It's no fun marching at night in a driving storm of snow or hail." "But what we can't help we must stand," said Warner with resignation.
Both predictions, the one about the snow and the other concerning the duty that would be assigned to them, quickly came to pass.

Before sunset the blue line of the Alleghanies was lost wholly in mist and vapor.
Then great flakes began to fall on the camp, and the young officers were glad to find refuge in their tents.
It was not a heavy snow fall where they were, but it blew down at intervals all through the night, and the next morning it lay upon the ground to the depth of an inch or so.

Then the second part of the prophecy was justified.

Colonel Winchester himself aroused all his staff and heads of companies.
"A fine crisp winter morning for us to take a ride," he said cheerfully.
"General Sheridan has become vexed beyond endurance over the doings of Slade and Skelly, and he has chosen his best band of guerrilla-hunters to seek 'em out in their lairs and annihilate 'em." "I knew it," groaned Pennington in an undertone to Dick.

"I was as certain of it as if I had read the order already." But aloud he said as he saluted: "We're glad we're chosen for the honor, sir.