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Ye'd better fallin with Boscall's rijiment； which'll go out ter Lavergne to…night； ter relieve one o' the rijiments thar。 Ye'd better not try to git back heah ag'in tell arter the battle。 Good by。 God bless ye。 Miss； ye'd better git ter bed now； ez soon ez possible； an' rest yerself fur what's comin'。 We'll need every mite an' grain of our strength。〃
Chapter XIX。 The Battle of Stone River。
O； wherefore come ye forth； in triumph from the North； With your hands and your feet； and your raiment all red？ And wherefore doth your rout； send forth a joyous shout？ And whence be the grapes of the wine…press that ye tread？
O； evil was the root； and bitter was the fruit； And crimson was the juice of the vintage that we tred； For we trampled on the throng； of the haughty and the strong； Who sat in the high places and slew the saints of God。
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They are herethey rush onwe are brokenwe are gone Our left is borne before them like stubble in the blast。 O； Lord； put forth thy might！ O； Lord； defend the right！ Stand back to back； in God's name！ and fight it to the last。
〃Battle of Naseby。〃*/
The celebration of Christmas in the camps around Nashville was abruptly terminated by the reception of orders to march in the morning； with full haversacks and cartridge…boxes。 The next day all the roads leading southward became as rivers flowing armed men。 Endless streams of blue； thickly glinted everywhere with bright and ominous steel； wound around the hills； poured over the plains； and spread out into angry lakes wherever a Rebel outpost checked the flow for a few minutes。
Four thousand troopers under the heroic Stanleythe foam…crest on the war…billowdashed on in advance。 Twelve thousand steadily…moving infantry under the luckless McCook； poured down the Franklin turnpike； miles away to the right； twelve thousand more streamed down the Murfreesboro pike on the left； with the banner of the over…weighted Crittenden； while grand old Thomas； he whose trumpets never sounded forth retreat； but always called to victory； moved steadfast as a glacier in the center； with as many more； a sure support and help to those on either hand。
The mighty war…wave rolling up the broad plateau of the Cumberland was fifteen miles wide now。 It would be less than a third of that when it gathered itself together for its mortal dash upon the rocks of rebellion at Murfreesboro。
It was Friday morning that the wave began rolling southward。 All day Friday； and Saturday； and Sunday； and Monday it rolled steadily onward； sweeping before it the enemy's pickets and outposts as dry sand by an incoming tide。 Monday evening the leading divisions stood upon the ridge where Rachel and Fortner had stood； and looked as they did upon the lights of Murfreesboro； two miles away。
〃Two days from to…morrow is New Year's；〃 said Kent Edwards。 〃Dear Festival of Egg…Nogg！ how sweet are thy memories。 I hope the Tennessee hens are doing their duty this Winter； so that we'll have no trouble finding eggs when we get into Murfreesboro to…morrow。〃
〃We are likely to be so busy tendering the compliments of the season to Mr。 Bragg；〃 said Harry； lightly； 〃that we will probably have but little time to make calls upon the lady…hens who keep open nests。〃
〃We all may be where we'll need lots o' cold water more than anything else；〃 said Abe grimly。
〃Well；〃 said Kent blithely； 〃if I'm to be made a sweet little angel I don't know any day that I would rather have for my promotion to date from。 It would have a very proper look to put in the full year here on earth； and start in with the new one in a world of superior attractions。〃
〃Well； I declare； if here isn't Dr。 Denslow；〃 said Harry； delightedly； as he recognized a horsemna； who rode up to them。 〃How did you come here？ We thought you were permanently stationed at the grand hospital。〃
〃So I was；〃 replied the Doctor。 〃So I was； at least so far as general orders could do it。 But I felt that I could not be away from my boys at this supreme moment； an I am here； though the irregular way in which I detached myself from my post may require explanation at a court…martial。 Anyhow； it is a grateful relief to be away from the smell of chloride of lime； and get a breath of fresh air that is not mingled with the groans of a ward…full of sick men。 It looks；〃 he continued； with a comprehensive glance at the firmament of Rebel camp…fires that made Murfreesboro seem the center of a ruddy Milky…way； 〃as if the climax is at last at hand。 Bragg； like the worm； will at last turn； and after a year of footraces we'll have a fight which will settle who is the superfluous cat in this alley。 There is certainly one too many。〃
