that they were welcomed back from the gory field by the frothy
feminine rebels of Richmond.

"That's just the way the Russians ran at Palestro!" exclaimed Captain de
Banyan, as he watched the exciting scene.

"The Russians at Palestro!" added Somers, "I think you have got things a
little mixed, captain."

Before this difficult question could be settled, Captain de Banyan was
ordered to take a sufficient force, and drive out the rebels who were
skulking behind the old house.

"Somers, you shall go with me," said he, when he had received his orders
from the colonel. "We'll do a big thing, if there is any chance."

"I am ready for anything, big or little, captain," replied Somers
heartily. "What shall I do?"

"March your men over by that little knoll, and come round on the other
side of the house; I will move up in another direction, and we will bag
the whole squad. But mind you, Somers, the enemy are round that way;
don't let them gobble you up or lay you out."

"I will do the best I can, captain."

"Angels could do no more."

The lieutenant advanced, with the men detailed for the purpose, towards
the hillock. By taking a circuitous route, he avoided the observation of
the rebels behind the house, and reached the other side of the knoll,
where, behind the friendly shelter of a clump of bushes, he was enabled
to survey the ground. Not more than a quarter of a mile distant he
discovered the rebel breastworks. It was about the same distance to the
house.

Between the knoll and the house there was a small patch of wheat, which,
by some chance, had escaped the havoc of foraging parties. Though the
grain was not full-grown, it would afford concealment to his men. In
order to reach it, he must expose his men to a volley from the
rifle-pits, or from any body of rebels which might be posted in the
vicinity. He could not afford to lose a single man, and he was perplexed
to determine how he should overcome the distance between the wheat-field
and the knoll.

It seemed to him very singular that he had not already been fired upon;
and he concluded that it was because his party had been mistaken for
rebels, or because some of their troops were between him and the Union
lines. Whether the enemy had been deceived or not, he was fully
determined to afford them no further information in regard to his
politics, if any of them had seen him. He therefore ordered his men to
take off their coats, which some of them had done befor