t burns on the water there."

"Yes, hot it will be," Harry said to himself. They had eaten their
breakfast and lay once more among the trees. Harry searched with his
eyes the bushes and thickets on the other side for their riflemen,
but most of them were still invisible in the day. Then the Southern
brigades were ordered to lie down, but after they lay there some time
Harry felt that the film of dust on the edge of the wind was growing
stronger, and presently they saw a great cloud of it rising above hills
and trees and moving toward them.

"They're coming," said St. Clair. "In less than a half hour they'll be
at the ford."

"But I doubt if they know what is waiting for them," said Harry.

The cloud of dust rapidly came nearer, and now they heard the beat of
horses' feet and the clank of artillery. Harry began to breathe hard,
and he and the other young officers walked up and down the lines of
their company. All the Invincibles clearly saw that great plume of dust,
and heard the ominous sounds that came with it. It was very near now,
but suddenly the fringe of forest on the far side of the river burst
into flame. The hidden riflemen had opened fire and were burning the
front of the advancing army.

But the Northern men came steadily on, rousing the riflemen out of the
bushes, and then they appeared among the trees on the north side of Bull
Run--a New York brigade led by Tyler. The moment their faces showed
there was a tremendous discharge from the Southern batteries masked in
the wood. The crash was appalling, and Harry shut his eyes for a moment,
in horror, as he saw the entire front rank of the Northern force go
down. Then the Southern sharpshooters in hundreds, who lined the
water's edge, opened with the rifle, and a storm of lead crashed into
the ranks of the hapless New Yorkers.

"Up, Invincibles!" cried Colonel Talbot, and they began to fire, and
load, and fire again into the attacking force which had walked into what
was almost an ambush.

"They'll never reach the ford!" shouted Happy Tom.

"Never!" Harry shouted back.

The Southern generals, already trained in battles, pushed their
advantages. A great force of Southern sharpshooters crossed the river
and took the Northern brigade in flank. The New Yorkers, unable to
stand the tremendous artillery and rifle fire in their front, and the
new rifle fire on their side also, broke and retreated. But another
brigade came up to their relief and