Nick went into an outhouse—­a stable with a loft—–­ and climbed up into the loft.  I climbed up after him.  There was a little loose hay in the loft; we speedily stretched ourselves.  I made Nick promise to be awake before sunrise, for I feared the place would be visited by the rebels.

X

THE LINE OF THE WARWICK

     “Thus are poor servitors,
     While others sleep upon their quiet beds,
     Constrained to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.” 
    —­Shakespeare.

When I lay down I was warm from walking, and went to sleep quickly.  When I awoke I was cold; in fact, the cold woke me.

I crept to the door of the stable and looked out; at my left the sky was reddening.  I aroused Nick, who might have slept on for hours had he been alone.

The sun would soon warm us; but what were we to do for food?  Useless to search the house or kitchen or garden; everything was bare.  I asked Nick if he could manage in any way to get something to eat.  He could not; we must starve unless accident should throw food in our way.

A flock of wild geese, going north, passed high.  “Dey’ll go a long ways to-day,” said Nick; “ain’t got to stop to take on no wood nor no water.”

We bent our way toward the Warwick road.  At the point where we reached it, the ground was low and wet, but farther on we could see dryer ground.  We crossed the road and went to the low hills.  From a tree I could see the village of Warwick about a mile or so to the west, with the road, in places, running east.  There seemed to be no movement going on.  Nick was lying on the ground, moody and silent.  I had no more tobacco.

I came down from the tree and told Nick to lead the way through the woods until we could get near the rebel pickets where their line crossed the road.

About nine o’clock we were lying in the bushes near the edge of felled timber, through an opening in which, ran the road at our left.  At long intervals a man would pass across the road where it struck the picket-line.

Both from the map and from Nick’s imperfect delivery of his topographical knowledge I was convinced that the main rebel line was behind the Warwick River, and that here was nothing but an outpost; and I was considering whether it would not be best to turn this position on the north, reach the river as rapidly as possible, and make for Lee’s Mill, which I understood was the rebel salient, and see what was above that point, when I heard galloping in the road behind us.  Nick had heard the noise before it reached my ears.

A rebel horseman dashed by; at the picket-line he stopped, and remained a few moments without dismounting; then went on up the road toward Warwick Court-House.

At once there was great commotion on the picket-line.  We crept up as near as we dared; men were hurrying about, getting their knapsacks and falling into ranks.  Now came a squadron of cavalry from down the road; they passed through the picket-line, and were soon lost to sight.  Then the picket marched off up the road.  Ten minutes more and half a dozen cavalrymen came—­the rear-guard of all, I was hoping—­and passed on.