“Your regiment has suffered, Colonel,” answered Waldron, glancing at the scattered files of the Fourteenth.  “Halt it and reorganize it, and let it fall in with the right of the First when Peck comes up.  I shall replace you with the Fifth.  Send your Adjutant back to Colburn and tell him to hurry along.  Those fellows are making a new front over there,” he added, pointing to the centre of the hill.  “I want the Fifth, Seventh and Tenth in echelon as quickly as possible.  And I want that cavalry.  Lieutenant,” turning to one of his staff, “ride off to the left and find Colonel Stilton.  Tell him that I need a charge in ten minutes.”

Presently cannon opened from that part of the ridge still held by the Confederates, the shell tearing through or over the dissolving groups of their right wing, and cracking viciously above the heads of the victorious Unionists.  The explosions followed each other with stunning rapidity, and the shrill whirring of the splinters was ominous.  Men began to fall again in the ranks or to drop out of them wounded.  Of all this Waldron took no further note than to ride hastily to the brow of the ridge and look for his own artillery.

“See how he attinds to iverything himself,” said Major Gahogan, who had cantered up to the side of Fitz Hugh.  “It’s just a matther of plain business, an’ he looks after it loike a business man.  Did ye see us, though, Captin, whin we come in on their right flank?  By George, we murthered um.  There’s more’n a hundred lyin’ in hapes back there.  As for old Stilton, I just caught sight of um behind that wood to our left, an’ he’s makin’ for the enemy’s right rair.  He’ll have lots o’ prisoners in half an hour.”

When Waldron returned to the group he was told of his cavalry’s whereabouts, and responded to the information with a smile of satisfaction.

“Bradley is hurrying up,” he said, “and Taylor is pushing their left smartly.  They will make one more tussle to recover their line of retreat; but we shall smash them from end to end and take every gun.”

He galloped now to his infantry, and gave the word “Forward!” The three regiments which composed the echelon were the Fifth on the right, the Seventh fifty yards to the rear and left of the Fifth, the Tenth to the rear and left of the Seventh.  It was behind the Fifth, that is the foremost battalion, that the brigade commander posted himself.

“Do you mean to stay here, Colonel?” asked Fitz Hugh, in surprise and anxiety.

“It is a certain victory now,” answered Waldron, with a singular glance upward.  “My life is no longer important.  I prefer to do my duty to the utmost in the sight of all men.”

“I shall follow you and do mine, sir,” said the Captain, much moved, he could scarcely say by what emotions, they were so many and conflicting.

“I want you otherwheres.  Ride to Colonel Taylor at once, and hurry him up the hill.  Tell him the enemy have greatly weakened their left.  Tell him to push up everything, infantry, and cavalry, and artillery, and to do it in haste.”