struggle. A corporal pitched the drunkard backwards over the bank, and
he rolled at Mr. Sherman's feet. With a curse, he picked himself up,
fumbling in his pocket. There was a flash, and as the smoke rolled from
before his eyes, Stephen saw a man of a German regiment stagger and
fall.

It was the signal for a rattle of shots. Stones and bricks filled the
air, and were heard striking steel and flesh in the ranks. The regiment
quivered,--then halted at the loud command of the officers, and the
ranks faced out with level guns, Stephen reached for Mr. Sherman's boy,
but a gentleman had already thrown him and was covering his body.
He contrived to throw down a woman standing beside him before the
mini-balls swished over their heads, and the leaves and branches began
to fall. Between the popping of the shots sounded the shrieks of wounded
women and children, the groans and curses of men, and the stampeding of
hundreds.

"Lie down, Brice! For God's sake lie down!" Mr. Sherman cried.

He was about to obey when a young; man, small and agile, ran past him
from behind, heedless of the panic. Stopping at the foot of the bank he
dropped on one knee, resting his revolver in the hollow of his left
arm. It, was Jack Brinsmade. At the same time two of the soldiers above
lowered their barrels to cover him. Then smoke hid the scene. When it
rolled away, Brinsmade lay on the ground. He staggered to his feet with
an oath, and confronted a young man who was hatless, and upon whose
forehead was burned a black powder mark.

"Curse you!" he cried, reaching out wildly, "curse you, you d--d Yankee.
I'll teach you to fight!"

Maddened, he made a rush at Stephen's throat. But Stephen seized his
hands and bent them down, and held them firmly while he kicked and
struggled.

"Curse you!" he panted; "curse you, you let me go and I'll kill
you,--you Yankee upstart!"

But Stephen held on. Brinsmade became more and more frantic. One of the
officers, seeing the struggle, started down the bank, was reviled, and
hesitated. At that moment Major Sherman came between them.

"Let him go, Brice," he said, in a tone of command. Stephen did as he
was bid. Whereupon Brinsmade made a dash for his pistol on the ground.
Mr. Sherman was before him.

"Now see here, Jack," he said, picking it up, "I don't want to shoot
you, but I may have to. That young man saved your life at the risk of
his own. If that fool Dutchman had had a ball in his gun instead of a
wa