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Then the horsemen stopped in astonishment at the sight of the Confederate troop. There was no possibility of either command mistaking the other for a friend, but Sherburne, despite his youth, had in him the instinct for quick perception and action which distinguished the great cavalry leaders of the South like Jeb Stuart, Turner Ashby and others.
"If we only had a little artillery, just a light gun or two," said Sherburne, "we'd give 'em such a surprise that they'd never get over it." "But we haven't got it." "No, we haven't, but maybe rifles and carbines will serve." The hoofbeats were fast growing louder, and Harry knew that the head of the Northern column would appear in a minute or two.
Sherburne, Aubrey and Dalton picked out soft spots on the grass and almost instantly were sound asleep, but Harry lingered a minute or two longer. He saw across the river the glitter of bayonets and the dark muzzles of cannon.
I answered "All right," and started out, though it was well into the afternoon. That evening I reached Oriskany Falls, a distance of about 20 miles. I camped for the night at the hotel, but was up the next morning before the hotel people. I left the price of the lodging on the bar, and started south. It was about 24 miles to Sherburne, which I reached about noon.
"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.
Come" he leaned forward, looking into the other's face "will you play it? They drew lots those people in the Bible. We will draw lots, and see, eh? and see?" "I accept the stake," said Sherburne, with a little gasp. Without a word they went upon that platform, shaped like an altar, and Pierre at once drew out a pack of cards, shuffling them with his mittened hands.
Here the men ate cold food from their haversacks and let their horses nibble the grass for a half hour. They emerged refreshed and resumed their course toward the Potomac. In the very height of the afternoon blaze they saw a horseman on the crest of a hill, watching them intently through glasses. Sherburne instantly raised his own glasses to his eyes. "A Yankee scout," he said.
This is the enemy's country and we may run at any time into a force as large as our own if not larger." "Thank you for the information, Colonel Sherburne. My ignorance of geography may appear astonishing to you, although we had to study it very hard at West Point. But I admit my weakness and I add, as perhaps some excuse, that I have lately devoted very little attention to the Northern states.
Harry rode to Sherburne with a message of congratulation from General Lee, who told him that he had selected the possible crossing well, and that he had shown great skill and valor in holding it until the army came up. Sherburne's flush of pride showed under his deep tan. "I did my best," he said to Harry, who knew the contents of the letter, "and that's all any of us can do."
"Wasn't that a fine parade?" Sherburne ran on. "And this is the greatest cavalry force that we've had during the war. Why, Stuart can go anywhere and do anything with it. A lot of Virginia scouts under Jones are watching the fords, and we've got with us such leaders as Fitz Lee, Robertson, Hampton and the commander-in-chief's son, W. H. F. Lee why should a man be burdened with three initials?
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