merely made an exchange. Instead of being besiegers we
have turned ourselves into the besieged."

"And while I'm expecting everything to turn out for the best," said
Langdon, "I don't know that we've made anything at all by the exchange.
We're in the fort, but the mechanics and mill hands are on the slope in
a good position to pepper us."

"Or to wait for reinforcements," said Harry.

"I hadn't thought of that," said St. Clair. "They may send up into the
mountains and bring four or five times our numbers. Patterson's army
must be somewhere near."

"But we'll hope that they won't," said Langdon.

The Northern troops ceased their fire presently, but the officers,
examining the woods with their glasses, said they were still there.
Then came the grim task of burying the dead, which was done inside the
earthworks. Nearly two score of the Invincibles had fallen to rise no
more, and about a hundred were wounded. It was no small loss even for
a veteran force, and Colonel Talbot and Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire
looked grave. Many of the recruits had turned white, and they had
strange, sinking sensations.

There was little laughter or display of triumph inside the earthworks,
nor was there any increase of cheer when the recruits saw the senior
officers draw aside and engage in anxious talk.

"I'm thinking that idea of yours, Harry, about Yankee reinforcements,
must have occurred to Colonel Talbot also," said Langdon. "It seems
that we have nothing else to fear. The Yankees that we drove out are
not strong enough to come back and drive us out. So they must be
looking for a heavy force from Patterson's army."

The conference of the officers was quickly over, and then the men
were put to work building higher the walls of earth and deepening the
ditches. Many picks and spades had been captured in the fort, and
others used bayonets. All, besides the guard, toiled hard two or three
hours without interruption.

It was now noon, and food was served. An abundance of water in barrels
had been found in the fort and the men drank it eagerly as the sun was
warm and the work with spade and shovel made them very thirsty. The
three boys, despite their rank, had been taking turns with the men and
they leaned wearily against the earthwork.

The clatter of tools had ceased. The men ate and drank in silence.
No sound came from the Northern troops in the wood. A heavy, ominous
silence brooded over the little valley which