He was on the verge of exhaustion. He was black under the eyes and the
veins of his neck were distended. Dust covered him from head to foot.
He threw himself on the ground and drank deeply from a canteen of cool
water that Dick handed to him. All saw that Shepard, the spy, the man
whose life was a continual danger, who had never before shown emotion,
was in a state of excitement, and if they waited a little he would speak
of his own accord.
Shepard took the canteen from his lips, drew several long deep breaths of
relief and said:
"Do you know what I have seen?"
"I don't, but I infer from your manner, Shepard, that it must be of great
importance," said Colonel Winchester.
"I've seen Stonewall Jackson at the head of half of Lee's army behind us!
Standing between us and Washington!"
"What! Impossible! How could he get there?"
"It's possible, because it's been done--I've seen the rebel army behind
us. In these civilian clothes of mine, I've been in their ranks, and
I've talked with their men. While they were amusing us here on the
Rappahannock with their cannon, Jackson with the best of the army crossed
the river higher up, passed through Thoroughfare Gap, marching two or
three days before a soul of ours knew it, and then struck our great camp
at Bristoe Station.
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