“Now which side do you fight fur?” asked Joe, after a long period of silence.

“For the Union side,” replied Tom, promptly.

“What are yer doin’ here, then?”

“I was in the battle below, and was taken prisoner, got away, and I want to get to Washington.”

“I reckon this ain’t the way to git thar,” added Joe.

“I doubt whether I can get there any other way.”

Just then, Tom would have given all the money he had in the world, and all that the government owed him, for a good map of Virginia—­or even for a knowledge of geography which would have enabled him to find his way by the safest route to Washington.  But he had been a diligent scholar in school, and had faithfully improved the limited opportunities which had been afforded him.  His mind could recall the map of Virginia which he had studied in school, but the picture was too faint to be of much practical benefit to him.

He had treasured up some information, derived from the newspapers, in regard to the Manassas Gap Railroad.  He knew that it passed through the Blue Ridge, at the western base of which flowed the Shenandoah River:  this emptied into the Potomac, which would certainly conduct him to Washington.  In following these two rivers, he should have to describe nearly a circle, which was not an encouraging fact to a boy on foot, with no resources, and in an enemy’s country.

If he returned by the way he came, the country was filled with rebel soldiers, and he could hardly expect to pass through their lines without being captured.  Difficult and dangerous as the route by the Shenandoah appeared, he decided to adopt it.

Joe Burnap proposed that they should have supper and opened the bag which he had filled with such eatables as he could hastily procure on leaving home.  They ate a hearty meal, and then resumed their walk for another hour.

“I reckon we’d better stop here,” said Joe.  “The Gap’s only half a mile from here, and it’s too arly in the night to go through thar yet.  Thar’s too many soldiers goin’ that way.”

“What time will you go through?” asked Tom.

“Not afore midnight.”

“Then I’ll turn in and take a nap.  I didn’t sleep any last night.”

“I’m agreed,” replied Joe, who seemed to be indifferent to every thing while he could keep out of the rebel army.

Tom coiled up his body in the softest place he could find, and went to sleep.  Exhausted by fatigue and the want of rest, he did not wake for many hours.  He came to his senses with a start, and jumped upon his feet.  For a moment, he could not think where he was; but then came the recollection that he was in the country of his enemies—­a wanderer and a fugitive.

He looked about him in search of his travelling companion; but the fact that he could not see him in the night was no argument that he was not near him.  He supposed Joe had chosen a place to sleep in the vicinity, and thinking he might not wake in season to pass through the Gap before daylight, he commenced a search for him.  He beat about the place for half an hour, calling his companion by name; but he could not see him, and no sound responded to the call but the echoes of his own voice.