第7章

The men threw themselves down for a moment's rest, on the springing moss that covered the whole mountain side.A hum of comment and conversation arose.Jake Alspaugh began to think that there was not likely to be any fight after all, and his spirits rose proportionately.Abe Bolton growled that the cowardly officers had no doubt deliberately misled the regiment, that a fight might be avoided.Kent Edwards saw a nodding May-apple flower--as fair as a calla and as odorous as a pink--at a little distance, and hastened to pick it.He came back with it in the muzzle of his gun, and his hands full of violets.

A thick-bodied rattlesnake crawled slowly and clumsily out from the shelter of a little ledge, his fearful eyes gleaming with deadly intentions against a ground-squirrel frisking upon the end of a mossy log, near where Captain Bob Bennett was seated, poring over a troublesome detail in the "Tactics." The snake saw the man, and his awkward movement changed at once into one of electric alertness.

He sounded his terrible rattle, and his dull diamonds and stripes lighted up with the glare that shines through an enraged man's face.

The thick body seemed to lengthen out and gain a world of sinuous suppleness.With the quickness of a flash he was coiled, with head erect, forked tongue protruding, and eyes flaming like satanic jewels.

A shout appraised Captain Bennett of his danger.He dropped the book, sprang to his feet with a quickness that matched the snake's, and instinctively drew his sword.Stepping a little to one side as the reptile launched itself at him, he dexterously cut it in two with a sweeping stroke.A shout of applause rose from the excited boys, who gathered around to inspect the slain serpent and congratulate the Captain upon his skillful disposition of his assailant.

"O, that's only my old bat-stroke that used to worry the boys in town-hall so much," said the Captain carelessly."It's queer what things turn out useful to a man, and when he least expects them."A long, ringing yell from a thousand throats cleft the air, and with its last notes came the rattle of musketry from the brow of the hill across the little ravine.The bullets sang viciously overhead.

They cut the leaves and branches with sharp little crashes, and struck men's bodies with a peculiar slap.A score of men in the disordered group fell back dead or dying upon the green moss.

"Of course, we might've knowed them muddle-headed officers 'd run us right slap into a hornets' nest of Rebels before they knowed a thing about it," grumbled Abe Bolton, hastily tearing a cartridge with his teeth, and forcing it into his gun.

"Hold on, my weak-kneed patriot," said Kent Edwards, catching Jake Alspaugh by the collar, and turning him around so that he faced the enemy again."It's awful bad manners to rush out of a matinee just as the performance begins.You disturb the people who've come to enjoy the show.Keep you seat till the curatin goes down.

You'll find enough to interest you."

The same sudden inspiration of common-sense that had flashed upon Captain Bennett, in encountering the snake now raised him to the level of this emergency.He comprehended that the volley they had received had emptied every Rebel gun.The distance was so short that the enemy could be reached before they had time to re-load.

But no time must be lost in attempting to form, or in having the order regularly given by the Colonel.He sprang toward the enemy, waving his sword, and shouted in tones that echoed back from the cliffs:

"Attention, BATTALION! Charge bayonets! FORWARD, DOUBLE-QUICK, MARCH!"A swelling cheer answered him.His own company ran forward to follow his impetuous lead.The others joined in rapidly.Away they dashed down the side of the declivity, and in an instant more were swarming up the opposite side toward the astonished Rebels.

Among these divided councils reigned.Some were excited snapping unloaded guns at the oncoming foe; others were fixing bayonets, and sturdily urging their comrades to do likewise, and meet the rushing wave of cold steel with a counter wave.The weaker-hearted ones were already clambering up the mountain-side out of reach of harm.

There was no time for debate.The blue line led by Bennett flung itself upon the dark-brown mass of Rebels like an angry wave dashing over a flimsy bank of sand, and in an instant there was nothing to be done but pursue the disrupted and flying fragments.It was all over.