Now it happened that upon the very morning of Elfie’s fatal picnic excursion, the colonel of Justin’s regiment, being convalescent, returned to his post of duty. Major Rosenthal was relieved, and for faithful and efficient services, was promoted to the rank of colonel, and ordered to assume the command of the —— Cavalry, then stationed at W., in the valley. The next morning Colonel Rosenthal, mounted on a noble war-horse, set forth to cross the Blue Ridge, _en route_ for his distant destination. He was attended by a single orderly, Sergeant Hay, the friendless youth whom Britomarte had kissed and blessed on the moving of the brigade, and who was thenceforth the object of Justin’s especial care. The valley was free, or supposed to be free, from guerrillas, and therefore a body guard was deemed unnecessary. It was a glorious autumn morning after the storm, and the passage of the mountains on this route was neither difficult nor dangerous. And it was yet early in the forenoon when Colonel Rosenthal, having crossed the ridge in safety, descended into the old turnpike stage road, leading though a dense forest towards W., which was still far distant. But the glory of the morning had no power to lighten the gloom that overshadowed the young officer’s spirit. In truth, he had both public and private matter for depression. The former was of course grief for the wide-spread ruin wrought by the war, and sickness of soul with “hope deferred” by its long continuance and indefinitely postponed end, and was shared by every patriot in the land, and every philanthropist in the world. The latter was in distress about his sister Erminie and his beloved Britomarte, and his intense anxiety concerning the fate of a young orderly sergeant, whom, while in temporary command of the regiment, he had detailed on special duty, and who had left him about seven days previous to this, and had not yet been heard from. This boy was an especial favorite with his superior officer. Soon after the regiment had left Washington, and while it was lying at City Point, he had enlisted. Since that, for cleanliness, sobriety, diligence, fidelity, and, in short, all soldierly good qualities, he had been steadily promoted until he had reached the rank of sergeant. As by instinct Justin Rosenthal soon singled the boy out from his comrades, and selected him as one of his own orderlies, Hay being the other. Now it occurred that while Major Rosenthal was in command of the regiment at H., there came rumors of the reappearance of the terrible Free Sword on the east side of the Blue Ridge. He was reported to be in the neighborhood of L., re-organizing his band of desperadoes, who were flocking to his standard by scores, by fifties and by hundreds.