nd couriers went by, dun and shapeless,
through the thick powder.

Steve could not be said to mind grime (Sergeant Mathew Coffin did; he
was forever wiping it away with what remained to him of a handkerchief),
but the stuff in his shoes made his feet hurt horribly. It was in his
mouth besides, where it made him thirsty. He eyed an object dangling
from the belt of the man next him, and since from long habit it had
become easy to him to break the tenth commandment he broke it
again--into a thousand pieces. At last, "Where did you get that
canteen?"

"Picked it up at McDowell. Ef 't warn't covered with dust you could see
the U. S."

"Empty, I reckon?"

"Nop. Buttermilk."

"O Gawd! I could drink Thunder Run dry!"

"Sorry. Reckon we'll come to a stream bimeby. Saving the milk 'gainst an
emergency."

It did not appear that we would come to a stream, or a spring, or a
well, or anything liquid--to anything but awful miles of dust and heat,
trudged over by anything but three-leagued boots. Despite the spur of
Winder's speech the brigade moved with dispiriting slowness. It was not
the first in column; there were troops ahead and troops behind, and it
would perhaps have said that it was not its part to overpass the one and
outstrip the other. The whole line lagged. "Close up, men! close up!"
cried the officers, through dust-lined throats. "If it's as hot as
ginger, then let the ginger show! Step out!" Back from the head of the
column came peremptory aides. "Press on! General Jackson says, 'Press
on!'--Yes; he knows you marched twenty-six miles yesterday, and that
it's hot weather! All the same we've got to get there!--Thank you,
colonel, I will take a swallow! I'm damned tired myself."

Between nine and ten they came to a village. Boys and women stood in the
dusty street with buckets of water--a few buckets, a little water. The
women looked pale, as though they would swoon; beads of sweat stood on
the boys' brows and their lips worked. Thousands of soldiers had passed
or were passing; all thirsty, all crying, "Water, please! water,
please!" Women and boys had with haste drawn bucket after bucket from
the wells of the place, pumped them full from a cistern, or run to a
near-by spring and come panting back to the road--and not one soldier in
ten could get his tin cup filled! They went by, an endless line, a few
refreshed, the vast majority thirstier for the Tantalus failure. The
water bearers were more deadly tired than t