er again, and begin a musketry
fire that mows them down. They start to run, and our men charge after
them, cheering as they run. Our men have taken their cannon away from
them. The Rebels are running for life to get inside their works. The
hillside is dotted with those who have fallen, and there are rows of
them lying near the water. Now everything is quieting down again."

"Glory ter God! for He has at last given the enemy inter our hands. Come
and kiss me, honey, an' say good-by."

From the throats of twenty-five thousand excited spectators of the
destruction of Breckenridge's division rose cheers of triumph that
echoed to the clouds.

"What sweet music that is!" said Aunt Debby, half unclosing her eyes.
"God bless ye, honey. Good-by."

The gentle eyes closed forever.

Late in the evening Dr. Denslow's stretcher corps brough in Harry Glen,
who had fallen in the last charge with a flesh wound in the leg. Until
he woke the next morning to find her sitting by his bedside, Harry
thought he had been dreaming all the time that Rachel Bond had come to
him, dressed in quaint country garb, and loosed with gentle, painless
fingers the stiff, blood-encrusted bandage about his head, and replaced
it with something that soothed and eased his fevered temples.

"I have very good news for you," she said, later in the day. "Kent
Edwards says that you are promoted to Captain, by special orders, for
'Conspicuous gallantry on the battle-field of Stone River.'"

"And when are we to be married?" he asked.

"Just as soon as you are able to travel back to Sardis."

They looked up and saw Dr. Denslow standing beside them. A stunned
look on his face indicated that he had heard and understood all. This
speedily gave away to his accustomed expression of serene philosophy.

"Forget me, except as a friend," he said. "It is better as it is
for you, Harry, and certainly better for her. Possibly it is better
for"--with a little gasp--"me. The sweets of love are not for me. They
are irrational, and irrational things are carefully eliminated from my
scheme of life."

Towards evening Fortner came in with the news "Thet ole Bragg picked up
his traps and skipped out fur Tullahoma, ter nuss his hurts, leavin' his
wounded and lots o' stores in our hands."

So was gained the great victory of Stone River.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Acorn, by John McElroy

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ACORN ***