Asputteringofmusketrywasalwaystobeheard. Later,thecannonhadenteredthedispute. Inthefog-filledairtheirvoicesmadeathuddingsound.Thereverberationswerecontinual. Thispartoftheworldledastrange,battlefulexistence. Theyouth’sregimentwasmarchedtorelieveacommandthathadlainlonginsomedamptrenches. Thementookpositionsbehindacurvinglineofriflepitsthathadbeenturnedup,likealargefurrow,alongthelineofwoods. Beforethemwasalevelstretch,peopledwithshort,deformedstumps. Fromthewoodsbeyondcamethedullpoppingoftheskirmishersandpickets,firinginthefog. Fromtherightcamethenoiseofaterrificfracas. Themencuddledbehindthesmallembankmentandsatineasyattitudesawaitingtheirturn.Manyhadtheirbackstothefiring. Theyouth’sfriendlaydown,buriedhisfaceinhisarms,andalmostinstantly,itseemed,hewasinadeepsleep. Theyouthleanedhisbreastagainstthebrowndirtandpeeredoveratthewoodsandupanddowntheline. Curtainsoftreesinterferedwithhiswaysofvision. Hecouldseethelowlineoftrenchesbutforashortdistance. Afewidleflagswereperchedonthedirthills. Behindthemwererowsofdarkbodieswithafewheadsstickingcuriouslyoverthetop. Alwaysthenoiseofskirmisherscamefromthewoodsonthefrontandleft,andthedinontherighthadgrowntofrightfulproportions. Thegunswereroaringwithoutaninstant’spauseforbreath. Itseemedthatthecannonhadcomefromallpartsandwereengagedinastupendouswrangle. Itbecameimpossibletomakeasentenceheard. Theyouthwishedtolaunchajoke—aquotationfromnewspapers. Hedesiredtosay,“AllquietontheRappahannock,”butthegunsrefusedtopermitevenacommentupontheiruproar. Heneversuccessfullyconcludedthesentence. Butatlastthegunsstopped,andamongthemenintheriflepitsrumorsagainflew,likebirds,buttheywerenowforthemostpartblackcreatureswhoflappedtheirwingsdrearilyneartothegroundandrefusedtoriseonanywingsofhope. Themen’sfacesgrewdolefulfromtheinterpretingofomens. Talesofhesitationanduncertaintyonthepartofthosehighinplaceandresponsibilitycametotheirears. Storiesofdisasterwereborneintotheirmindswithmanyproofs. Thisdinofmusketryontheright,growinglikeareleasedgenieofsound,expressedandemphasizedthearmy’splight. Themenweredisheartenedandbegantomutter. Theymadegesturesexpressiveofthesentence:“Ah,whatmorecanwedo?” Anditcouldalwaysbeseenthattheywerebewilderedbytheallegednewsandcouldnotfullycomprehendadefeat. Beforethegraymistshadbeentotallyobliteratedbythesunrays,theregimentwasmarchinginaspreadcolumnthatwasretiringcarefullythroughthewoods. Thedisordered,hurryinglinesoftheenemycouldsometimesbeseendownthroughthegrovesandlittlefields.Theywereyelling,shrillandexultant. Atthissighttheyouthforgotmanypersonalmattersandbecamegreatlyenraged.Heexplodedinloudsentences.“B’jiminey,we’regeneraledbyalot‘alunkheads.” “Morethanonefellerhassaidthatt’-day,”observedaman. Hisfriend,recentlyaroused,wasstillverydrowsy.Helookedbehindhimuntilhismindtookinthemeaningofthemovement.Thenhesighed.“Oh,well,Is’posewegotlicked,”heremarkedsadly. Theyouthhadathoughtthatitwouldnotbehandsomeforhimtofreelycondemnothermen. Hemadeanattempttorestrainhimself,butthewordsuponhistongueweretoobitter. Hepresentlybeganalongandintricatedenunciationofthecommanderoftheforces. “Mebbe,itwa’n’tallhisfault—notalltogether.Hedidth’bestheknowed. It’sourluckt’gitlickedoften,”saidhisfriendinawearytone. Hewastrudgingalongwithstoopedshouldersandshiftingeyeslikeamanwhohasbeencanedandkicked. “Well,don’twefightlikethedevil?Don’twedoallthatmencan?”demandedtheyouthloudly. Hewassecretlydumfoundedatthissentimentwhenitcamefromhislips. Foramomenthisfacelostitsvalorandhelookedguiltilyabouthim. Butnoonequestionedhisrighttodealinsuchwords,andpresentlyherecoveredhisairofcourage. Hewentontorepeatastatementhehadheardgoingfromgrouptogroupatthecampthatmorning. “Thebrigadiersaidheneversawanewreg’mentfightthewaywefoughtyestirday,didn’the? Andwedidn’tdobetterthanmanyanotherreg’ment,didwe? Well,then,youcan’tsayit’sth’army’sfault,canyou?” Inhisreply,thefriend’svoicewasstern.”’Acoursenot,”hesaid. “Nomandaresaywedon’tfightliketh’devil.Nomanwilleverdaresayit.Th’boysfightlikehell-roosters. Butstill—still,wedon’thavenoluck.” “Well,then,ifwefightlikethedevilan’don’teverwhip,itmustbethegeneral’sfault,”saidtheyouthgrandlyanddecisively. “AndIdon’tseeanysenseinfightingandfightingandfighting,yetalwayslosingthroughsomedernedoldlunkheadofageneral.” Asarcasticmanwhowastrampingattheyouth’sside,thenspokelazily.