Wrapped in a coil of dangers he was ready to risk anything. Quickness,
resource and boldness, of which the last had been most valuable, had
brought him so far, and, encouraged by success, he rode forward full of
confidence.
On his right was a small house standing among the usual shade trees, and,
approaching it without hesitation, he spoke to a man who stood in the
yard.
"Which way is General Pleasanton?" he asked.
The man hesitated.
"I belong to the Fifth Pennsylvania," said Harry, pointing to the name on
the canteen, still visible in the twilight. The man's eyes brightened
and he replied:
"Down there," pointing toward the southwest.
"I've a message for him and I don't want to run into any of the rebel
raiders."
"Then you keep away from there," he said, pointing due west.
"What's the trouble in that direction?"
"Jim Hurley was here about an hour ago. The whole country is terribly
excited about these big armies marching over it, and he said that our
cavalry was riding on fast. A lot of it was ahead of the rebel army,
but straight there in the west some of the rebel horsemen had spread out
on their own flank. If you went that way in the night you'd be sure to
run right into a nest of 'em.
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