The bright December day wore on, sunny and cold in the woods, sunny and cold above the river. The water, clear now of mist, sparkled, a stream of diamonds, from shore to shore, except where rose Dam No. 5. Here the diamonds fell in cataracts. A space of crib-work, then falling gems, another bit of dry logs in the sun, then again brilliancy and thunder of water over the dam; this in sequence to the Maryland side. That side reached, there came a mere ribbon of brown earth, and beyond this ran the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. To-day boats from Cumberland were going down the canal with coal and forage, and boats from Harper's Ferry were coming up with a reinforcing regiment of soldiers for Lander at Hancock. It was bright and lively weather, and the negroes talked to the mules on the towpath, and the conductors of coal and forage hailed the soldiers, and the soldiers shouted back. The banks rang to laughter and voices. "Where're you fellows going?"--"Going to Hancock,--no, don't know where it is!"--"Purty day! Seen any rebels crost the river?"--"At Williamsport they told us there was a rebel spy got away this morning--galloped down a cliff like Israel Putnam and took to the river, and if he was drowned or not they don't know--" "No, he wasn't drowned; he got away, but he was shot. Anyhow, they say he hadn't been there long enough to find out anything."--"Wish _I_ could find out something--wish I could find out when we're going to fight!"--"Low braidge!"--"That's a pretty big dam. What's the troops over there in the field? Indiana? That's a right nice picnic-ground-- 'Kiss me good-bye, my dear,' he said; 'When I come back, we will be wed.' Crying, she kissed him, 'Good-bye, Ned!' And the soldier followed the drum, The drum, The echoing, echoing drum!"