“If General Lee is attacked on the banks of this river by greatly superior forces,” said Sherburne, “he’ll have no time to build bridges. If we didn’t happen to be victorious our forces would have to scatter into the mountains, where they could be hunted down, man by man.”
“But such a thing as that is unthinkable, sir,” said Harry. “We may not win always, but here in the East we never lose. Remember Antietam and the river at our back.”
“Right you are, Harry,” said Sherburne more cheerfully. “The general will get us out of this, and here is where we must cross. The river may run down enough in two or three days to permit of fording. God grant that it will!”
“And so say I!” repeated Harry with emphasis.
“I mean to hold this place for our army,” continued Sherburne.
“A reserved seat, so to speak.”
“Yes, that’s it. We must keep the country cleared until our main force comes up. It shouldn’t be difficult. I haven’t heard of any considerable body of Union troops between us and the river.”
They made camp rapidly in a strong position, built their fires for cooking, set their horses to grazing and awaited what would come. It was a dry, clear night, and Harry, who had no duties, save to ride with a message at the vital moment, looked at once for his friends, the Invincibles.
St. Clair met him and held up a warning hand, while Happy touched his lip with his finger. Before the double injunction of silence and caution, Harry whispered:
“What’s happened?”
“A tragedy,” replied St. Clair.
“And a victory, too,” said Happy Tom.
“I don’t understand,” said Harry.
“Then look and you will,” said St. Clair.
He pointed to a small clear space in which Colonel Leonidas Talbot and Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire sat on their blankets facing each other with an empty cracker box between them, upon which their chess men were spread. The firelight plainly revealed a look of dismay upon the face of Colonel Talbot, and with equal plainness a triumphant expression upon that of Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire.
“Colonel Talbot has lost his remaining knight,” whispered St. Clair. “I don’t know how it came about, but when the event occurred we heard them both utter a cry. Listen!”
“I fail even yet, Hector, to see just how it occurred.” said Colonel Talbot.
“But it has occurred, Leonidas, and that’s the main thing. A general in battle does not always know how he is whipped, but the whipping hurts just as much.”
“You should not show too much elation over your triumph, Hector. Remember that he laughs best who laughs last.”
“I take my laugh whenever I can, Leonidas, because no one knows who is going to laugh last. It may be that he who laughs in the present will also laugh at the end. What do you mean by that move, Leonidas?”