It would be madness for me to emerge from concealment yet, for even if I remained unnoticed by those marching troops, still there would surely be some stragglers about the premises seeking water.

I sat down, staring out, endeavoring to decide about how large this Confederate force was--surely it composed all of Beauregard's corps, and, once united with Johnston, would render the Federal position extremely dangerous, perhaps untenable.

Yet even now my warning of the sudden movement would be of comparatively small value, as the gap was too nearly closed for any swift advance to separate the two armies.

All I could hope to accomplish was to prevent a surprise attack on our own exposed lines.

And this could never be attempted before the next morning, even if Johnston swung his columns to the left in anticipation of Beauregard's approach.