“Mebbeyehthinkyehfitth’hullbattleyestirday,Fleming,”heremarked. Thespeechpiercedtheyouth.Inwardlyhewasreducedtoanabjectpulpbythesechancewords.Hislegsquakedprivately.Hecastafrightenedglanceatthesarcasticman. “Why,no,”hehastenedtosayinaconciliatingvoice“Idon’tthinkIfoughtthewholebattleyesterday.” Buttheotherseemedinnocentofanydeepermeaning.Apparently,hehadnoinformation.Itwasmerelyhishabit.“Oh!”herepliedinthesametoneofcalmderision. Theyouth,nevertheless,feltathreat.Hismindshrankfromgoingneartothedanger,andthereafterhewassilent. Thesignificanceofthesarcasticman’swordstookfromhimallloudmoodsthatwouldmakehimappearprominent.Hebecamesuddenlyamodestperson. Therewaslow-tonedtalkamongthetroops. Theofficerswereimpatientandsnappy,theircountenancescloudedwiththetalesofmisfortune. Thetroops,siftingthroughtheforest,weresullen. Intheyouth’scompanyonceaman’slaughrangout. Adozensoldiersturnedtheirfacesquicklytowardhimandfrownedwithvaguedispleasure. Thenoiseoffiringdoggedtheirfootsteps. Sometimes,itseemedtobedrivenalittleway,butitalwaysreturnedagainwithincreasedinsolence. Themenmutteredandcursed,throwingblacklooksinitsdirection. Inaclearspacethetroopswereatlasthalted. Regimentsandbrigades,brokenanddetachedthroughtheirencounterswiththickets,grewtogetheragainandlineswerefacedtowardthepursuingbarkoftheenemy’sinfantry. Thisnoise,followingliketheyelpingsofeager,metallichounds,increasedtoaloudandjoyousburst,andthen,asthesunwentserenelyupthesky,throwingilluminatingraysintothegloomythickets,itbrokeforthintoprolongedpealings.Thewoodsbegantocrackleasifafire. “Whoop-a-dadee,”saidaman,“hereweare!Everybodyfightin’.Bloodan’destruction.” “Iwaswillin’t’betthey’dattackassoonasth’sungotfairlyup,”savagelyassertedthelieutenantwhocommandedtheyouth’scompany. Hejerkedwithoutmercyathislittlemustache. Hestrodetoandfrowithdarkdignityintherearofhismen,whowerelyingdownbehindwhateverprotectiontheyhadcollected. Abatteryhadtrundledintopositionintherearandwasthoughtfullyshellingthedistance. Theregiment,unmolestedasyet,awaitedthemomentwhenthegrayshadowsofthewoodsbeforethemshouldbeslashedbythelinesofflame.Therewasmuchgrowlingandswearing. “GoodGawd,”theyouthgrumbled,“we’realwaysbeingchasedaroundlikerats!Itmakesmesick. Nobodyseemstoknowwherewegoorwhywego. Wejustgetfiredaroundfrompillartopostandgetlickedhereandgetlickedthere,andnobodyknowswhatit’sdonefor. Itmakesamanfeellikeadamn’kitteninabag. Now,I’dliketoknowwhattheeternalthunderswewasmarchedintothesewoodsforanyhow,unlessitwastogivetherebsaregularpotshotatus. Wecameinhereandgotourlegsalltangledupinthesecussedbriers,andthenwebegintofightandtherebshadaneasytimeofit.Don’ttellmeit’sjustluck!Iknowbetter.It’sthisdernedold—” Thefriendseemedjaded,butheinterruptedhiscomradewithavoiceofcalmconfidence.“It’llturnoutallrightinth’end,”hesaid. “Oh,thedevilitwill!Youalwaystalklikeadog-hangedparson.Don’ttellme!Iknow—” Atthistimetherewasaninterpositionbythesavage-mindedlieutenant,whowasobligedtoventsomeofhisinwarddissatisfactionuponhismen.“Youboysshutrightup! Therenoneed‘ayourwastin’yourbreathinlong-windedargumentsaboutthisan’thatan’th’other. You’vebeenjawin’likealot‘aoldhens. Allyou’vegott’doistofight,an’you’llgetplenty‘athatt’doinabouttenminutes. Lesstalkin’an’morefightin’iswhat’sbestforyouboys.Ineversawsechgabblingjackasses.” Hepaused,readytopounceuponanymanwhomighthavethetemeritytoreply.Nowordsbeingsaid,heresumedhisdignifiedpacing. “There’stoomuchchinmusican’toolittlefightin’inthiswar,anyhow,”hesaidtothem,turninghisheadforafinalremark. Thedayhadgrownmorewhite,untilthesunshedhisfullradianceuponthethrongedforest. Asortofagustofbattlecamesweepingtowardthatpartofthelinewherelaytheyouth’sregiment. Thefrontshiftedatrifletomeetitsquarely.Therewasawait. Inthispartofthefieldtherepassedslowlytheintensemomentsthatprecedethetempest. Asinglerifleflashedinathicketbeforetheregiment. Inaninstantitwasjoinedbymanyothers. Therewasamightysongofclashesandcrashesthatwentsweepingthroughthewoods. Thegunsintherear,arousedandenragedbyshellsthathadbeenthrownburr-likeatthem,suddenlyinvolvedthemselvesinahideousaltercationwithanotherbandofguns. Thebattleroarsettledtoarollingthunder,whichwasasingle,longexplosion. Intheregimenttherewasapeculiarkindofhesitationdenotedintheattitudesofthemen. Theywereworn,exhausted,havingsleptbutlittleandlaboredmuch. Theyrolledtheireyestowardtheadvancingbattleastheystoodawaitingtheshock.Someshrankandflinched.Theystoodasmentiedtostakes. 