〃The sooner it comes the better；〃 said Harry firmly。 〃It has to be sometime； and I'm getting very anxious for an end to this eternal marching and countermarching。〃
〃My winsome little feet；〃 Kent Edwards put in plaintively； 〃are knobby as a burglar…proof safe； with corns and bunions； all of them more tender than a maiden's heart； and painful as a mistake in a poker hand。 They're the ripe fruit of the thousands of miles of side hills I've had to tramp over because of Mr。 Bragg's retiring disposition。 Now； if he's got the spirit of a man he'll come out from under the bed and fight me。〃
〃O； he'll come outhe'll come outnever you fear；〃 said Abe； sardonic as usual。 〃He's got a day or two's leisure now to attend to this business。 A hundred thousand of him will come out。 They'll swarm out o' them cedar thickets there like grass…hoppers out of a timothy field。〃
〃Boys；〃 said Harry； returning after a few minutes' basence； 〃the Colonel says we'll go into camp right here； just as we stand。 Kent； I'll take the canteens and hunt up water； if you and Abe will break some cedar boughs for the bed； and get the wood to cook supper with。〃
〃All right；〃 responded Kent； 〃I'll go after the boughs。〃
〃That puts me in for the wood；〃 grumbled Abe。 〃And； I don't suppose there's a fence inside of a mile； and if there is there's not a popular rail in it。〃
〃And； Doctor；〃 continued Harry； flinging the canteens over his shoulder； 〃you'll stay and take a cup of coffee and sleep with us to…night； won't you？ The trains are all far behind； and the hospital wagon must be miles away。〃
〃Seems to me that I've heard something of the impropriety of visiting your friends just about mealtime；〃 said the Doctor quizzically； 〃but a cup of coffee just now has more charms for me than rigid etiquette； so I'll thankfully accept your kind invitation。 Some day I'll reciprocate with liberality in doses of quinine。〃
In less time than that taken by well…appointed kitchens to furnish 〃Hot Meals to Order〃 the four were sitting on their blankets around a comfortable fire of rails and cedar logs； eating hard bread and broiled fat pork； and drinking strong black coffee； which the magic of the open air had transmuted into delightfully delicate and relishable viands。
〃You are indebted to me；〃 said Dr。 Denslow； as he finished the last crumb and drop of his portion of the food； 〃for the accession to your company at this needful time； of a tower of strength in the person of Lieutenant Jacob Alspaugh。〃
Abe groaned； the Doctor looked at him with well…feigned astonishment； and continued：
〃That gore…hungry patriot； as you know； has been home several months on recruiting duty； by virtue of a certificate which he wheedled out of old Moxon。 At last； when he couldn't keep away any longer； he started back； but he carefully restrained his natural impetuosity in rushing to the tented field； and his journey from Sardis to Nashville was a fine specimen of easy deliberation。 There was not a sign of ungentlemanly hurry in any part of it。 He came into my ward at Nashville with violent symptoms of a half…dozen speedily fatal diseases。 I was cruel enough to see a coincidence in this attack and the general marching orders； and I prescribed for his ailments a thorough course of open air exercise。 To be sure that my prescription would be taken I had the Provost…Marshal interest himself in my patient's case； and the result was that Alspaugh joined the regiment； and so far has found it difficult to get away from it。 It's the unexpected that happens； the French say； and there is a bare possibility that he may do the country some service by the accidental discharge of his duty。〃
〃The possibility is too remote to waste time considering；〃 said Harry。
They lay down together upon a bed made by spreading their overcoats and blankets upon the springy cedar boughts； and all but Harry were soon fast asleep。 Though fully as weary as they he could not sleep for hours。 He was dominated by a feeling that a crisis in his fate was at hand； and as he lay and looked at the stars every possible shape that that fate could take drifted across his mind； even as the endlessly…varying cloud…shapes sweptnow languidly； now hurriedlyacross the domed sky above him。 And as the moon and the stars shone through or around each of the clouds； making the lighter ones masses of translucent glory； and gilding the edges of even the blackest with silvery promise； so the thoughts of Rachel Bond suffused w