nswer to a fair question?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Don't you Yanks feel powerful bad over the thrashing we've given you?"

"Not so bad. Besides I wouldn't call it a thrashing. It's just a
temporary advantage. And you wait. We'll take it away from you."

"I don't know about that, but I can't argue with you now. I'm due for my
second gallon."

"So am I."

Each bent down and drank again a long, life-giving draught from the
rushing stream. For a distance of a hundred yards or more heads black,
brown and sometimes yellow were bent over the brook. Far off, both
to east and west, the cannon thundered in the darkness, but with the
drinkers it was a peaceful interlude of a quarter of an hour. Such
moments often occurred in this war when the men on both sides were blood
brethren.

Colonel Winchester stood up, and the grizzled Confederate colonel stood
up on the other side of the stream, facing him. Their hands rose in a
simultaneous salute of respect.

"Sir," said Colonel Winchester, "I'm happy to have met you in this
manner."

"Sir," said the Southern colonel ornately, "we are happy to have drunk
from the same stream with such brave foes, and now, sir, I propose as
we retire that neither regiment shall fire a shot within the next five
minutes."

"Agreed," said Colonel Winchester, and then as the colonels gave the
signals the two regiments withdrew beyond their respective thickets.
The truce of the water was over, but these foes did not meet again that
night.

The regiment had left a great proportion of its numbers dead upon the
field. Half the others were wounded more or less, but the slightly
wounded marched on with the unhurt. Many of them were now barely
conscious. They were either asleep upon their feet or in a daze.
Nevertheless they soon rejoined the main command.

Dick, having his pride as an officer, sought to keep himself active and
alert. He passed among the lads of his own age, and encouraged them. He
told them how the older men were already speaking of the wonders they
had done, and presently he saw Thomas himself riding along with the
young general, Garfield, who had been with him throughout the afternoon.
All the Winchester men saw their commander, and, worn as they were, they
stopped and gave a mighty cheer. Thomas was moved. Under the cloudy moon
Dick saw him show emotion for the first time. He took off his hat.

"Gentlemen, comrades," he said, "we have lost the battle of Chickamauga,
but if all our