and toil, of victory and defeat, as they marched
on, alike through both, to the consummation of a nation's glorious
triumph, not over paltry armies of arrogant traitors, but over the
incarnation of Evil, over Heaven-defying institutions, whose downfall
established forever principles as eternal as God Himself.

Lieutenant Somers was filled with the spirit of the army. He felt that
the salvation of his country depended upon the valor of that army; and,
impressed with the magnitude of the interests at stake, he was resolved
to do his whole duty. With cheerful alacrity he obeyed the summons which
brought Grover's brigade into line of battle on the morning of the
eventful 25th of June. What was to be accomplished was not for him to
know; but forward moved the line through the swamp, through the woods,
through the pools of stagnant waters up to the hips of the soldiers.

Impressed by the responsibility of his position, Lieutenant Somers
encouraged the weak as they struggled through the mire on their trying
march, and with fit words stimulated the enthusiasm of all. After a march
of about a mile, a heavy skirmish line was thrown out, which soon
confronted that of the rebels.

"Now, Somers, my dear fellow, the concert is about to open," said Captain
de Banyan. "By the way, my boy, this reminds me of Magenta, where----"

"Oh, confound Magenta!" exclaimed Somers.

"Why, my dear fellow, you are as petulant as a belle that has lost her
beau."

"You don't propose to tell us a story about Magenta at such a time as
this, do you?"

"Well, I confess I have a weakness in that direction. Magenta was a great
battle. But I'm afraid you are a little nervous," laughed the captain.

"Nervous? Do you think I'm a coward?" demanded Somers.

"I know you are not; but you might be a little nervous for all that."

At that instant, the sharp crack of a single rifle was heard, and Somers
observed a slight jerk in the brim of the captain's felt hat.

"Bravo!" exclaimed Captain de Banyan as he took off his hat, and pointed
to a hole through which the rifle-ball had sped its way. "I'll bet a
month's pay that fellow couldn't do that again without making a hole
through my head. But that's a singular coincidence. That's precisely the
place where the first bullet went through my hat at Solferino. At
Magenta--ah! I see him," added the captain, as he took a musket from the
hands of one of his men. "I'll bet another month's pay that reb has fired
hi