The east was
full of gold, but the silver lingered on the opposite horizon, and the
hot sun of Mississippi did not yet shed its rays over the earth. Instead,
a cool breeze blew on Dick's face, and the quick blood was still leaping
in his veins. The road dipped down and he came to a brook, which was
clear despite its proximity to the mighty yellow trench of the
Mississippi.
He let his horse drink freely, and, while he drank, he surveyed the
country as well as he could. On his left he saw through a fringe of
woods a field of young corn and showing dimly beyond it a small house.
Unbroken forest stretched away on his right, but in field as well as
forest there was no sign of a human being.
He studied his map again, noting the great number of water courses,
which in the spring season were likely to be at the flood, and, for
the first time, he realized the extreme difficulty of his mission.
Mississippi was in the very heart of the Confederacy. He could not
expect any sympathetic farmers to help him or show him the way. More
likely as he advanced toward Jackson he would find the country swarming
with the friends of the Confederacy, and to pass through them would
demand the last resource of skill and courage.
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