ed a strong
front, retreating slowly with its face to the enemy, and always
disputing the road. Dick meanwhile could hear through the crash of
the firing the deep rumble of Pope's great army with its artillery and
thousands of wagons continually marching toward the Rappahannock. His
mind became absorbed in a vital question. Would Lee and Jackson come up
before they could reach the bigger river? Would a battle be forced the
next day while the Union army was in retreat? He confided his anxieties
to Warner who rode by his side.

"I take it that it's only a vanguard that's pursuing us," said the
Vermonter. "If they were in great force they'd have been pushing harder
and harder. We must have got a good start before Lee and Jackson found
us out. We know our Jackson, Dick, and he'd have been right on top of us
without delay."

"That's right, George. It must be their cavalry mostly. I suppose Jeb
Stuart is there leading them. At any rate we'll soon know better what's
doing. Look there toward the east. Don't you see a ray of light behind
that hill?"

"I see it, Dick."

"Is it the first ray of the morning, or is it just a low star?"

"It's the dawn, Dick, and mighty glad I am to see it. Look how fast it
comes!"

The sun shot up, over the hill. The sky turning to silver soon gave way
to gold, and the clear August light poured in a flood over the rolling
country.

Dick saw ahead of him a vast cloud of dust extending miles from east
to west, marking where the army of Pope pushed on its retreat to the
Rappahannock. There was no need to search for the Northern force. The
newest recruit would know that it was here.

The Southern vanguard was behind them and not many hundred yards away.
Dick distinctly saw the cavalry, riding along the road, and hundreds
of skirmishers pushing through the woods and fields. He judged that
the force did not number many thousands and that it could not think of
assailing the whole Union army. But with the coming of day the vigor of
the attack increased. The skirmishers fired from the shelter of every
tree stump, fence or hillock and the bullets pattered about Dick and his
comrades.

The Union rear guard maintained its answering fire, but as it was
retreating it was at a disadvantage. The regiments began to suffer. Many
men were wounded. The fire became most galling. A sudden charge by the
rearguard was ordered and it was made with spirit. The Southern van was
driven back, but when the retreat w