they lay well hidden, a
formidable force for any assailant.

The silence now became complete, save for the stamping of the impatient
horses and the drone of insects in the woods and grass. Dick, lying
on his stomach and using his glasses, could see nothing in the forest
before them. It was to him in all its aspects an Indian battle, and he
believed in spite of what Warner had said that the enemy had retired
permanently.

Colonel Winchester and all the officers rose to their feet presently and
walked among the trees. No bullets came to tell them that they were
rash and then the senior officers held a conference, while all the men
remounted, save a dozen or so who would ride no more. But the colonel
did not abate one whit of his craft or caution.

They resumed the march toward Grant, but they avoided every field or
open space. They would make curves and lose time in order to keep in the
dense wood, but, as Dick knew, Colonel Winchester still suspected that
Forrest was hovering somewhere on his flank, covered by the great forest
and awaiting a favorable opportunity to attack.

They approached one of the deep and narrow streams that ultimately
find their way to the Mississippi. It had only one ford, and the scouts
galloping back informed them that the farther shore was held by a
powerful force of cavalry.

"It's Forrest," said Colonel Winchester with quiet conviction. "Knowing
every path of the woods, they've gone ahead of us, and they mean to cut
us off from Grant. Nevertheless we'll make a way."

He spoke firmly, but the junior officers of the staff did not exactly
see how they were going to force a ford defended by a larger number of
cavalry under the redoubtable Forrest.

"I didn't think Forrest would let us alone, and he hasn't," said
Pennington.

"No, he hasn't," said Warner, "and it seems that he's checkmated us,
too. Why, that river is swollen by the rains so much that it's a hard
job to cross it if no enemy were on the other side. But you'll note,
also, that the enemy, having got to the other side, can't come back
again in our face to attack us."

"But we want to go on and they don't," said Dick. "They're satisfied
with the enforced status quo, and we're not. Am I right, Professor?"

"You certainly are," replied Warner. "Now, our colonel is puzzled, as
you can tell by his looks, and so would I be, despite my great natural
military talents."

The Winchester regiment fell back into the woods, leaving t