Miles ahead of the 200th Ind.'s place in the column the rebels were offering annoying disputation of farther progress. Lines as brown as the dried leaves on the oak trees would form on the hilltops, batteries would gallop into position, and there would be sharp bangs by the cannon and a sputter of musketry-fire. Then the long, blue serpent would wriggle out of the road into the fields, as if coiling to strike. Union batteries would rush on to hilltops and fire across valleys at the rebel cannon, and a sputter of musketry would answer that from the leaf-brown ranks on the hilltops, which would dissolve and march back{33} to the next hilltop, where the thing would be gone over again. The 200th Ind. would occasionally see one of these performances as it marched over and down one of the hills. As the afternoon was wearing away the 200th{34} Ind. kept nearing the front, where this was going on. Finally, when the dull day was shading into dusk, and the brigade ahead of it was forming in the field at the foot of a hill to open a bickering fire against the dun line at the top, the 200th Ind. was taken off the road and marched away over to the left, where it was put into line in front of a dense grove of cedars. "Capt. McGillicuddy," commanded the Colonel to the Captain of Co. Q, "advance your company as skirmishers to the edge of the cedars, and send a Corporal and five men into the thicket to see if there is anything there." "Corporal Klegg," said the Captain, "take five men off the left of the company and go in and see what's in there." Si was instantly fired with the importance of the duty assigned him. He sent two of his men to the left, two to the right, while he and Shorty, a little distance apart, struck for the heart of the thicket. They made their way with difficulty through the dense chaparral for some minute's, and then stopped, as they heard voices and the crashing of branches in front. Si's heart thumped against his ribs. He looked over to his left, and saw Shorty standing there peering earnestly into the brush, with his gun cocked and ready to fire. He ran over to him and whispered: "What do you see, Shorty?" [Illustration: WHAT DO YOU SEE, SHORTY?' 33] "Nothin' yit, but I expect to every minute," replied Shorty, without turning his intent eyes. Si's gun was already cocked, and he bent his head {35}forward eagerly, to get a better view. But he could see nothing, except that the tops of the bushes were shaking. "Shall we skip back an' report?" asked Si. "I ain't goin' till I see something," said Shorty, stoutly. "Nor me," echoed Si, rather ashamed that he had suggested it. "Steady, there; steady, on the right! Come for ward with that left company," called out a stern voice in front. "Must be a full regiment in there," whispered Si, craning his neck still farther. The tramping and crashing increased. "Steady, men, I tell you! Steady! Press on the center," commanded the unseen Colonel. "Forward! Forward!"