"You're right.
They'll pay you more for him in the capital than I could. Ride on.
They may pass you over Long Bridge or they may not. That part of it
is not my business."
Harry went forward at a trot, glad enough to leave such dangerous
company behind. But he saw that he was now in the very thick of mighty
risks. He would encounter a menace at every turn. Had he realized
fully the character of his undertaking when he was in the charcoal
burner's hut he would have hesitated long. Now, there was nothing to
do but go ahead and take his fate, whatever it might be.
Yet his tale of wishing to sell a horse served him well. After a few
questions, it passed him by a half dozen interruptions, and he became so
bold that he stopped and bought food for his noon-day meal at a little
wayside tavern kept by a woman. Three or four countrymen were lounging
about and all of them were gossips. But Harry found it worth while to
listen to their gossip. It was their business to carry vegetables and
other provisions into Washington for sale and they picked up much news.
They said that the Northern government was pushing all its troops to the
front. All the politicians and writers in Washington were clamoring for
a battle.
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