Page:Into Mexico with General Scott (1920).djvu/223

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that other place, Mexicalcingo. Their right rists on the lavy that only infantry can travel; their lift ixtends clean into the bogs, where no man nor horse can make way around. An' in front we got to charge in along this same open road, an' belike have to put up scalin' ladders to get in wid for use o' the bayonet."

"You talk like an officer, Finerty."

"Yis, an' I'm givin' yez officers' talk. If I had me desarts a gin'ral I'd ha' been before this. An' somethin' else I'll tell you. Yonder at the other side those lavy ridges, an' only thray miles, is another set o' batteries, an' we can't pass betwixt. There's another road, too, west'ard, an' a cross road connectin' this and that, by way o' Cherrybusco beyant San Antonio. So if we do take San Antonio, an' Cherrybusco, won't we have thim fellows on our backs? Now I'm figgerin' that the gin'ral staff is thinkin' a bit on how to carry the batteries yonder, first."

The night passed peacefully. Duncan's battery had been posted to command the road, the sentinels regularly sang: "All's well," and the camp slept. In the huge stone barn the Fourth Regiment was as comfortable as could be.

August 19, the next day, dawned bright and warm. Word came that all the divisions were now up as far as San Augustine. By the number of aides and orderlies dashing back and forth between the First Division headquarters and San Augustine, something was due to happen.

The orders of the day kept everybody close. Jerry had no opportunity to look up Hannibal, and Hannibal was unable to look him up, either. The