a few yards about them.

Toward morning Dick, the colonel and the sergeant stood together, trying
to pierce the veil of vapor in front of them. The colonel did not
hesitate to speak his thought to the two.

"I wish that General Sheridan was here," he said.

"But he's at Winchester," said Dick. "He'll join us at noon."

"I wish he was here now, and I wish, too, that this fog would lift,
and the day would come. Hark, what was that?"

"It was a rifle shot, sir," said the sergeant.

"And there are more," exclaimed Dick. "Listen!"

There was a sudden crackle of firing, and in front of them pink dots
appeared through the fog.

"Here comes the Southern army!" said Sergeant Whitley.

Out of the fog rose a tremendous swelling cry from thousands of throats,
fierce, long-drawn, and full of menace. It was the rebel yell, and from
another point above the rising thunder of cannon and rifles came the same
yell in reply, like a signal. The surprise was complete. Gordon had
hurled himself upon the Union flank and at the same moment Early,
according to his plan, drove with all his might at the center.

Dick was horrified, and, for a moment or two, the blood was ice in his
veins.

"Back!" cried Colonel Winchester to him and the sergeant, and then after
shouting, "Up men! Up!" he blew long and loud upon his whistle. All of
his men were on their feet in an instant, and they were first to return
the Southern fire, but it had little effect upon the torrent that was
now pouring down upon them. Other troops, so rudely aroused from sleep,
rushed from their tents, still dazed, and firing wildly in the fog.

Again that terrible yell arose, more distinct than ever with menace and
triumph, and so great was the rush of the men in gray that they swept
everything before them, their rifles and cannon raking the Union camp
with a withering fire. The Winchesters, despite their quickness to form
in proper order, were driven back with the others, and the whole corps,
assailed with frightful force on the flank also, was compelled
continually to give ground, and to leave long rows of dead and wounded.

"Keep close to me!" shouted Colonel Winchester to his young officers,
and then he added to the sergeant, who stood beside him: "Whitley,
you were right!"

"I'm sorry to say I was, sir," replied the sergeant. "It was a great
ambush, and it's succeeding so far."

"But we must hold them! We must find some way to hold them!" cried the