est. Burton remained in the general's tent to perfect the orders,
and Sam went to the tent which he occupied with Major Stroud to enjoy a
few hours' sleep.

"I'm afraid we're not quite ready," said Sam.

"No army ever is," replied Stroud laconically.

"I wish the general were a little livelier and quicker," said Sam,
blushing at his own blasphemy.

"And thinner?" said Stroud, smiling, as he twisted his white mustache
and smoothed his imperial. "Oh, he'll do very well. He's a good solid
point to rally round and fall back on, and then we always know where to
find him, for he can't get away very far if he tries."

At half-past three in the morning the officers of the staff were
called by a native servant and began to make their preparations. They
breakfasted as best they could on coffee without sugar or cream, and
some stale bread, with an egg apiece, and whisky. Sam felt
unaccountably sleepy, and he thought that all the rest looked sleepy
too. It was five o'clock before Burton had the orders ready for the
various subordinate commanders, telling each of them in which direction
to advance. The plan had been mapped out the night before, but the
orders had to be copied and corrected. At last he came out and
distributed them to Stroud, Sam, and several other officers--two orders
to each, yawning painfully as he handed them out.

"I don't think I slept a wink last night," he said.

The two commands to which Sam's orders were directed were stationed on
the extreme right of the army. He made a rough tracing of that part of
the map and set out at once on a wiry little native pony. For some
distance he followed the high-road, but then was obliged to turn into
a branch road which led through the woods, and which soon became a mere
wood-path. Before long he heard firing in front of him, and soon he
recognized the sound of whistling bullets above his head. He found
himself ducking his head involuntarily, and almost for the first time
in his life he was conscious of being afraid. This was a surprise to
him, as his thoughts during the night whenever he had been awake had
been full of pleasant anticipations.

The path suddenly came out into an open rolling country, and Sam pulled
up his horse, dismounted, and hiding behind some underbrush, took a
look at the situation. There was a Gatling-gun, worked by a young
officer and five men, a few hundred yards to the right at the edge of
the woods.