patience for a little while. Their leader wished to destroy Slade's
whole force at one stroke.

Colonel Winchester took out his watch and held it before him in the faint
moonlight. He would not move until the ten minutes exactly had passed.
Then he closed the watch and gave the signal, but stationed officers
along the line to see that the men made as little noise as possible.
The long black column moved again through the forest and Dick, full of
excitement was at its head with the colonel and the sergeant.

They reached a slope, crept up it, and then spread out, as they knew that
the valley and the enemy were within rifle shot. Dick, glancing through
the bushes, saw the glitter of steel and caught the murmur of voices.
He knew that their presence was not yet suspected, and he did not like
the idea of firing from ambush upon anybody, but there was no occasion
for testing his scruples, as the advance of so many men created noise
sufficient to reach the alert ears in the glade.

"Up, men! The enemy!" he heard a voice shout. Colonel Winchester at the
same moment ordered his men to fire and charge with the bayonet.

A terrible volley was poured into the valley, and it seemed to Dick that
half of Slade's force went down, but as they rushed forward to finish
the task they met a fire that caused many of the Union soldiers to drop.
Slade was evidently a man of ability. Dick saw him springing about and
blowing a little silver whistle, which he knew was a call to rally.

But the surprise was too sudden and great. The irregulars, fighting hard,
were driven out of the valley and into the woods on the upper side of the
glade. Sheltered in the underbrush, they might have made a good defense