a cheer, and a volley from the companies at the front. The
smoke was now becoming thick, and in the midst of this the enemy swarmed
up the hillside.

"First battalion--charge!" came the order, and away went the four
companies, with Deck in the lead, to break down a column which was
advancing on the left, the most vulnerable point on the rise of ground.
There was a crash of musketry and a cracking of pistols, and then the
clash of sabres, striking fire, as the two forces closed in.

The young major found himself in a trying position. The enemy counted
three times more men than were in his own ranks, consisting of a
battalion and a half of cavalry and an equal number of infantry. On the
moment, he planned to charge the cavalry first and draw them away from
the foot-soldiers. The plan succeeded, and then the contest became a
little more equal.

Colonel Lyon watched the scene with bated breath, for Deck was far too
daring, to his mind; but the moment the enemy's cavalry and infantry
separated, he smiled to himself. Calling Major Belthorpe, he ordered him
forward to engage the separated infantry, and in a minute more two
battles were on instead of one on the hillside.

In the meantime Minty was falling back, slowly, but surely, doing all
the damage possible as he retreated. It had not been presumed by General
Rosecrans that Minty could overcome the forces under Johnson, but the
Union commander wished to subject Bragg to delays in concentrating his
troops, knowing that such delays usually worked to the Confederate's
ultimate defeat.

Fearing that Minty could not hold the force against him back long
enough, the general in command sent Wilder after him, to operate as the
Riverlawns were operating. They came up in the midst of the contest, and
aided materially in the retreat; but of their coming Colonel Lyon knew
nothing.

Five minutes had gone by, and the Riverlawns were being pressed back.
One company had been disorganized,--the fifth, Captain Gadbury being
wounded, and the first lieutenant, Grand, being shot dead. Under these
conditions, Second Lieutenant Sandy Lyon assumed command. The fifth
company was the first of the second battalion, and Sandy now found
himself charging the Confederate infantry just mentioned. He went in
with vigor, and no one acted with greater heroism that day than did this
young Kentuckian who had once marched under the stars and bars, but who
had recognized the error of his ways, and was now