which the mouths of cannon protruded. Soldiers in blue, sentinels
and seekers of wood for the fires, were hurrying into the earthworks,
on the crests of which stood men, dressed in the uniforms of officers.

"Forward, my lads!" shouted Colonel Leonidas Talbot, who was near the
front rank, brandishing his sword until the light glittered along its
sharp blade. "Into the fort! Into the fort!"

The sun, rising higher, flooded the slopes, the valley, and the fort
with brilliant beams. Everything seemed to Harry's excited mind to
stand out gigantic and magnified. Black specks began to dance in
myriads before his eyes. He heard beside him the sharp, panting breath
of his comrades, and the beat of many feet as they rushed on.

He saw the Northern officers on the earthwork disappear, dropping down
behind, and the young Southern soldiers raised a great shout of triumph
which, as it sank on its dying note, was merged into a tremendous crash.
The whole fort seemed to Harry to blaze with red fire, as the heavy guns
were fired straight into the faces of the Invincibles. The roar of
the cannon was so near that Harry, for an instant, was deafened by the
crash. Then he heard groans and cries and saw men falling around him.

In another moment came the swish of rifle bullets, and the ranks of
the Invincibles were cut and torn with lead. The young recruits were
receiving their baptism of fire and it was accompanied by many wounds
and death.

The earthworks in front were hidden for a little while by drifting smoke,
but the Invincibles, mad with pain and rage, rushed through it. They
were anxious to get at those who were stinging them so terribly, and
fortunately for them the defenders did not have time to pour in another
volley. Harry saw Colonel Talbot still in front, waving his sword,
and near him Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire, also with an uplifted sword,
which he pointed straight toward the earthwork.

"On, lads, on!" shouted the colonel. "It is nothing! Another moment
and the fort is ours!"

Harry heard the hissing of heavy missiles above him. The light guns of
the Invincibles had unlimbered on the slope, and fired once over their
heads into the fort. But they did not dare to fire again, as the next
instant the recruits, dripping red, but still wild with rage, were at
the earthworks, and driven on with rage climbed them and fired at the
huddled mass they saw below.

Harry stumbled as he went down into the fort,