taste of battle. The flag
was down; the red battle-flag with the blue cross in its place. There
was a surge of the western regiment toward it, a battle around it that
strewed the bank and the shallow ditch beneath with many a blue figure,
many a grey. Step by step the grey pushed the blue back, away from the
bank, back toward the wood arising, shadowy, from a base of eddying
smoke.

Out of the smoke, suddenly, came hurrahing. It was deep and loud,
issuing from many throats. The western regiment began to hurrah, too.
"They're coming to help! They're coming to help! Indiana, ain't
it?--Now, you rebs, you go back on the other side!"

The blue wave from the wood came to reinforce the blue wave in front.
The 65th struggled with thrice its numbers, and there was a noise from
the wood which portended more. Back, inch by inch, gave the grey,
fighting desperately. They loaded, fired, loaded, fired. They used
bayonet and musket stock. The blue fell thick, but always others came to
take their places. The grey fell, and the ranks must close with none to
reinforce. In the field to the left the 4th and the 33d had their hands
very full; the 2d was gone to Fulkerson's support, the 5th and the 42d
were not yet up. Out of the wood came a third huzzahing blue line.
Cleave, hatless, bleeding from a bayonet thrust in the arm, ordered the
retreat.

On the crest of the bank there was confusion and clamour, shots and
shouts, the groans of the fallen, a horrible uproar. Out of the storm
came a high voice, "It air a-goin' to stay, and I air a-goin' to stay
with it!"

Billy Maydew had the flag. He stood defiant, half enveloped in its
folds, his torn shirt showing throat and breast, his young head thrown
back against the red ground. "I ain't a-goin' to quit--I ain't a-goin'
to quit! Thunder Run and Thunder Mountain hear me what I am a-sayin'! I
ain't a-goin' to quit!"

Allan Gold laid hold of him. "Why, Billy, we're coming back! There's got
to be a lot of times like this in a big war! You come on and carry the
colours out safe. You don't want those fellows to take them!"

Billy chanted on, "I ain't a-goin' to quit! I put it here jest like I
was putting a hop pole in Christianna's garden, and I ain't a-goin' to
dig it up again--"

Dave appeared. "Billy boy, don't be such a damned fool! You jest
skeedaddle with the rest of us and take it out of them next time. Don't
ye want to see Christianna again, an' maw an' the dogs?--Thar, now!"

A