“Soldiers!” he cried. “You are all men of the border. You know its dangers. In the face of the rising savage tide you swore to serve your state; like brave men you moved forward to strike a blow at the murderers of your fellow settlers. But you have had a change of heart! Why is this? Has the wilderness frightened you? Have the savages, whom you have twice beaten, broken your spirit? You have said it was lack of food which turned your thoughts homeward. Well, here is food in plenty. Be men; march back to Fort Strother in good spirits; and in one month we shall have ended the campaign.” But the men refused; even while he was speaking, the boldest of them broke their ranks; the others followed suit; in a mass, disorganized, with no thought of anything but their own desires, they moved forward on the road home. In a fury Jackson seized a rifle from one of them; his left arm was powerless, and he was unable to level the rifle in the usual way. So he stepped back to where his horse was standing; resting the barrel of the weapon across the animal’s neck, he covered the mutineers. “Let any man among you make a step forward,” he shouted, fiercely, “and I will shoot him as I would a snake.” Like a statue of wrath and command he stood for a moment--alone. Then Colonel Coffee and another officer, each armed with a rifle, leaped to his side. “Now, then,” cried Jack Davis to his friend. Frank answered promptly; and as they moved forward, the remainder of the scouts followed. Then some companies of volunteers, possibly ashamed of their conduct, lined themselves up behind the heroic leader. The mass of disorganized soldiers hesitated and wavered. “Fall in!” thundered General Jackson. Automatically, the ranks were reformed. “About-face!” They turned toward the wilderness fort once more. “March!” And away they went, their rifles on their shoulders, sullenly but steadily. The iron will of Jackson had conquered. CHAPTER XIII THE BEGINNING OF THE END The spirit of revolt which had risen up in Jackson’s army would not down. Though unflinchingly faced by him it rose and rose again; for these men of the border lands were wild, uncontrolled fellows who knew no discipline and were accustomed to receive orders from no man. Once Jackson brought two pieces of artillery to bear upon them, loaded and the gunners with lighted matches in their hands. But as often as he suppressed the mutinies just as often they broke out in a fresh place. So persistent did the thing become that the authorities of the state of Tennessee, and those at Washington, evidently having little hope of securing any real service from such a discontented force, took a hand in the proceedings; the result was that the men were gradually recalled. At one period the indomitable Jackson had but a hundred men left him.