f its guns in one of the soft places in the
field, and had abandoned it, as stated by General Crittenden.

With his great strength, assisted by a few others, Sergeant Knox had
striven to open a way for the escape of the platoon to their former
position; but they struggled in vain against the crazy and senseless
mob. A company or platoon of Confederate cavalry had forced its way
into the crowd nearly to the ground occupied by Deck's force, though
they had used their sabres to accomplish it. Life had pushed his horse
forward in the direction he wished to go; but the mob seized the
animal's bridle to save themselves, and, by stress of numbers, had
crowded him back.

One of the openings in the breastworks was near the spot; and the
rabble in front of the cavalrymen pushed forward, and entered the
intrenchments, thus making way for those behind them. But that was not
the direction Deck and his command wished to go, and they resisted the
mob as long as they could.

"I think we shall have to use our cheese-knives," suggested Life, as
they were crowded forward in the passage to the fort.

"No, Life! That would be a terrible slaughter of unarmed men, and I
will not do it," replied Deck. "I would rather be taken prisoner than
murder these helpless and terrified people."

"Threaten them with the pistols if they don't get out of the way," the
sergeant proposed. "They are jamming us into the fort."

"You might as well threaten them with the pistols if they don't fly
away up into the air, for they can't move," returned the lieutenant.
"This is not a battle; only a struggle for life on the part of the
retreating enemy."

Life said no more. The space between the platoon and the hill from
which the infantry had retreated, and which Deck had attempted to
flank, was full of men retreating from the grape of the artillery which
had now opened upon them, full of struggling forms intent upon reaching
the shelter of the breastworks. There was no passage there.

"Leftenant, the rest of the squadron is formed near the hill, and they
are draggin' in squads of prisoners," said Life Knox.

"Are they using their sabres?" asked Deck.

"No; they have sheathed them, and all they do is to shove 'em in like
city policemen."

"Neither the staff-officer nor my father would shoot or cut down
unarmed and unresisting men; but perhaps they expect to capture the
whole army at a later hour. I can't do what they will not do," added
the lieutenant. "