"Then he said that after all they were not to blame, as they had been
sent by General Early, and he made one of them who had the stub of a
pencil write on the back of the dispatch these words: 'General Jubal
Early, C. S. A.: This has ceased to be a joke. After your first man was
stopped, it was not necessary to do anything more. I have the dispatch.
Why insist on sending duplicate after duplicate?' And the two had to
walk all the way back to General Early with that note, because they
didn't dare make away with the dispatch.
"I have a certain respect for that man's skill and daring, but General
Early had a series of spells. He retired to his tent and if the reports
are not exaggerated, a continuous muttering like low thunder came from
the tent, and all the cloth of it turned blue from the lightnings
imprisoned inside."
General Lee himself smiled.
"It was certainly annoying," he said. "I hope the dispatch was not of
importance."
"It contained nothing that will help the Yankees, but it shows that the
enemy has some spies--or at least one spy--who are Napoleons at their
trade."
CHAPTER XIII
THE COMING OF GRANT
The little dinner ended. Despite his disapproval of General Early's
swearing, General Lee laughed heartily at further details of the strange
Yankee spy's exploits.
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