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Show ) 156 ROEBUCK. that the end of the 'var was achieved. The_ story filled their imaginations, like a noble .history already complete. "\Vhcn the doctor had descn~ecl the evc~1ts of chi f importance, be began to ent.ortatn the1n w1Lh anecdote ~ of per ·ona.l a lventnre. One of then1 related to son1c of the personages of this nan·ati vo. " There is Captain Fitzhugh, no\v-yonr friend, Colonel Jnlia-hc has the 1uunc of being a bravo n1an -I sh~11l sny nothing against your friend on that score-but, like the rest of us, he is a raw soldier and may blunder into scrapes-and he rides a fleet horsethat I know; the Yankees kno\v it too, for they hav€ seen his heels." IIaving said so 1uuch, with significant look~ and tones, he paused ancl fixed his eyes on Julia, as if ex .. pccting her to invite an explanation of his hints. But sotne 1naidenly coyness or consciousness sealed her sweet lip ·, and sent a blush to her beautiful checks. 1\Irs. Fairfax had no such feeling to restrain the curio ·ity which belongs to her sox-and to the haughtier sex. "Go on,., she said, "tell us \Yl1at you haye to tell nbout Ilugh." '- "'Vell, IIugh is a \Van·ior, who, by the diligent study of his profe. ·ion, has diHcovcred that the whole art of war is neatly packed away in a few \Vords of an .old Greek poet, or in two line~ of 1nodern parody- 'lie tllat fights, and runs a \Vay, 1\fn.y live to fight another day.' On one occasion, however, he \Vould have prefm;red, I believe, to otuit the preliminary fight suggested by the poet before running." TIOEBUOK. "Uncle Dick, you shall not''-" What?" • 157 "Co1nc," said tho colonel, lang·hing, "yon sh:1.1l n~t tr-nse the ladies \Yith your scandalous hints. Toll your talc like a 111an." "vV ell, if I must, I mu ·t. Dut yon shall not blan1o me, Julia, if the story docs not please you. Once upon a ti1ne, then-it "'as a few days before the battle -Captain Fitzhugh 'vas sent to spy out-you " rould say to reconnoitre, Colonel J nlia-a position of the enemy. About sunrise he ·went some· two 1nil0s in advance of his company, to a hill f1·om ·which l1e expected to obtain a near and clear vie·w of the position. He took ''rith hin1 only two 1nen. One of then1 ·was Mark })farlin, the young man, Julia, \vho has taken your gentlemanly father for his znodcl. It is not ne- • cessary to nan1e the other 1nan. . They \Vero aU well mounted. The 1nen, perhaps, \vere selected with a view to the fleetness of their horses, according to tho fun,da1nental flying principle of the captain. IIugh rode his fan1ous black, Snltn.n. ]Lark \Vas on the horse you gave him, 'brother Freel." "Sold to him." "vVell, the other soldier had :t swifter nag than either of thon1, as the result sho,vocl. When they arrived at the bill, it ,vas so densely \Vooded that the captain dec1ncd it nocc~sary to descend alono to an open bench or little plateau, fr01n 'vhich he could plainly sec the ·whole batch of Yankees on the opposite side of a sn1all stream. lie was as clearly seen himself by the hostile pickets along the 1nargin of tho stream, and he stood ,vithin easy range of their guns. IIe1·emained there ten or fifteen minutes, 'vhile a dozen of the blno-coats ,vero firing away at him, and how |
