the
infantry has been withdrawn. We have not sufficient support."

"Yes, I know."

"I am to say that some of our men have been out over the works a hundred
yards and report that our front is not picketed."

"Yes."

"They were so far forward that they heard the enemy."

"Yes."

"They heard the rattle of the wheels of artillery and the commands of
officers."

"Yes."

"The enemy is moving toward our works."

Captain Ransome, who had been facing to the rear of his line--toward the
point where the brigade commander and his cavalcade had been swallowed
up by the fog--reined his horse about and faced the other way. Then he
sat motionless as before.

"Who are the men who made that statement?" he inquired, without looking
at the sergeant; his eyes were directed straight into the fog over the
head of his horse.

"Corporal Hassman and Gunner Manning."

Captain Ransome was a moment silent. A slight pallor came into his face,
a slight compression affected the lines of his lips, but it would have
required a closer observer than Sergeant Morris to note the change.
There was none in the voice.

"Sergeant, present my compliments to Lieutenant Price and direct him to
open fire with all the guns. Grape."

The sergeant saluted and vanished in the fog.

IV.

TO INTRODUCE GENERAL MASTERSON

Searching for his division commander,
General Cameron and his escort had followed the line of battle for
nearly a mile to the right of Ransome's battery, and there learned that
the division commander had gone in search of the corps commander. It
seemed that everybody was looking for his immediate superior--an ominous
circumstance. It meant that nobody was quite at ease. So General Cameron
rode on for another half-mile, where by good luck he met General
Masterson, the division commander, returning.

"Ah, Cameron," said the higher officer, reining up, and throwing his
right leg across the pommel of his saddle in a most unmilitary way--
"anything up? Found a good position for your battery, I hope--if one
place is better than another in a fog."

"Yes, general," said the other, with the greater dignity appropriate to
his less exalted rank, "my battery is very well placed. I wish I could
say that it is as well commanded."

"Eh, what's that? Ransome? I think him a fine fellow. In the army we
should be proud of him."

It was customary for officers of the regular army to speak of it as "the
army." As the greatest cities are most prov