Now, there was nothing to do but go ahead and take his fate, whatever it might be.
Yet his tale of wishing to sell a horse served him well.

After a few questions, it passed him by a half dozen interruptions, and he became so bold that he stopped and bought food for his noon-day meal at a little wayside tavern kept by a woman.

Three or four countrymen were lounging about and all of them were gossips.

But Harry found it worth while to listen to their gossip.

It was their business to carry vegetables and other provisions into Washington for sale and they picked up much news.
They said that the Northern government was pushing all its troops to the front.