, entirely overwhelmed by the lieutenant's arithmetic, as well as
by the laughter of Captain Benson and Lieutenant Munroe, who belonged to
the mess.

"Worse yet," said Somers. "They were Austrians. Now, captain, you are a
brave man, and a splendid fellow; but I think it is a great pity you
should tell such abominably great stories."

"I accept the apology," laughed Captain de Banyan. "We will call it
square, and turn in; for I think that we shall have hot work to-morrow."

CHAPTER VIII

AN ORDER FROM HEADQUARTERS

While Captain de Banyan and Lieutenant Somers were asleep, the commanding
general received the intelligence of a movement on our right by the
famous Stonewall Jackson. The position which had been gained by the
advance at Oak Grove was abandoned, and the troops returned to their old
line. The next day was heard the roar of the guns at Mechanicsville; and
on that succeeding was fought the battle of Gaines's Mills--the only
defeat in the field sustained by the Union army during that battle-week.

General McClellan then decided to change his base of operations; which,
rendered into plain English, meant that he had been flanked, and was
obliged to make the best move he could to save his army and material. The
troops fought all day, and ran all night, till they reached the James
River, where they were protected by the all-powerful gunboats. In the
battles of Savage's Station, Glendale and Malvern Hills, they were
victorious, and fought as no troops had ever fought before. As a retreat,
it was successful; but it was the sad and inglorious end of the
Peninsular campaign.

The whole brigade to which Lieutenant Somers belonged went on picket
every third day. While the tremendous operations to which we have briefly
alluded were taking place on the right, the soldiers on the left were
leading their ordinary military life. But they were thinking men, and,
while they were firm in their devotion to the good cause, they were
disturbed by doubts and fears. They knew not, as they listened to the
booming guns, whether they were in the midst of victory or defeat.
Occasionally, they were shelled behind their breastworks; apparently for
the purpose, on the part of the rebels, of keeping our forces from
interfering with the work on the right.

The brigade went on picket, and here the troops were face to face with
the enemy. Lieutenant Somers, by the illness of the captain and the
absence of the first lieutenant, was