Maryland to the Virginia side. The clear, deep water lay faintly blue
beneath the winter sky, and the woods came so close that long branches
of sycamore swept the flood. In that mild season every leaf had not
fallen; up and down the river here the dull red of an oak met the eye,
and there the faded gold of a willow.

The flatboat, a brown shadow beneath a creaking wire and pulley, came
slowly to the southern side of the stream. The craft, squat to the water
and railed on either side, was in the charge of an old negro. Clustered
in the middle of the boat appeared a tall Marylander in blue jeans, two
soldiers in blue cloth, and a small darky in a shirt of blue gingham.
All these stared at a few yards of Virginia road, shelving, and
overarched by an oak that was yet touched with maroon, and stared at a
horseman in high boots, a blue army overcoat, and a blue and gold cap,
who, mounted upon a great bay horse, was waiting at the water's edge.
The boat crept into the shadow of the trees.

One of the blue soldiers stood watchfully, his hands upon an Enfield
rifle. The other, a middle-aged, weather-beaten sergeant-major who had
been leaning against the rail, straightened himself and spoke, being now
within a few feet of the man on horseback.

"Your signal was all right," he said. "And your coat's all right. But
how did your coat get on this side of the river?"

"It's been on this side for some time," explained the man on horseback,
with a smile. "Ever since Uncle Sam presented it to me at Wheeling--and
that was before Bull Run." He addressed the negro. "Is this the fastest
this boat can travel? I've been waiting here half an hour."

The sergeant-major persisted. "Your coat's all right, and your signal's
all right, and if it hadn't ha' been, our sharpshooters wouldn't ha'
left much of you by now--Your coat's all right, and your signal's all
right, but I'm damned if your voice ain't Southern--" The head of the
boat touched the shore and the dress of the horseman was seen more
closely.--"Lieutenant," ended the speaker, with a change of tone.

The rider, dismounting, led his horse down the yard or two of road and
into the boat. "So, Dandy! Just think it's the South Branch, and come
on! Thirty miles since breakfast, and still so gaily!"

Horse and man entered the boat, which moved out into the stream.

"I was once," stated the sergeant-major, though still in the proper
tone of respect toward a lieutenant, "I was once in Virg