The commander called Antonio, and directed him to take a squad and mount the hill directly to the east, using that as an observation point. Roland was one of the squad, and the boys begged permission to accompany them.
They made a hurried rush across the intervening depression, the entire force numbering fifty-five men. If the officer in command had known that the mission would be a dangerous one he would have denied the boys permission to go along; but it was too late now.
It was well that the commander had taken the precaution, for the moment they gained the crest of the hill they could plainly observe a body of infantry coming up the hill a mile to the east, and this was absolutely unobservable from the quarry position.
Before Antonio had time to consider what to do a company of dismounted cavalry appeared at the foot of the hill, evidently with the object of using the elevation as an observation point. The Germans had no idea that it was already occupied.
Antonio quietly gave instructions to the men. "Do not fire until I give the order. Keep cool, and when you fire, shoot low, and aim deliberately."
Alfred and Ralph were now at fever heat. It was the most momentous period of their lives. The excitement was most intense, and what made it still more trying was that they must keep quiet and suppress their feelings.
What emotions must be uppermost in the minds of soldiers when they are about to engage in the first real battle. Gen. Grant describes the feeling that overtook him while leading his company up the hill to meet, for the first time, an enemy, who was waiting to receive him. He said that the sensation was an indescribable one,—that his heart was in his mouth, and a spasm of sickness passed through his frame, which grew in intensity, until he began to think that, probably, the enemy felt just the same as he did, and gradually that terrible agony passed from him.
The enemy crossed the last fence and was now coming forward, fully a hundred men, along the side of the hill, and over obstructions that horses could not have passed.
Onward and upward. Why would not Antonio give the word to fire. The boys saw more than one of the men look toward him. The rifles were held ready for the trigger; still Antonio remained cool and impassive.
"Look at Antonio," said Alfred, under his breath. Then when he turned to look at Ralph he saw the gun in his hand trembling, and Alfred for the first time realized that his own hand was not steady, and it might be said that many a gun trembled at the first experience, for, aside from Antonio, few, if any, in that firing line had ever been in actual battle.