimore--"

"'And now, Father,' says he, 'have you one of the region between here
and Washington?'... Don't be afther apologizing, general! There are
times when I want a strong word meself. So I got that map, too, and he
looked at it steadily. 'I understand,' says he, 'that going west by
north you would strike a road that leads you south again?'--'And that's
thrue,' said I. And he looked at the map long and steadily again, and he
asked what was the precise distance from Point of Rocks to Washington--"

"Point of Rocks! Good Lord! Ames, get ready to take these telegrams--"

"And thin he said, 'May I have this, too, Father?' and he rolled it up,
and said General Jackson would certainly be obliged and would return
thim in good order. (Which he did.) And thin he took up his cap and
sword and said good avenin' and went. That's all that I know of the
matter, general, saving and excepting, that the ribil columns certainly
_started_ next morning with their faces toward the great State of
Pennsylvania. Don't mention it, general!--though if you are interested
in good works, and I'm not doubting the same, there's an orphan asylum
here--"

Having arrived at a cross-roads without a signpost McClellan
characteristically hesitated. The activity of the next twelve hours was
principally electrical and travelled by wire from Frederick to
Washington and Washington to Frederick. The cavalry, indeed was pushed
forward toward Boonsboro, but for the remainder of the army, as it came
up, corps by corps, the night passed in inaction, and morning dawned on
inaction. March north toward Pe