Part 2 (1/2)

There was more, but it was these pa.s.sages over which d.i.c.k lingered longest.

He read the letter three times-letters were rare in those years, and men prized them highly-and put it away in his strongest pocket. Colonel Winchester was standing by the edge of the brook, and d.i.c.k, saluting him, said:

”My mother wishes me to deliver to you her respects and best wishes.”

A flush showed through the tan of the colonel's face, and d.i.c.k, noticing it, was startled by a sudden thought. At first his feeling was jealousy, but it pa.s.sed in an instant, never to come again. There was no finer man in the world than Colonel Winchester.

”She is well,” he added, ”and affairs could go no better at Pendleton.”

”I am glad,” said Colonel Winchester simply. Then he turned to a man with very broad shoulders and asked:

”How are the new lads coming on?”

”Very well, sir,” replied Sergeant Daniel Whitley. ”Some of 'em are a little awkward yet, and a few are suffering from change of water, but they're good boys and we can depend on 'em, sir, when the time comes.”

”Especially since you have been thras.h.i.+ng 'em into shape for so many days, sergeant.”

”Thank you, sir.”

An orderly came with a message for Colonel Winchester, who left at once, but d.i.c.k and the sergeant, his faithful comrade and teacher, stood beside the stream. They could easily see the bathers farther down, splas.h.i.+ng in the water, pulling one another under, and, now and then, hurling a man bodily into the pool. They were all boys to the veteran. Many of them had been trained by him, and his att.i.tude toward them was that of a school teacher toward his pupils.

”You have ears that hear everything, sergeant,” said d.i.c.k. ”What is this new movement that I've heard two or three men speak of? Something sudden they say.”

”I've heard too,” replied Sergeant Whitley, ”but I can't guess it. Whatever it is, though, it's coming soon. There's a lot of work going on at a point farther down the line, but it's kept a secret from the rest of us here.”

The sergeant went away presently, and d.i.c.k, going down stream, joined some other young officers in a pool. He lay on the bank afterward, but, shortly after dark, Colonel Winchester returned, gave an order, and the whole regiment marched away in the dusk. d.i.c.k felt sure that the event Sergeant Whitley had predicted was about to happen, but the colonel gave no hint of its nature, and he continued to wonder, as they advanced steadily in the dusk.

CHAPTER II

THE WOMAN AT THE HOUSE

The men marched on for a long time, and, after a while, they heard the hum of many voices and the restless movements that betokened the presence of numerous troops. d.i.c.k, who had dismounted, walked forward a little distance with Colonel Winchester, and, in the moonlight, he was able to see that a large division of the army was gathered near, resting on its arms. It was obvious that the important movement, of which he had been hearing so much, was at hand, but the colonel volunteered nothing concerning its nature.

The troops were allowed to lie down, and, with the calmness that comes of long experience, they soon fell asleep. But the officers waited and watched, and d.i.c.k saw other regiments arriving. Warner, who had pushed through some bushes, came back and said in a whisper:

”I've seen a half-dozen great mounds of fresh earth.”

”Earth taken out to make a trench, no doubt,” said d.i.c.k.

But Warner shook his head.

”There's too much of it,” he said, ”and it's been carried too far to the rear. In my opinion extensive mining operations have been going on here.”

”For what?” asked Pennington. ”Not for silver or gold. We're no treasure hunters, and besides, there's none here.”

Warner shook his head again.

”I don't know,” he replied, ”but I'm quite sure that it has something to do, perhaps all to do, with the movement now at hand. To the right of us, regiments, including several of colored troops, are already forming in line of battle, and I've no doubt our turn will come before long.”

”We must be intending to make an attack,” said d.i.c.k, ”but I don't suppose we'll move until day.”