.

THE DUEL IN THE PASS.
Dick carried the news to Pennington who danced with delight.
"We've got 'em! we've got 'em!" he cried over and over again.
"So we have," said Dick, "we'll be marching in a half hour and then the trap will shut down so tight on Robert Lee that he'll never raise the lid again." It was nearly noon, and they expected every moment the order to start, but it did not come.

Dick began to be tormented by an astonished impatience, and he saw that Colonel Winchester suffered in the same way.
The army showed no signs of moving.

Was it possible that McClellan would not advance at once on Lee, whom the scouts had now located definitely?
The hot afternoon hours grew long as they passed one by one, and many a brave man ate his heart out with anger at the delay.

Dick saw Sergeant Whitley walking up and down, and he was eager to hear his opinion.
"What is it, sergeant ?" he asked.