“I haven’t had much experience in fighting, but I should imagine that complete preparation had a great deal to do with success,” said Captain Markham.

“I’d put it at sixty per cent,” said Warner.

“I should say,” added Dick, “that the road makes at least eighty per cent of our difficulty in getting back to Thomas.”

In fact, the road was so bad that they were compelled after a while to ride into the woods and let their ponies rest.  Here they were fired upon by Confederate skirmishers from a hill two or three hundred yards away.  Their numbers were small, however, and Captain Markham’s force charging them drove them off without loss.

Then they resumed their weary journey, but the rest had not fully restored the horses and they were compelled at times to walk by the side of the road, leading their mounts.  Sergeant Whitley, with his age and experience, was most useful now in restraining the impatient young men.  Although of but humble rank he kept them from exhausting either themselves or their horses.

“It will be long after dark before we can reach camp,” said Captain Markham, sighing deeply.  “Confound such roads.  Why not call them morasses and have done with it!”

“No, we can’t make it much before midnight,” said Dick, “but, after all, that will be early enough.  If I judge him right, even midnight won’t catch General Thomas asleep.”

“You’ve judged him right,” said Markham.  “I’ve been with ‘Pap’ Thomas some time—­we call him ‘Pap’ because he takes such good care of us—­and I think he is going to be one of the biggest generals in this war.  Always silent, and sometimes slow about making up his mind he strikes like a sledge-hammer when he does strike.”

“He’ll certainly have the opportunity to give blow for blow,” said Dick, as he remembered that marching army behind them.  “How far do you think it is yet to the general’s camp?”

“Not more than a half dozen miles, but it will be dark in a few minutes, and at the rate we’re going it will take us two full hours more to get there.”

The wintry days were short and the sun slid down the gray, cold sky, leaving forest and hills in darkness.  But the little band toiled patiently on, while the night deepened and darkened, and a chill wind whistled down from the ridges.  The officers were silent now, but they looked eagerly for the first glimpse of the campfires of Thomas.  At last they saw the little pink dots in the darkness, and then they pushed forward with new zeal, urging their weary horses into a run.

When Captain Markham, Dick and Warner galloped into camp, ahead of the others, a thickset strong figure walked forward to meet them.  They leaped from their horses and saluted.

“Well?” said General Thomas.

“The enemy is advancing upon us in full force, sir,” replied Captain Markham.

“You scouted thoroughly?”

“We saw their whole army upon the road.”