Soldiers on Roof. (Rising.) She is swimming the river! (Brightly seizes a rifle from a soldier, dashes round L., and, during a flash of lightning, fires at her. D’Arneaux dashing in L., knocks the rifle aside, too late. Brightly springs to R.)
D’A. You have murdered that heroic girl! Take your knife, coward, for, by heaven, one of us shall follow!
Brightly. (To soldiers.) Arrest that man for treason! (Soldiers surround D’A. with a cordon of bayonets, when he drops his knife and hangs his head.)
Brightly. I have waited for this! A court-martial and the bullet shall end it! (Curtain.)
ACT IV.
Scene 1. Night. Heavy forest. Gen. Sherman disc. looking away to R. Occasional flashes of lightning, and thunder in the distance. Occasional picket firing, R. Staff, L.
Sherman. A terrible storm! The men must be wet and hungry. Orderly! (Enter Ord. L. U. E.) Tell the commissary to hurry the hot coffee and fresh food to the front at once. (Ex. Ord. L. U. E.) I must cross the river before daylight, or my opportunity is lost. Martel! (Enter Telegraph Operator, L. U. E.) Tell Schofield and Howard they must force a passage of the river at four o’clock, at all hazards. (Op. works machine and waits.) Do they understand?
Operator. They do. (Enter Halcom, R. U. E., coatless, hair dishevelled, wounded.)
Sherman. (Rushing to grasp his hand.) In heaven’s name, Halcom, from where do you come?
Halcom. The rebel camp.