desperate assault the Southern line reeled and then stopped
in the wood. Courage and presence of mind had saved a battle for the
time being, at least.

At that point the combat sank for a while, and Dick, unwounded but
exhausted, dropped upon the ground. Around him lay his friends, and
they, too, were unwounded. It was with a sort of grim humor that he
remembered a conversation they had held before the battle.

"Well, Frank," he said, "you've escaped."

"So far only," said Warner. "The hurricane has softened down a lot here,
but not everywhere else. Listen!"

He pointed through the woods toward the left where another battle was
swelling with a mighty uproar. Bragg having driven in the Union right
was now seeking to shatter the Union left, but at this point there was
a Northern commander, Hazen, who was no less indomitable than Sheridan.
Sheltering themselves along the railway embankment his men, always
encouraged by their commander, and his officers, resisted every effort
to drive them back. Noon came and found them still holding tenaciously
to their positions. For a while now the whole battle sank through sheer
exhaustion on both sides. Each commander reformed his line, disentangled
his guns, brought forward fresh ammunition and prepared for the great
combat which he knew was coming. Bragg, as he noticed the advance of the
short winter day, resolved upon the utmost effort to crush his enemy.
Victory had seemed wholly in his grasp in the morning, but he had
been checked at the last moment. He would make good the defeat in the
afternoon.

The armies had disentangled themselves from the woods and bushes. They
were now in the open and face to face on a long line. The Winchester
regiment had risen to its feet again, and stood directly behind and
almost mingled with the Kentucky regiment that had saved it.

"They're coming!" exclaimed Warner in quick, excited tones. "Look, there
on the flank!"

It was the division of Cleburne, in the hottest of the battle all
through the morning advancing to a fresh attack upon the Union lines,
but it was received with such a powerful fire that it was driven back in
disorder into some woods.

Dick, however, did not have a chance to see this as the Southerners,
reinforced by fresh troops from Breckinridge's division, were charging
in the center with great violence. So terrible was the fire that
received them that some of the regiments lost half their numbers in
five minutes. Yet th