and the various
noises that bodies of men will make when in motion, had reached the
ears of the alert rebels. A dazzling series of flashes ran along the
sky-line, and a flight of bullets sang wickedly over the heads of the
200th Ind., striking in the bushes and trees far behind them.

"Don't anybody yell! Don't anybody shoot!" called the Colonel in a loud
whisper, and it was repeated by the line oflficers. "It will reveal our
position. Lie down and keep perfectly quiet. They're overshooting us."

The rebel battery in the fort waked up, and, more to show its good will
than anything else, began shelling the surrounding landscape.

One of our batteries, a mile or so to the rear, which had not had an
opportunity to fire during the day, could not resist this challenge,
and began throwing shells at the fort with so fair an aim as to draw the
attention of the rebel battery to it.

The lurid flashes of the muskets, cannon, and shells revealed a belt of
jagged abatis several rods wide covering the entire front of the fort
and breastworks.

"Great Scott!" muttered Si to himself, for he was not on speaking terms
with Shorty, and would not alarm the boys; "there's a porcupine nest to
git through. How in the Nation are we ever goin' to do it?"

"Unroll your blankets and lie down on them," came down the line from the
Colonel. "Lay your guns beside you. Don't attempt to stack them. You may
attract the attention of the rebels. Everybody keep his place, and be
ready to form and move at once."

"Stop firing. What are you shooting at?" said a voice of authority in
the rebel works. "Who gave the order to fire?"

"The men began it themselves," said a second voice. "They heard Yankees
moving over there, and commenced shooting at them."

"How do you know there are any Yankees out there? I don't believe they
have advanced beyond the crest of the hill. I think they are all going
down toward Resaca. Haven't you any pickets out there?"

"No. We only moved in here this afternoon, and did not know how long we
were going to stay. I was ordered to stay here till further orders, to
protect the road beyond."

"Well, we haven't any ammunition to waste firing at uncertainties.
There's enough Yankees in sight all the time for all the bullets we
have, without wasting any on imaginary ones. It'll be time enough for
you to begin shooting when you see them coming to the edge of the abatis
there. Before they get through that you'll have time enough