“I’m sorry to say I was, sir,” replied the sergeant.  “It was a great ambush, and it’s succeeding so far.”

“But we must hold them!  We must find some way to hold them!” cried the colonel.

He said more, but it was lost in the tremendous uproar of the firing and the shouting.  All the officers were dismounted—­their horses already had been taken by the enemy—­and now, waving their swords, they walked up and down in front of the lines, seeking to encourage their own troops.  Despite the surprise and the attack from two sides, the men in blue sustained their courage and made a stubborn fight.  Nevertheless the attack in both front and flank was fatal.  Again and again they sought to hold a position, but always they were driven from it, leaving behind more dead and wounded and more prisoners.

Dick’s heart sank.  It was bitter to see a defeat, after so many victories.  Perhaps the fortunes of the South had not passed the zenith after all!  If Sheridan were defeated and driven from the valley, and Lee’s flank left protected, Grant might sit forever before him at Petersburg and not be able to force his trenches.  All these thoughts and fears swept before him, vague, disconnected, and swift.

But he saw that Warner, Pennington and the colonel were still unhurt, and that the Winchesters, despite their exposed position, had not suffered as much loss as some of the other regiments.  General Wright in the absence of Sheridan retained his head, and formed a strong core of resistance which, although it could not yet hold the ground, might give promise of doing so, if help arrived.

Dawn came, driving the fog away, and casting a red glow over the field of battle.  The ground where the Union troops had slept the night before was now left far behind, and the Southern army, full of fire and the swell of victory, was pushing on with undiminished energy, its whole front blazing with the rapid discharge of cannon and rifles.

The terrible retreat lasted a long time, and the whole Union army was driven back a full five miles before it could make a permanent stand.  Then, far in the morning, the regiments reformed, held their ground, and Dick, for the first time, took a long free breath.

“We’ve been defeated but not destroyed,” he said.

“No, we haven’t,” said a voice beside him, “but the fact that the Johnnies were so hungry has saved us a lot.”

It was Shepard, who seemed to have risen from the ground.

“I’ve got back from places farther north,” he said.  “Chance kept me away from here last night.”

“What do you mean about the Southern hunger helping us?” asked Dick.

“I’ve been on the flank, and I saw that when they drove us out of our camps the temptation was too great for many of their men.  They scattered, seizing our good food and devouring it.  It was impossible for their officers to restrain them.  They’ve suffered losses too, and they can drive us no farther.”