Part 25 (1/2)

”What's his name?” asked Harry with sudden interest.

”Skelly, I think, Bill Skelly.”

”Why, I know that fellow! He comes from the hills back of our town of Pendleton, and he claimed to be on the Union side. He and his band fired upon me at the very opening of the war.”

”If you are not careful he'll be firing upon you again. He may have started out as a Union man, but he's s.h.i.+fting around now, I fancy, to suit his own plundering and robbing forces. We'll hear of their operations later, and it won't be a pretty story.”

They talked of many things, and after a while Harry and St. Clair were sent with a message to the crest of Three Top Mountain, where the Confederate signal station was located, and from which the Union officers had taken the dispatch about the coming of Longstreet with a strong force. Both were fully aware of the great movement contemplated by Early and their minds now went back to march and battle.

The climb up the mountain was pleasant to such muscles and sinews as theirs, and they stopped at intervals to look over the valley, now a great desolation, until nature should come again with her healing touch. Harry smothered a sigh as he recalled their early and wonderful victories there, and the tremendous marches with the invincible Stonewall. Old Jack, as he sat somewhere with Was.h.i.+ngton and Cromwell and all the group of the mighty, must feel sad when he looked down upon this, his beloved valley, now trodden into a ruin by the heel of the invader.

He resolutely put down the choking in his throat, and would not let St. Clair see his emotion. They reached the signal station, which at that hour was in charge of a young officer named Mortimer, but little older than themselves. They delivered to him their message and stood by, while he talked with flags to another station on the opposite mountain. Harry watched curiously although he could read none of the signals.

”This is our only newspaper and I can't read it,” he said when Mortimer had finished. ”What's the news?”

”There's a lot of it, and it's heavy with importance,” replied Mortimer.

”Tell us a bit of it, can't you?”

”Sheridan has left his army and gone north. That's one bit.”

”What?”

”It's so. We know absolutely, and we've signaled it to General Early.

But we don't know why he has gone.”

”That is important.”

”It surely is, and he's taken his cavalry with him. Our men have seen the troops riding northward. Since Sheridan went away, the Union commander, whoever he is, has been strengthening his right, fearing an attack there, since he learned of our reappearance in the valley.”

”Therefore General Early will attack on the left?”

”Correct. You can see now the value of signal stations like ours. We can look down upon the enemy and see his movements. Then we know what to do.”

”And what have they on their left?” asked Harry. ”Do you know that, too?”

”Of course. General Crook with two divisions is there. He has Cedar Creek in front of him, and on his own left the north fork of the Shenandoah. He's considerably in front of the main Union force, and they haven't posted much of a picket line.”

”I suppose they're relying upon the natural strength of the ground.”

”That's it, I take it, but we may give them a surprise.”

Harry and Dalton used their gla.s.ses and far to the north they saw dim figures, not larger than toys. At first view they appeared to be stationary, but, as the eyes became used to the distance, Harry knew they were moving. Apparently they were infantry going toward the Union right, where danger was feared, and he felt a grim satisfaction in knowing that the real danger lay on their left. But could Early with his small numbers, with the habit now of defeat, make any impression upon the large Union armies flushed with victories?

Harry wondered if d.i.c.k was among those moving troops, but his second thought told him it was not likely. They had learned from spies that the Winchester regiment was mounted, and in all probability it was part of the cavalry that had gone north with Sheridan. But he thought again how strange it was that the two should have been face to face at the Second Mana.s.sas, and then after a wide separation, involving so many great battles and marches, should come here into the Valley of Virginia, face to face once more.

Mortimer and his a.s.sistants presently began to manipulate the flags again, and Confederate signalmen, on a far peak, replied. Harry and St. Clair watched them with all the curiosity that a mystery inspires.

”Can we ask again,” said Harry, when they had finished, ”what you fellows were saying?”

Mortimer laughed.