Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 50: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TRAFTON ELUDES HIS NEMESIS. 43 Excitement reigned everywhere. The local papers were full of incidents of a martial character, and accounts of skirmishes, invariably favorable to the Confederate arms. Virginia in the East, and Missouri in the West, were the chief grounds of military operations at this early stage of the conflict. . It was evident that General Beauregard, the chief in command of the Confederate forces in the first- named State, was leaving no stone unturned in his endeavors to whet the enthusiasm of the Confederate population. His proclamations were scattered broadcast. A printed copy of one was put into Chetwood’s hand as the train was nearing Richmond. That the Confederate commander was getting a ready response to his burning words for enlistment was very apparent. Men were flocking about his standard from all parts . of the South, and already he had gathered quite a considerable force, which he was busily organizing, drilling, and supplying with arms. | It was evening when the train rolled into the depot of the Confederate capital. Royal and Moses went at once to one of the leading hotels and engaged a room. After supper they strolled about the city and made cautious inquiries as to the mode of conveyance to some point whence they could transfer themseves be- yond the pale of the new government. This proved to be not too difficult of adjustment, and their plans were outlined accordingly, with a view of getting around every contingency likely to arise. . They then returned to their hotel. As they were passing along the corridor on the sec- ond floor, a door opened, and a man in military attire ~comicbooks (G0)