But the man at whom he looked most was the sergeant, and the sergeant
looked most at him. One was a sergeant and the other was a spy, but
each recognized in the other a king among men. Eyes swept over powerful
chests and shoulders and open, bold countenances, and signified approval.
They had met before, but they were more than well met here in the
loneliness and the dark, amid dangers, where skill and courage, and not
rank, counted. Then they nodded without speaking, as an Indian chief
would to an Indian chief, his equal.

"You were coming to meet us, Mr. Shepard?" said Dick.

"I expected to find you on this path."

"And you have something to tell?"

"A small Confederate force is in the mountains, awaiting Colonel
Hertford. It is inferior to his in numbers, but it knows the country
thoroughly and has the sympathy of all the inhabitants, who bring to it
news of everything."

"Do you know these Confederate troops?"

"Yes, sir. Their corps is a regiment called in General Lee's army the
Invincibles, but it includes two other skeleton regiments. Colonel
Talbot who leads the Invincibles is the commander of them all. He has,
I should say, slightly less than a thousand men."

"You know a good deal about this regiment called the Invincibles, do you
not, Mr. Shepard?"