CHAPTER XX.
DOWN THE SHENANDOAH.
In that wild mountain region, Tom had no difficulty in finding a secluded spot, where there was no probability that he would be molested.

He had been in a state of constant excitement during the night, for the country was full of soldiers.

The mountaineers of Virginia were rushing to the standard of rebellion.

They were a wild, rude set of men, and they made the night hideous with their debauchery.

Tom succeeded in keeping out of the way of the straggling parties which were roaming here and there; but he was filled with dread and anxiety lest he should, at the next moment, stumble upon a camp, or a squad of these marauders.
The nook in the mountains which he had chosen as his resting place was a cleft in the rocks, concealed by the overhanging branches of trees.