n into the mud.

"John Brown's wagon got stuck in the mud,
And we pull it through the black miry flood,
As we go marching on,"

sang the soldiers; and in a few minutes more they landed the first of
the wagon-train high and dry in the by-road.

Here one of the riflemen was waiting for the lieutenant, being a
messenger from Butters.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE FLAG OF TRUCE ON THE MEADOW

The soldiers thought it was nothing but amusement to drag the wagon out
of the mud and haul it to the woods. Sixty men and six mules made
comparatively easy work of it. It was nearly dinner-time, and Deck had
ordered the meal to be served on the meadow to those that remained
there of the escort. During all this time the heavy guns had been
thundering in the vicinity of Logan's Cross Roads; and as the day
advanced the roar was perceptible nearer, indicating that the enemy had
been driven from the first field towards the south.

The men proceeded to eat their dinner from their haversacks, while the
quartermaster-sergeant had taken rations from the wagon for the portion
of the escort that had come over to the woods. As soon as Lieutenant
Lyon had given his attention to the needs of his men and horses, he
turned to receive the message of the rifleman. Life gave his personal
attention to the six mules that had come over, and they were supplied
with a very liberal feed of corn and oats.

"Lieutenant Butters directs me to report to you that the enemy are
returning across the meadow, flying a flag of truce at the head of the
column," said the rifleman when Deck indicated that he was ready to
hear him; and only a few minutes elapsed while he was giving his
orders.

"How many men are returning?" asked the lieutenant.

"They were too far off for us to count them; but we guessed there were
about sixty of them, for they must have lost at least forty in killed
and wounded, to say nothing of the latter who were not disabled.
Lieutenant Butters wants to know what to do about the flag of truce."

"How far off are they now?" asked Deck.

"They were some distance beyond the stream when I left, about half an
hour ago."

"Return to Lieutenant Butters; tell him I will be with him very soon,
and ask him to send half his men, good strong fellows, to assist in
getting the wagons out of the mire," replied Deck; and the rifleman
left in obedience to the order.

The men and the animals were all busy with their dinner, and the
prese