get there? Lawyers won't help us."

"Not so much marching toward a court house as marching away from Jackson,"
said the Vermonter.

"We'll march back again," said Dick hopefully.

"But when?" said Pennington. "Look through the trees there on our right.
Aren't those rebel troops?"

Dick's startled gaze beheld a long line of horsemen in gray on their
flank and only a few hundred yards away.




CHAPTER II

AT THE CAPITAL


The Southern cavalry was seen almost at the same time by many men in the
regiments, and nervous and hasty, as was natural at such a time, they
opened a scattering fire. The horsemen did not return the fire, but
seemed to melt away in the darkness.

But the shrewdest of the officers, among whom was Colonel Winchester,
took alarm at this sudden appearance and disappearance. Dick would have
divined from their manner, even without their talk, that they believed
Jackson was at hand. Action followed quickly. The army stopped and