h the blue
steel of bayonets, and behind them other lines and yet other lines.

It seemed to Harry that the points of the bayonets were almost in his
face, and then, at the shouted command, the whole earthwork burst into a
blaze. The cannon and hundreds of rifles sent their deadly volleys into
the blue masses at short range. The fort had turned into a volcano,
pouring forth a rain of fire and deadly missiles. The front line of
the Northern force was shot away, but the next line took its place and
rushed at the fort with those behind pressing close after them. The
defenders loaded and fired as fast as they could and the high walls
of earth helped them. The loose dirt gave away as the Northern men
attempted to climb them, and dirt and men fell together back to the
bottom. The Northern gunners in the rear of the attack could not fire
for fear of hitting their own troops, but the Southern cannon at the
embrasures had a clear target. Shot and shell crashed into the Northern
ranks, and the deadly hail of bullets beat upon them without ceasing.
But still they came.

"The mechanics and mill hands are as good as anybody, it appears!"
shouted St. Clair in Harry's ear, and Harry nodded.

But the defenses of the fort were too strong. The charge, driven home
with reckless courage, beat in vain upon those high earthen walls,
behind which the defenders, standing upon narrow platforms, sent showers
of bullets into ranks so close that few could miss. The assailants
broke at last and once more the shrill notes of the brazen bugle pierced
the air. But instead of saying come, it said: "Fall back! Fall back!"
and the great clouds of smoke that had protected the Northern advance
now covered the Northern retreat.

The firing had been so rapid and so heavy that the whole field in front
of the fort was covered with smoke, through which they caught only the
gleam of bayonets and glimpses of battle flags. But they knew that the
Northern troops were retiring, carrying with them their wounded, but
leaving the dead behind. Harry, excited and eager, was about to leap
upon the crest of the earthwork, but Colonel Talbot sharply ordered him
down.

"You'd be killed inside of a minute!" he cried. "Carrington is out
there with the guns! As soon as their troops are far enough back he'll
open on us with the cannon, and he'll rake this fort like a hurricane
beating upon a forest. Only the earthworks will protect us from certain
destructi