e
earth today!"

The long, thin figure of Warner lay pressed against the ground. A
handkerchief, stained red, was bound about his head and his face was
pale, but indomitable courage gleamed from his eyes. Just beyond him was
Pennington, unhurt.

"Thank God you haven't fallen, and that I've found you!" exclaimed Dick.

"I don't know whether you're so lucky after all," said Warner. "The
Johnnies have been mowing us down. They dropped on us so suddenly this
morning that they must have been sleeping in the same bed with us last
night, and we didn't know it. I hear that we're routed nearly everywhere
except here and where Sherman stands. Look out! Here they come again!"

They saw tanned faces and fierce eyes through the smoke, and the bullets
swept down on them in showers. Lucky for them that the little ridge was
there, and that they had made up their minds to stand to the last. They
replied with their own deadly fire, yet many fell, despite the shelter,
and to both left and right the battle swelled afresh. Dick felt again
that rain of bark and twigs and leaves. Sometimes a tree, cut through
at its base by cannon balls, fell with a crash. Along the whole curving
line the Southern generals ever urged forward their valiant troops.

Now the courage and skill of Sherman shone supreme. Dick saw him often
striding up and down the lines, ordering and begging his men to stand
fast, although they were looking almost into the eyes of their enemies.

The conflict became hand to hand, and assailant and assailed reeled to
and fro. But Sherman would not give up. The fiercest attacks broke in
vain on his iron front. McClernand, with whom he had quarreled the day
before as to who should command the army while Grant was away, came up
with reinforcements, and seeing what the fearless and resolute general
had done, yielded him the place.

The last of the charges broke for the time upon Sherman, and his
exhausted regiment uttered a shout of triumph, but on both sides of
him the Southern troops drove their enemy back and yet further back.
Breckinridge, along Lick Creek, was pushing everything before him. The
bishop-general was doing well. Many of the Northern troops had not yet
recovered from their surprise. A general and three whole regiments,
struck on every side, were captured.

It seemed that nothing could deprive the Southern army of victory,
absolute and complete. General Johnston had marshalled his troops with
superb skill, and i