With this, and many smiles and bows, they parted.
All the afternoon she rode through camps of men in gray and butternut, as she had ridden through those of men in blue in the morning.

In these, as in the others, she heard gay songs, dance music and laughter, and saw thousands of merry boys rollicking in the sunshine at games of ball and other sports, with the joyous earnestness of a school-house playground.
She tried, but in vain, to realize that in a few days these thoughtless youths would be the demons of the battle-field.
Just before dusk she came to the top of a low limestone ridge, and saw, three miles away, the lights of Murfreesboro.

At that moment Fortner appeared, jogging leisurely toward her, mounted on a splendid horse.
"O there's my Cousin Jim!" she exclaimed gleefully, "coming to meet me.
Sergeant, I am deeply obliged to you and to your Lieutenant, for your company, and I will try to show my appreciation of it in the future in some way more substantial than words.

You need not go any farther with me.

I know that you and your horse are very tired.