The Shades of the Wilderness | Page 8

an orderly with both your horses," said St. Clair, "so,
under the circumstances, we'll sink our pride and let you ride with us."
De Langeais, with a cheerful farewell until the next day, returned to his
command, and Harry and Dalton, mounting, were in a few minutes
beside the Invincibles. Colonel Leonidas Talbot and
Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire turned their horses from the road
into the path and saluted them with warmth.
"We caught a glimpse of you just after our departure, Harry," said
Colonel Talbot, "but we did not know what had happened since. There
is always a certain amount of risk attending the removal of a great
army."
"I am glad, Leonidas, that you used the word 'removal' to describe our
operations after our great victory at Gettysburg," said Lieutenant-
Colonel St. Hilaire. "I have been feeling about for the right word or
phrase myself, but you have found it first."
"Do you think it was a victory, sir?" asked Harry.
"Undoubtedly. We have won several vast and brilliant triumphs, but
this is the greatest of them all. We have gone far into the enemy's
country, where we have struck him a terrible blow, and now, of our
own choice-- understand it is of our own choice--we withdraw and
challenge him to come and repeat on our own soil our exploit if he can.
It is like a skilled and daring prize fighter who leaps back and
laughingly bids his foe come on. Am I not right, Leonidas?"
"Neither Aristotle nor Plato was ever more right, Hector, old friend.
Usually there is more to a grave affair than appears upon the surface.
We could have gone on, after the battle, to Philadelphia, had we chosen,
but it was not alone a question of military might that General Lee had
to decide. He was bound to give weight to some very subtle

considerations. You boys remember your Roman history, do you not?"
"Fragments of it, sir," replied Harry.
"Then you will recall that Hannibal, a fine general, to be named
worthily with our great Lee so far as military movements are concerned,
after famous victories over greatly superior numbers of Romans, went
into camp at Capua, crowded with beauty, wine and games, and the
soldiers became enervated. Their fiber was weakened and their bodies
softened. They were quicker to heed the call to a banquet than the call
to arms."
"Unless it was the arms of beauty, Leonidas."
"Well spoken, Hector. The correction is most important, and I accept it.
But to take up again the main thread of my discourse. General Lee
undoubtedly had the example of the Carthaginian army and Capua in
mind when he left Gettysburg and returned toward the South.
Philadelphia is a great city, far larger and richer than any in our section.
It is filled with magnificent houses, beautiful women, luxury of every
description, ease and softness. Our brave lads, crowned with mighty
exploits and arriving there as conquerors, would have been received
with immense admiration, although we are official enemies. And the
head of youth is easily turned. The Army of Northern Virginia,
emerging from Philadelphia, to achieve the conquest of New York and
Boston would not be the army that it is to-day. It would lack some of
that fire and dash, some of the extraordinary courage and tenacity
which have enabled it to surpass the deeds of the veterans of Hannibal
and Napoleon."
"But, sir, I've heard that the people of Philadelphia are mostly Quakers,
very sober in dress and manner."
"Harry, my lad, when you've lived as long as I have you will know that
a merry heart may beat beneath a plain brown dress, and that an ugly
hood cannot wholly hide a sweet and saucy face. The girls--God bless
'em-- have been the same in all lands since the world began, and will
continue so to the end. While this war is on you boys cannot go

a-courting, either in the North or South. Am I not right, Hector, old
friend?"
"Right, as always, Leonidas. I perceive, though, that the sun is about to
set; not a new thing, I admit, but we must not delay our young friends,
when the general perhaps needs them."
"Well spoken again, Hector. You are an unfailing fount of wisdom.
Good night, my brave lads. Not many of the Invincibles are left, but
every one of them is a true friend of you both."
As they rode across the darkening fields Harry and Dalton knew that
the colonel spoke the truth about the Invincibles.
"I like a faith such as theirs," said Dalton.
"Yes, it can often turn defeat into real victory."
They quickly found the general's headquarters, and as usual, whenever
the weather permitted, he had made arrangements to sleep in the