The Long Roll

ENANT

intly blue beneath the winter sky, and the woods came so close that long branches of sycamore swept the flood. In that mild seas

dle of the boat appeared a tall Marylander in blue jeans, two soldiers in blue cloth, and a small darky in a shirt of blue gingham. All these stared at a few yards of Virginia road, shelving, and overarched by an oak that was

, a middle-aged, weather-beaten sergeant-major who had been leaning against the rail,

And your coat's all right. But how did

since Uncle Sam presented it to me at Wheeling-and that was before Bull Run." He addressed

ha' left much of you by now-Your coat's all right, and your signal's all right, but I'm damned if your voice ain't Southern-" The head

d and into the boat. "So, Dandy! Just think it's the South Branch

the boat, which move

er tone of respect toward a lieutenant, "I was once in Virginia f

, in my part of Virginia. It's Tuckahoe, not Cohee. I'm from

He leaned upon the rail, and, being an observant fellow, he looked to see if the lieutenant's hand trembled at all where it lay upon the horse's neck. It did not; it rested as quiet as an empty glove. The tall Marylander began to speak with a slow volubility. "There was a man from the Great Kanawha to Williamsport 't other day-a storekeeper-a big, fat man with a beard like Abraham's in the 'lustrated Bible. I heard him a-talking to the colonel. 'All the Union men in northwestern Virginia are on the Ohio side of the mountains,' said he. 'Toward the Ohio we're all for the Union,' said he. 'There's more Northern blood than Southern in that section, anyway,' said he. 'But all

there are exceptions to all rules, and there are some Union men along the South Bran

t if I had a horse like that, and a straight road, and weather like this, I wouldn't ask any

ely weather. You don't often have a Decem

And I only hope

ted McNeill. "It's bad

eant-major, "that we'll do muc

. "I came from Romney yesterday. General Kelly is letting

that the army's just as cosy at Frederick as a bug in a rug. Yes, si

d upon the brow cannon were planted to rake the river. Here and there, between the river and the hills, were knots of blue soldiers. A freight boat loaded with hay passed snail-like down the canal. It was a splendid early afternoon, cool, still, and bright

, then spoke up in a courageous, middle-aged, weather-beaten fashion, "I hope you'll have a pleasant ride, lieutenant! I guess I was a little stiffer'n good man

at the other. But you see, General Kelly is over there, and he happens, just now, to want to communicate with General Banks." His smile grew broader. "It's per

ell, good luck to you getting back! You may find some frien

d. There was a short delay, then he found himself in the presence of the colonel

cause I have hunted over every mile of that country, and I could keep out of Ashby's way. I struck the

sive in question. "If I was chased I was to destroy it before capt

e latter document. "A native of the South Branch val

ut there are one or

on to Frederick

rested. My orders are to use all dispatch b

the seal. "Do the rebels on the other side show any signs of coming activity? Our secret service men have not been very successful-t

t grazed three picket posts. He has vedettes everywhere. The report is that he has fifteen hundred troopers-nearly all vall

e down like the

ome information from a mountain man above Sleepy Creek. Jackson is drilling his men from daylight until dark. It is said that he is crazy on the subject-on most subjects, in fact; that he thinks himself a Cromwell, and is bent upon turni

pring we'll go over there and trample out this rebellion." He weighed Kelly's letter once more in his hand,

iefly. "He's a great poet. 'Don J

swer, but he

ter and the accompanying slip to his wallet. "Thank you, sir.

returning to Frederick this afternoon. He is an Englishman, I belie

let me make you acquainted with Lieutenant McNeill, a loyal Virginian bearing a letter from General Kelly to General Banks-a gentle

" said McNeill, "but

in. "Learned it in Texas in 1843. At your s

and barn and farmhouse, straight through a number of miles of crystal afternoon. Out of Williamsport conversation b

aptain!" He stroked the brown s

is name?

t Dandy. I'm rather fond of him. I

ell worth dying for as a woman or a man or most causes, but, damn me! she died for me-carried me past a murderous ambuscade, got a bullet for

, ra

was in Italy with Garibaldi," said Captain Marchmont thoughtfully, "I saw something

am a Vir

hting against Vi

you are you must believe in t

sage at once in a merchant ship from Havre. It was my understanding that she was bound for New Orleans, but instead she put into Boston Harbour. I had no marked preference, fighting being fighting under whatever banner it

ng the broad and simple lines of the matter. But with

es. "No doubt, no doubt!" said the soldier of fortune. "At any rate, I have rubbed off particularity in such matters. Live and l

nd cold. They passed a string of white-covered wagons bearing forage for the army. The sun touched the western hills, rimming them as with a forest fire. The horsemen entered a defile betwee

once to hear English carols sung beneath the windows on a snowy night." As he rode

ph was a

d an an

ght shal

avenly

l," said Captain Marchmont, and pro

her shal

en nor

e place o

an ox's

now the n

said

er shall

le nor

in fai

babie

ed the other. "An

er shall

er nor

a woode

ks on th

at last into the quiet dusk. A cricket chirped from a field of dried Michaelmas daisies. They overtook and passed an infantry regiment, coming up, an officer

N

eneral Banks. You go back t

Banks shall have answered

ccasional figh

e line. Ashby's comm

ok after you if you'll allow me. Pleasant enough mess.-Major Hertz, whom I

rove dull company. Moreover there's a good priest in Frederick who is a friend of a friend of mine. I have

gh I'm sorry not to have you with us.-There are the lights of Frede

ed a corporal, who read it by a swinging la

in the small squares from which ran the camp streets, thronging the trodden places before the sutlers, everywhere apparent in the foreground and divined in the distance. From somewhere came the strains of "Yankee Doodle." A gust of wind blew out the folds of the stars and stripes, fastened above some regimental headquarters. The city of tents and of frame structures hasty a