CHAPTER XVI. THE MEETING. “Ho! who rides there? The tramp of hoof, the flash of steel—— The rebels round them coming.” And they turned to the right, and rode along the edge of the forest for some four or five miles, when they saw approaching them from the opposite direction a body of horsemen. “That must be a detachment of our cavalry, Wing. What do you think?” “I think it is, sir. But I can’t be sure yet. The clouds of dust prevent my seeing them clearly,” answered the boy. “And then they are so far off. Let me see,” said the Colonel, taking out his field-glass and “sighting” the approaching party. “I am nearly sure they are our men, sir,” said Hay, speaking for the first time. “Yes, it is a detachment of the cavalry now stationed at W. What is afoot, I wonder?” exclaimed the Colonel putting spurs to his horse and galloping forward to meet the advancing party. The officer in command of the squadron rode out to receive him. The two met like old friends. “Ho! Colonel Rosenthal! Happy to see you. Heard of your promotion this morning. Allow me to congratulate—no, not you, but—the regiment, on the acquisition of so brave a soldier and able an officer. I wish my company belonged to your regiment,” said the cavalry officer. “Thanks, Major O’Neale. But—what’s out?” “What’s out? The guerrillas. They are swarming into this neighborhood like seven year locusts. Goldsborough’s guerrillas have made a raid upon a party of excursionists near the Point of Rocks, and robbed them of everything even to the clothes they stood up in—even to their sacred linen?” “Yes, I heard of that. A squadron of cavalry from Fort W. is out after them, but they are encamped somewhere near the Black Bear’s Pass, far enough from here,” said Colonel Rosenthal. “Ah! is that so? Then there is no chance of falling in with them hereabouts?” “None in the world.” “And the Free Sword has re-appeared!” “He has joined issue with Goldsborough, and their forces are united.” “Are you certain of that?” “I am quite certain of _that_, and I am half suspicious that you are out on a wild goose chase if you are after guerillas,” laughed Colonel Rosenthal. “Not quite so fast. You have accounted satisfactorily for the Free Sword and for Goldsborough. But here is Monck suddenly sprung up with all his band from Heaven knows where. And they are ravaging the country right and left. It is after Monck especially, and not after the other two, that we are sent out,” said Major O’Neale.