Captain Russell picked out a fine hill to locate upon, if this really intended to be another deluge. Captain Clark observed he was fond of _heavy wet_. Jules Montagnier said it was _due_ time to _dry up_. _Still it rained._ The regiments were ordered to fall back. Well, the mud was so infernal slippery it was very easily done; some fell forward in the vain endeavor to fall back. After killing seven or eight poor, pauper-looking, "Secesh varmints," the boys set fire to Marshall's store, the enterprising proprietor being away from his business--a very notorious Secessionist, having donated $25,000 to the C. S. A. The building made a _beautiful_ fire, and our boys brought away a fine lot of saws, augers, and various other articles of _dry goods_. The loss of the augers, Colonel Anderson says, will be a great _bore_ to Marshall. _Please don't forget how infernal hard it was raining all this time._ Well, they reached the first ford on their return trip; a sad misnomer now, for it was an unfordable ford. The water of old Elkwater was rearing and plunging, and furiously wild. Every mountain (and there are myriads) was sending out its wet _aid_ to swell the raging torrent; the regiment, at this time, only three miles from the Secessionists. A bold front had to be put on, as it was a sure thing, if the rebels found out the weakness of our force, we were goners. There was no doubt, however, but that they were terribly frightened, as they had heard we were twenty thousand strong. Anxiously the boys waited the falling of the mighty waters. _It had now rained twenty-six hours._ Large trees came whistling by with lightning speed; the river seemed wild with delight, and the waves clapped their hands, leaping higher and higher; but, _as you know_, (no reflection meant,) Mr. Editor, a drunken man will get sober if not supplied with more liquor, so the river will _subside_ if not furnished with the "aqueous fluid."