“But where do you live? What town is your house in?” asked Tom, who had never heard of Thoroughfare Gap before.
“Haymarket is the nearest town to my house.”
“What railroad is that over there?” asked Tom, who was no nearer the solution of the question than he had been in the beginning.
“That’s the Manassas Gap Railroad, I reckon,” replied Joe, who seemed to be astonished at the ignorance of his companion.
“Just so,” added Tom, who now, for the first time, comprehended where he was.
When he left Sudley church, he walked at random till he came to the railroad; but he had struck the Manassas Gap Railroad instead of the main line, and it had led him away from the great body of the rebels, though it also conducted him away from Washington, where he desired to go. He was perplexed at the discovery, and at once began to debate the question whether it was advisable for him to proceed any farther in this direction.
“I suppose you are a Union man—ain’t you?” said Tom, after he had considered his situation for some time.
Instead of answering this question, Joe Burnap raised his eyes from the ground, and fixed his gaze intently upon Tom. He stared at him for a moment in doubt and silence, and then resumed his former attitude.
“You don’t want to fight for the south,” added Tom; “so I suppose you don’t believe in the Southern Confederacy.”
“I don’t want to fight for nuther of ’em,” replied Joe, after a moment of further consideration. “If they’ll only let me alone, I don’t keer which beats.”