THE GUNS OF BULL RUN

CHAPTER I

NEWS FROM CHARLESTON


It would soon be Christmas and Harry Kenton, at his desk in the
Pendleton Academy, saw the snow falling heavily outside. The school
stood on the skirt of the town, and the forest came down to the edge of
the playing field. The great trees, oak and ash and elm, were clothed
in white, and they stood out a vast and glittering tracery against the
somber sky.

The desk was of the old kind, intended for two, and Harry's comrade in
it was his cousin, Dick Mason, of his own years and size. They would
graduate in June, and both were large and powerful for their age.
There was a strong family resemblance and yet a difference. Harry's
face was the more sensitive and at times the blood leaped like
quicksilver in his veins. Dick's features indicated a quieter and more
stubborn temper. They were equal favorites with teachers and pupils.

Dick's eyes followed Harry's, and he, too, looked at the falling snow
and the white forest. Both were thinking of Christmas and the holiday
season so near at hand. It was a rich section of Kentucky, and they
were the sons of prosperous parents. The snow was fitting at such a
time, and many joyous hours would be passed before they returned to
school.

The clouds darkened and the snow fell faster. A wind rose and drove it