The climb up the mountain was pleasant to such muscles and sinews as theirs, and they stopped at intervals to look over the valley, now a great desolation, until nature should come again with her healing touch. Harry smothered a sigh as he recalled their early and wonderful victories there, and the tremendous marches with the invincible Stonewall. Old Jack, as he sat somewhere with Washington and Cromwell and all the group of the mighty, must feel sad when he looked down upon this, his beloved valley, now trodden into a ruin by the heel of the invader. He resolutely put down the choking in his throat, and would not let St. Clair see his emotion. They reached the signal station, which at that hour was in charge of a young officer named Mortimer, but little older than themselves. They delivered to him their message and stood by, while he talked with flags to another station on the opposite mountain. Harry watched curiously although he could read none of the signals. "This is our only newspaper and I can't read it," he said when Mortimer had finished. "What's the news?" "There's a lot of it, and it's heavy with importance," replied Mortimer. "Tell us a bit of it, can't you?" "Sheridan has left his army and gone north. That's one bit." "What?" "It's so. We know absolutely, and we've signaled it to General Early. But we don't know why he has gone." "That is important." "It surely is, and he's taken his cavalry with him. Our men have seen the troops riding northward. Since Sheridan went away, the Union commander, whoever he is, has been strengthening his right, fearing an attack there, since he learned of our reappearance in the valley." "Therefore General Early will attack on the left?" "Correct. You can see now the value of signal stations like ours. We can look down upon the enemy and see his movements. Then we know what to do." "And what have they on their left?" asked Harry. "Do you know that, too?" "Of course. General Crook with two divisions is there. He has Cedar Creek in front of him, and on his own left the north fork of the Shenandoah. He's considerably in front of the main Union force, and they haven't posted much of a picket line." "I suppose they're relying upon the natural strength of the ground." "That's it, I take it, but we may give them a surprise." Harry and Dalton used their glasses and far to the north they saw dim figures, not larger than toys. At first view they appeared to be stationary, but, as the eyes became used to the distance, Harry knew they were moving. Apparently they were infantry going toward the Union right, where danger was feared, and he felt a grim satisfaction in knowing that the real danger lay on their left. But could Early with his small numbers, with the habit now of defeat, make any impression upon the large Union armies flushed with victories?