The Guns of Shiloh

e rein over arm. It was well for the seven hundred boys that they had pressed themselves against the solid earth. A sheet of bullets swept toward t

struggling in the darkness. He felt sure that many men, too, had been hit. At least no charge came. The seven hundred shouted with exul

ir bullets would pass over our heads and strike their own comrades. For the same reason they must have dropped back a littl

re whenever he saw the flash of an opposing weapon. But the fire of both Confederate columns ceased in a minute or two, and not a shot nor the sound of a single order came out of the darkness. But Dick with his ear to the soft earth, could hear the crush o

fford to fight on in the darkness with two separate forc

them. He must not only beat off the Southern attack, but also continue the journey to those points in the west where they were needed so sorely. Some of his men ha

darkness, kept near to Colonel Newcomb in order that they might deliver any orders that he sho

that?" he

. A bridge or rather trestle is only a little further, and we've got to walk the ties, if we reach the other side. T

ey now had an advantage for a while, as they fired from a breastwork upon their foes, who were in the open. But the darkness, lit

did not know how deep the water was, but he was sure that it could not be above his waist as it

st below the trestle. It will deceive them and we'l

on," said Colonel New

, march swiftly down the slope, and dash into the stream. As fast as they reached the other side of the

so saw the clear, bluish surface of the mountain stream. The same quickening of light disclosed the Southern force on their right flank and rear, only four or five hundred yards away. Dick's hasty glance backward lingered for a moment on a powerfu

ging at his body, but it rose no higher than his waist, although foam and spray were dashed into his face. He heard all around him the splashing of his comrades, and their murmurs of satisfac

ve his whole force straight at the regiment. It was well for the young troops that part of them were already across, and, under the skillful leadership

, "and fire over the heads o

ing down upon them. At least three hundred of the regiment were now upon the bank, and, with fairly steady aim, they poured a heavy volley into the massed ranks of their foe. Dick saw horses fall while others das

nd pulled trigger as fast as they could, while the rest of their comrades emerged dripping from the stream to join them. The Confederates, brave as they wer

eep and rushing stream. Major Hertford, take part of the men to the other side of the railroad track and drive back any attempt at a crossing there.

e defense of the river, but orders must be obeyed. As they ran down the railroad track a man came forward swinging a lant

and are holding the bank," said Canby. "Do t

he was longing to be in the middle of the fi

I know we can hold it. Colonel Newcomb did not say so, but perhaps you'd better bring the train back nea

wo and they say the track hasn't been touched. You tell Colonel N

nnon were unloaded from the trucks, and swept the further shore with shell and shrapnel. After a scattered fire the Southern force withdrew so

ion, Colonel Newcomb?

tain

cover of the new darkness and attack us in heavy force on the flank. Suppos

s it also covers ours. Load the train as fast as

board the train again, the cannon were lifted upon the trucks, Canby and his assistants had

h the defense of the ford without injury, although a bullet had gone through Dick's coat without touching the skin. Sergeant

binding up wounds of other boys and were condoling with them. But on the whole they were exultant. Yout

that time, an' we

uess they'd have rode us right down with their hors

e so tight on my arm. It ain'

can see what's goin' on. My God, that you Bill! I'm tremendous glad

ds. The train had not yet got up speed. He caught glimpses of the river behind which they had fought, and which had served them so well as a barrier. In fact, he knew that it had saved them. But they had beate

ong mountains, clad heavily in forest, but a meeting with a second Southern force was beyond probability. The firs

y against the window and he slept heavily all through the night. Warner in the next seat slept in the same way. But the wise old sergeant just across the aisle

oresaw something vastly greater than anything that had occurred on the plains. "Whipped into shape!" Why, in the mighty war tha

ightened somewhat more. The black of the skies had turned to a dusky blue, and the bolder stars were out. He could always see the shining rails three or four hundred yards ahead, and he sent his train steadily forward at full speed, winding among the gorges and rattling over the trestles.

y was stiff and sore. His military overcoat had been thrown over him in the night and Warner had

d. He saw through the window that they were still running among the mountains, but they did not seem to be so high here as they were at the river by which th

h he believed to be falling snow. Obviously it was winter here and putting on the big military coat he drew it tightly about him. Others in the coach were w

wintry air, and small and poor as they were they gave him a singular sense of peace and comfort. His mind felt for a few

train stopped at a village on its banks. The whole population of the village and all the farmers of the valley were there to meet them. It was a Un

comb to his staff. "Out with y

like the trump of fame in their ears. Pretty girls with their faces in red hoods or red comforters were there with food and smoking coffee. Medicines for the

rom his famous border ancestor, Paul Cotter. Things were always vivid to him. Either they glowed with color, or they were hueless and dead. This morning the long strain of the night and its battle was relaxed completely.

