Black winter and red war, neither of which spared, were allied against man.
But his pulses began to leap when they saw coils of black smoke blown a little to one side by the wind.

He knew that the smoke came from gunboats.

They must be endeavoring to land troops, and Stuart was no man to allow a detached force to pass the Rappahannock and appear in their rear.
As the cavalry burst into a gallop from the snowy forest Harry saw that he was right.

A fleet of gunboats was gathered in the stream and on the far shore they were embarking troops.

But his quick eye caught a horseman on their own side of the river who was galloping away.