that the enemy were advancing in our direction, from
over Hyde's prairie. The result was a sharp stir among us, and general
consternation. It was a rude awakening from our pleasant trance.
The rumour was but a rumour--nothing definite about it; so, in the
confusion, we did not know which way to retreat. Lyman was for not
retreating at all, in these uncertain circumstances; but he found that
if he tried to maintain that attitude he would fare badly, for the
command were in no humour to put up with insubordination. So he yielded
the point and called a council of war--to consist of himself and the
three other officers; but the privates made such a fuss about being left
out, that we had to allow them to remain, for they were already present,
and doing the most of the talking too. The question was, which way to
retreat; but all were so flurried that nobody seemed to have even a
guess to offer. Except Lyman. He explained in a few calm words, that
inasmuch as the enemy were approaching from over Hyde's prairie, our
course was simple: all we had to do was not to retreat toward him; any
other direction would answer our needs perfectly. Everybody saw in
a moment how true this was, and how wise; so Lyman got a great many
compliments. It was now decided that we should fall back upon Mason's
farm.

It was after dark by this time, and as we could not know how soon the
enemy might arrive, it did not seem best to try to take the horses and
things with us; so we only took the guns and ammunition, and started at
once. The route was very rough and hilly and rocky, and presently the
night grew very black and rain began to fall; so we had a troublesome
time of it, struggling and stumbling along in the dark; and soon some
person slipped and fell, and then the next person behind stumbled over
him and fell, and so did the rest, one after the other; and then Bowers
came with the keg of powder in his arms, whilst the command were all
mixed together, arms and legs, on the muddy slope; and so he fell, of
course, with the keg, and this started the whole detachment down the
hill in a body, and they landed in the brook at the bottom in a pile,
and each that was undermost pulling the hair and scratching and biting
those that were on top of him; and those that were being scratched and
bitten, scratching and biting the rest in their turn, and all saying
they would die before they would ever go to war again if they ever got
out of this brook this time, a