Dick shrewdly reckoned that Early would need all his men in the valley, and, after the first day at sharpshooting, they would withdraw to meet greater demands.
Nevertheless he took a rather wide circuit and came into a lonely portion of the hills, where the forest was unbroken, save for the narrow path on which they rode.

The sergeant dismounted once and examined the ground.
"Nothing has passed here," he said, "and the woods and thickets are so dense that men can't ride through 'em." The path admitted of only two abreast, and the forest was so heavy that it shut out most of the moonlight.

But they rode on confidently, Dick and the sergeant leading.

If it had not been for the size of the trees, Dick would have thought that he was back in the Wilderness.

They heard now and then the wings of night birds among the leaves, and occasionally some small animal would scuttle across the path.