"Well, Abe has spoken!" said Jack. "His mouth has been shut so tight all along, I didn't think 'twould open till the time comes for him to cry quarter."
"Atwater means to let his gun speak for him to-day," said Harris.
"What do we go so slow for? Why don't we hurry on?" said Jack. "I want to get at the rebels some time this week. I don't believe they——"
He was going to say that he didn't believe they would wait to fire a shot. But even as he spoke the confutation of his opinion resounded in the woods. Crack—crack—crack—went the rebel muskets; then followed a volley from the troops in advance.
"Why didn't you finish your sentence, Jack?" said Harris, with a smile.
"They're at it!" whispered Jack, in a changed voice.
"A little skirmishing," said Atwater, quietly.
Crack, crack, again; and—sing!—came a bullet over the heads of the men, cutting the leaves as it passed.
"Too high," laughed Gray, coolly.
"Halt!" come the command, which John Winch, for one, obeyed with amazing promptness.