elegraphed to Major
Harman."

"Good!" He folded the slip of paper between his large fingers and
transferred it to his pocket. "I will read General Ewell's letter. Later
I may wish to ask you some questions. That is all, major."

Cleave rode back to the 65th. Presently, the sun now brilliantly up, the
Army of the Valley, in no sunny mood, crossed the bridge over the
Shenandoah. There was a short halt. A company of Ashby's galloped from
the rear and drew off into a strip of level beside the bridge. A section
of artillery followed suit. The army understood that for some reason or
other and for some length of time or other the bridge was to be guarded,
but it understood nothing more. Presently the troops passed Conrad's
Store, where the old negro, reinforced now by the dozen white
inhabitants, gaped at the tramping column. The white men asked
stuttering questions, and as the situation dawned upon them they
indulged in irritating comment. "Say, boys, where in the Lord's name air
you going? We want you on this side of the Blue Ridge--you ain't got any
call to go on the other!--if you've got any Tuckahoes, let them go, but
you Cohees stay in your native land--Valley men ain't got no _right_ to
go! _What'd the women say to you along the road?_ Clearing out like a
passel of yaller dogs afore there's trouble and leavin' them an' the
children to entertain the Yankees!"

Harris, coming up with the orderlies, found the old negro at his mare's
bridle. "Well, marster, I sholy did think I wuz tellin' de truf, sah,
'bout Gin'ral Jackson holdin' de foht at Harrisonburg! En now he done
'vacuate hit, en Gin'ral Banks he prance right in! Hit look powerful
cu'rous, hit sho do. But dar! I done seed de stars all fallin' way back
in '33, en dat wuz powerful cu'rous too, fer de worl' didn't come ter an
eend--Mebbe, sah, he jes'er drawin' dat gent'man on?"

Sullen and sorry, the army marched on, and at noon came to Elk Run
Valley on the edge of Swift Run Gap. When the men stacked arms and broke
ranks, it was upon the supposition that, dinner over, they would resume
the march. They did not so; they stayed ten days in Elk Run Valley.

All around were the mountains, heavily timbered, bold and pathless.
Beyond Conrad's Store, covering Jackson's front, rushed the Shenandoah,
the bridge guarded by Ashby's men. There were pickets enough between the
river and the camp; north, south, and east rose the mountains, and on
the other side of Swift Run Gap