With a cheer they followed their gallant young leader. After riding about two miles, Fred reined up and said: "They have not dodged us, have they, boys? We ought to have sighted them before this. Here is where we turned off of the road. By heavens! I believe they noticed that a squad of horsemen had turned off into the woods, and are following the tracks. Let's see," and Fred jumped from his horse, and examined the tracks leading into the woods.
"That's what they did, boys," said he, looking up. "I will give that lieutenant credit for having sharp eyes. Now, boys, we will give him a surprise by following."
They did not go more than half a mile before they caught sight of the Confederates. Evidently they had concluded not to follow the tracks any farther, for they had turned and were coming back, and the two parties must have sighted each other at nearly the same moment.
There was the sharp crack of a carbine, and a ball whistled over the Federals' heads.
"Steady, men," said Fred. "They are coming."
But he was mistaken. The young lieutenant who led the Confederates was far too careful a leader to charge an unknown number of men. Instead of charging the Confederates dismounted, and leaving their horses in charge of two of their number the rest deployed and advanced, dodging from tree to tree, and the bullets began to whistle uncomfortably close, one horse being hit.
"Dismount, and take the horses back," was Fred's order. "We must meet them with their own game." The two men who were detailed to take the horses back went away grumbling because they were not allowed to stay in the fight.
Telling them to keep well covered, Fred advanced his men slightly, and soon the carbines were cracking at a lively rate.
But the fight was more noisy than dangerous, every man being careful to keep a tree between himself and his foe.
"This can be kept up all day," muttered Fred, "and only trees and ammunition will suffer. I must try something else."