ou ought to find him at the front. We've been falling
back, and the firing sounds nearer than it did. I'm afraid the enemy
will catch us here."

Sam did not wait to hear anything further, but, leaving his horse tied
to a tree, he ran toward the front. He found many soldiers skulking
along the path, and they directed him to the major. He discovered him
sitting on the ground behind a stone wall.

"Here, major, are your orders. I understand you're in command."

"Not much," said the major. "The colonel's in command. You'd better
find him."

"Where is he?"

"I'm sure I don't know. I haven't seen him since six o'clock."

"But this is your regiment, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. It's part of it."

Just then a young captain came running up from the front, and cried out
to his major:

"Major, we're having a hard time of it there. Won't you come up and
take charge? I'm afraid they'll force us back."

"No," said the major, "I won't. I'm going back there to that last
village. It's a much better place to defend. Besides I'm not feeling
well. You fellows can stay here if you like. I shan't order the
regiment back, but I'll go back and get ready for them there. We ought
to have trenches there, you know," and he got up and walked rapidly off
down the road. The captain turned to Sam.

"I beg your pardon, captain," said he, "but what are we to do? Our
officers have given out, and we're a new regiment and haven't any
experience. Won't you take command?"

Sam was by no means satisfied in his mind that he would behave much
better than the major, but here was an opportunity that he could not
afford to lose.

"I'll see what I can do," said he. "Let's see what the orders are."

He opened the document and saw that it was a direction to keep on to
the front until they arrived before the town of San Diego, which they
were to assault and capture.

"Show me where your men are," said Sam. "Who have you got there?"

"We've got our own regiment, the 43d, and six or eight companies of the
72d--I don't know where they came from; and then there's a battery, and
perhaps some others."

They hastened along the road together, urging the stragglers to join
them, which many of them did. The way became more and more encumbered
with men, and the bullets came thicker. Sam was thoroughly scared. He
could feel his legs waver at the knee, and it seemed as if a giant
hand had grasped him by the spine. They pas