im by the stalwart wife of a farmer, and

e fightin'," she s

but however we may fight you'll never find anybody attac

drinking coffee and eating ham, bacon

young feller," she said, "but

oad touched a valley. The second railroad looped toward the north, and it was absolutely sure that it was beyond the reach of Southern raiders. Colonel Newcomb wished to send a message to the Secretary of War and the President

e. Take Sergeant Whitley and you three go to the station. I've already written my dispatches, and I put them in your care. Have them sent at

asted no time in words, but went at once to Sergeant Whitley, who was ready in five minutes. Warner

cent manners, and twenty per cent chance. In this case chance, which made the Colonel better acquainted with you than with me, was in your favor. We won't discuss

left between two ridges. Dick first observed their guide. Bill Petty was a short but very stout man, clad in a suit of home-made blue jeans, the trousers of which were thrust into high boots with red tops. A heavy shawl of dark red was wrapped around his shoulders, and beneath his broad-brimmed

an' as you see I always dress to suit my complexion. Gu

n' you Red Blaze?" asked

ke them knights of old who had fancy names 'cordin' to their qualities. People 'round

n, Blaze, what kind of a road i

ft mud it ain't likely to hurt us. It may rain hard, 'cause I see clouds heapin' up thar in the west. An' if it rains the cold may then freeze a skim of ice over the road, on which we could slip an' break our necks, hosses an' all. Then thar are some cliffs close to the road. If we was to slip on that thar skim of ice which we've reckoned might come, then mebbe we'd go over one of them cl

stared

ed, "what kind of a

t before you first an' then shove it out of the way. None of them things that I was conjurin' up is goin' to happen. I was just tel

neer was a fine horseman, and as he carried a long slender-barreled rifle over his shoulder, while a double-barrele

begin with the bad and end with the good. What

town named after him. But Hubbard is a right peart little place, with a bank, two stores, three churches, an' n

his knees and which also had a high collar protecting his ears. He was p

against any amount

ard. Them fifteen hundred feet make a pow'ful difference in climate, as you'll soon find out. It's not only colder thar, but the winds are always blowin' hard through the pass. Jest look back at

man's pointing finger. Townsville, though but a little mountain town built mainly of logs, was indeed a jewel, softened and with a silver sheen thrown over it by the mountain air which was misty t

comrades. He felt for a moment a sense of loneliness. He had not known these lads long, but the battle had bo

uch as fifty miles in every direction, north, south, east, an' west, an' I ain't never seed its match. I reckon I'm somethin' of a

er, and saw that there could

ty," he said, "to live in th

h what the war's about though I'm for the Union, fust to last, an' that's the way most of the

not merely come from the mouth, it was also exuded, pouring out through every pore. It was rolling, unctuous, and so strong that Petty not only shook with it,

without you knowin' it, and Townsville is cut off by the cliffs. You'll find it gettin' wilder now 'till we start

oing was painful. Under Petty's instructions they stopped their mounts now

all the way. As we'll be goin' up for a long distance you'll find it growin' colder, too. But you've got to remember that after you pass

ic changes. He noticed with some apprehension that the higher peaks were clothed in thick, cold fog, but he said nothing to the brave boy whom he had grown to love

eaks the fogs were growing thicker and darker and after a while the sharp edge of the wind was wet with rain. It stung the

you'll leave trouble behind. Nor this ain't nothin' either to what we kin expect before we git to the

s well shod?"

fore we started that you had been a soldier in the west. I s'pose that you had to look mighty close to your hosses then. A m

of the things that fightin' Indians taught. You had to be watchin' all the time an' I reckon th

e is steeper on the other side. We ri

ail and stung their faces. Had it not been for his two good comrades Dick would have found his situation inexpressibly lonely and dreary. The heavy fog now enveloped all the peaks and ridges and filled every valley and chasm. He could

it all right you kin go through any number of the same kind all right, too. Likely the sleet will be so thick that it will make a sheet of slippery ice for us c

dire disaster the man's eyes twinkled merrily and the round, red out

calks on thar shoes our hosses are pretty shore to slip on the ice and b

imed Whitley, "did we start without

passed through his chest, swelling again as it passed through throat and mouth, and bursting upon

beginnin' the job this mornin' before you was awake, your colonel, on the advice of the people of Townsville who know me as one of its leadin' an' trusted citiz

nfidence, "that you ain't no fool, an' that you

ed laugh rose once more abov

boys," he said. "The hoss

their faces, and Dick, with the constant beating of wind and snow, began to feel a certain physical exhilaration. He realized

r quite a while, and then R

t the to