e
sky.

CHAPTER XVI

BULL RUN

Harry rose to his feet and shook St. Clair and Langdon.

"Up, boys!" he said. "The enemy will soon be here. I can see their
bayonets glittering on the hills."

The Invincibles sprang to their feet almost as one man, and soon all the
troops of Evans were up and humming like bees. Food and coffee were
served to them hastily, but, before the last cup was thrown down,
a heavy crash came from one of the hills beyond Bull Run, and a shell,
screaming over their heads, burst beyond them. It was quickly followed
by another, and then the round shot and shells came in dozens from
batteries which had been posted well in the night.

The Southern batteries replied with all their might and the riflemen
supported them, sending the bullets in sheets across Bull Run. The
battle flamed in fifteen minutes into extraordinary violence. Harry had
never before heard such a continuous and terrific thunder. It seemed
that the drums of his ears would be smashed in, but over his head he
heard the continuous hissing and whirring of steel and lead. The
Northern riflemen were at work, too, and it was fortunate for the
Invincibles that they were able to lie down, as they poured their fire
into the bushes and woods on the opposite bank.

The volume of smoke was so great that they could no longer see the
position of the enemy, but Harry believed that so much metal must do
great damage. Although he was a lieutenant he had snatched up a rifle
dropped by some fallen soldier, and he loaded and fired it so often that
the barrel grew hot to his hand. Lying so near the river, most of the
hostile fire went over the heads of the Invincibles, but now and then a
shell or a cluster of bullets struck among them, and Harry heard groans.
But he quickly forgot these sounds as he watched the clouds of smoke and
the blaze of fire on the other side of Bull Run.

"They are not trying to force the passage of the bridge! Everything is
for the best!" shouted Langdon.

"No, they dare not," shouted St. Clair in reply. "No column could live
on that bridge in face of our fire."

It seemed strange to Harry that the Northern troops made no attempt to
cross. Why did all this tremendous fire go on so long, and yet not a
foe set foot upon the bridge? It seemed to him that it had endured for
hours. The sun was rising higher and higher and the day was growing
hotter and hotter. It lay with the North to make the first mo