"
Dick smiled a little at the sergeant's solemn tone, and formal words,
but he saw that he was very much in earnest. Nor was he one to underrate
weather effects upon movements in war.
"What will it mean to the two armies, sergeant?" he asked.
"Depends upon what happens before she busts. If a rebel force is then
across it's bad for us, but if it ain't the more water between us an'
them the better. This, I take it, is the end of the drought, and a flood
will come tumbling down from the mountains."
The sun now darkened and the clouds gathered heavily on the Western
horizon. Colonel Winchester's anxiety increased fast. It became evident
that the regiment could not reach Sulphur Springs until far into the
night, and, still full of alarms, he resolved to take a small detachment,
chiefly of his staff, and ride forward at the utmost speed.
He chose about twenty men, including Dick, Warner, Pennington, Sergeant
Whitley, and another veteran who were mounted on the horses of junior
officers left behind, and pressed forward with speed. A West Virginian
named Shattuck knew something of the country, and led them.
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