“He’ll go straight to the heart of the trouble,” said Harry.  “He’ll attack the guns themselves.”

He did not know actually in what manner Sherburne would proceed, but he was quite sure that such would be his course.  The wary Southern leader instantly detailed a swarm of his best riflemen to creep through the woods toward the cannon.  In a few minutes the gunners themselves were under the fire of hidden marksmen who shot surpassingly well.  The gunners, the cannoneers, the spongers, the rammers and the ammunition passers were cut down with deadly certainty.

The captain of the guns, knowing that the terrible rifle fire was coming from the thickets, deluged the woods and bushes with shells and shrapnel, but the riflemen lay close, hugging the ground, and although a few were killed and more wounded, the vast majority crept closer and closer, shooting straight and true in the moonlight.  The fire from the batteries became scattered and wild.  Their crews were cut down so fast that not enough men were left to work the guns, and their commander reluctantly gave the order to withdraw to a less exposed position.

“Rifles triumphant over artillery,” said Harry, who studied everything through his glasses; “but of course the dusk helped the riflemen.”

“That’s true,” said Dalton, “but it takes good men like Sherburne to use the favoring chances.  Now our boys are charging!”

The tremendous rebel yell swelled through the forest, and the Southern infantry rushed to the attack.  Harry saw that the charge was successful, and his ears told him so too.  The firing moved further and further away, and soon declined in volume.

“They’ve been beaten off,” said Harry.

“At least for the time,” said Dalton, “but I’ve an idea they’ll hang on our front and may attack again in a day or so.”

“How then are you and I to get through and tell General Lee that this is the place to bridge the Potomac, if it’s to be bridged at all?”

Dalton shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he replied, “and I won’t think about it until Colonel Sherburne gives his orders.”

The sounds of battle died in the distant woods.  The last shot, whether from cannon or rifle, was fired, and the Southern troops returned to their positions, which they began to fortify strongly.  Sherburne appeared presently, his uniform cut by bullets in two or three places, but his body untouched.  He drew Harry and Dalton aside, where their words could not be heard by anybody else.

“You two,” he said, “were to report to General Lee when I thought fit.  Well, the time has come; Harry, you go first, and, at a suitable moment, George will follow.  We have news of surpassing importance.  We took a number of prisoners in that battle and we were also lucky enough to rescue several of our men who had been held as captives.  We’ve learned from them that General Meade, after making up his mind to pursue, followed straight behind us for a while, but he has now turned and gone southward in the direction of Frederick.  He will cross South Mountain, advance toward Sharpsburg, and attempt to smash us here, with our backs to this swollen river.  Why, some of the Federal leaders consider the Army of Northern Virginia as good as destroyed already!”