eutenant, fell wounded almost to death, and lay long upon the
field. Other Southern generals fell also, and despite their superior
numbers they could not drive back the North.

Dick never had much recollection of the combat, save a reek of fire
and smoke in which men fought. He saw Colonel Winchester's horse
pitch forward on his head and springing from his own he pulled the
half-stunned colonel to his feet. Both leaped aside just in time to
avoid Dick's own falling horse, which had been slain by a shell. Then
the colonel ran up and down the lines of his men, waving his sword and
encouraging them to stand fast.

The Southern lines spread out and endeavored to overlap the Union men,
but they were held back by a deep railroad cut and masses of felled
timber. The combat redoubled in fury. Cannon and rifles together made
a continuous roar. Both sides seemed to have gone mad with the rage of
battle.

The Southern generals astonished at such a resistance by a smaller
force, ordered up more men and cannon. The Union troops were slowly
pushed back by the weight of numbers, but then the night, the coming
of which neither had noticed, swept down suddenly upon them, leaving
fifteen hundred men, nearly a third of those engaged, fallen upon the
small area within which the two vanguards had fought.

But the Union men did not retreat far. Practically, they were holding
their ground, when the darkness put an end to the battle, and they were
full of elation at having fought a draw with superior numbers of the
formidable Jackson. Dick, although exultant, was so much exhausted that
he threw himself upon the ground and panted for breath. When he was able
to rise he looked for Warner and Pennington and found them uninjured.
So was Sergeant Whitley, but the sergeant, contrary to his custom, was
gloomy.

"What's the matter, sergeant?" exclaimed Dick in surprise. "Didn't we
give 'em a great fight?"

"Splendid, Mr. Mason, I don't believe that troops ever fought better
than ours did. But we're not many here. Where's all the rest of our
army? Scattered, while I'm certain that Jackson with twenty-five or
thirty thousand men is in front of us, with more coming. We'll fall
back. We'll have to do it before morning."

The sergeant on this occasion had the power of divination. An hour
after midnight the whole force which had fought with so much heroism
was withdrawn. It was a strange night to the whole Union army, full of
sinister omens.

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