ue
were intent with the despair of their circumstances and they seized
upon the revenge to be had at close range. Their thunder swelled loud
and valiant. Their curving front bristled with flashes and the place
resounded with the clangor of their ramrods. The youth ducked and
dodged for a time and achieved a few unsatisfactory views of the enemy.
There appeared to be many of them and they were replying swiftly. They
seemed moving toward the blue regiment, step by step. He seated
himself gloomily on the ground with his flag between his knees.

As he noted the vicious, wolflike temper of his comrades he had a sweet
thought that if the enemy was about to swallow the regimental broom as
a large prisoner, it could at least have the consolation of going down
with bristles forward.

But the blows of the antagonist began to grow more weak. Fewer bullets
ripped the air, and finally, when the men slackened to learn of the
fight, they could see only dark, floating smoke. The regiment lay
still and gazed. Presently some chance whim came to the pestering
blur, and it began to coil heavily away. The men saw a ground vacant
of fighters. It would have been an empty stage if it were not for a
few corpses that lay thrown and twisted into fantastic shapes upon the
sward.

At sight of this tableau, many of the men in blue sprang from behind
their covers and made an ungainly dance of joy. Their eyes burned and
a hoarse cheer of elation broke from their dry lips.

It had begun to seem to them that events were trying to prove that they
were impotent. These little battles had evidently endeavored to
demonstrate that the men could not fight well. When on the verge of
submission to these opinions, the small duel had showed them that the
proportions were not impossible, and by it they had revenged themselves
upon their misgivings and upon the foe.

The impetus of enthusiasm was theirs again. They gazed about them with
looks of uplifted pride, feeling new trust in the grim, always
confident weapons in their hands. And they were men.

CHAPTER XXI.

Presently they knew that no firing threatened them. All ways seemed
once more opened to them. The dusty blue lines of their friends were
disclosed a short distance away. In the distance there were many
colossal noises, but in all this part of the field there was a sudden
stillness.

They perceived that they were free. The depleted band drew a long
breath of relief and gath