“Madam, I’m not going to touch you,” answered the youth, more than half-amused. “I came in to see if you would be kind enough to give me a bucket of water.” At this the old lady stared, thinking she had not heard aright. “You--you only want some water?” she faltered, trying vainly to recover. “That is all, madam--unless you have some cookies you are keeping for our boys. We never refuse those, you know,” and Louis smiled. “I declare, I reckon you ain’t so fierce as I took you to be.” “I’m only a soldier boy, trying to do my duty. Can I have the water?” “Certainly! certainly! Take all you want. I haven’t any cookies, as you call ’em. But I’ve got some eggs, just laid--you can have them if you want ’em.” “Thank you, madam, I’ll take them with pleasure. But remember, I don’t demand them. We have strict orders to demand nothing.” “Oh, it’s all right. You can have ’em, even if you are a Northerner. I see you’re nothing but a boy, and I have a boy in the army--on our side--and I reckon he’d like a fresh-laid egg now an’ then,” and she ran off to bring back eight large, white eggs tied up in a bit of cotton cloth. That evening Louis, Harry and several of the others of their “crowd” enjoyed the freshest omelet they had had since leaving home. But some of the soldiers, be it said to their discredit, were not as considerate as Louis had been. Thinking themselves in the enemy’s country, they plundered a number of houses, threatened the inmates, and in two cases buildings were set on fire and destroyed. During the evening a number of the thoughtless ones arrayed themselves in some stolen female wearing apparel, and thus masqueraded, paraded about until stopped by the officers. From Fairfax Court House the army moved slowly the next day towards Centerville. They were now but a few miles from Bull Run, and although the Goreville Volunteers were not yet called into action, yet the distant sounds of firearms told that no longer was everything “quiet along the line.” On the day following a fierce fight took place between a portion of General Tyler’s division and the enemy entrenched at a spot called Blackburn’s Ford, and in this encounter nineteen of the boys in blue were killed and twice as many wounded. This was really the opening of the great battle of Bull Run. The Union soldiers found they could make no advance, and accordingly it was decided to wait several days until the entire army could be brought into position for a simultaneous attack. Additional supplies were also needed, and these did not arrive when expected. At last came the orders to go forward. “Now for bloody war, my boy!” cried Moses Blackwell to Louis. “Ye’ll git enough of it now, see if ye don’t.” It was early Sunday morning. The soldiers were to have moved at two o’clock, but it was nearly sunrise before the Goreville Volunteers were in motion; and the day promised to be a scorcher.