You may know that Captain Edney loved the boy to whom he gave so many words and such serious thought at a time of action and peril. Perhaps he had heard of Winch's pusillanimity, and understood the spirit which prompted Frank to fill his place. Certain it is he saw in the lad's eye the guarantee that, if permitted, he would give no cowardly account of himself that day. So, reluctantly, dreading lest evil might happen to him, he granted his request; and with a thrill of joy, Frank sprang to Atwater's side. "I'm here, old Abe!" "I'm glad--and sorry!" said Abe. The company had halted, awaiting the movement of the troops in front. "We are getting into a splendid position!" said Gray, who had passed through the undergrowth to reconnoitre. "We're fairly on their flank, and not discovered yet!" "How far did you go?" asked Captain Edney. "To the clearing, which is just there where the woods look lighter. I could see the guns of the battery blazing away, and rebels in the woods supporting it. They're too busy to notice us." "We're discovered, though!" said Captain Edney as a bullet came chipping its way among the twigs above them. "The sharpshooters are after us!" said Gray, gayly. "And now we're after them!" The order was given to advance. The men dashed forward through the bushes. They soon made the clearing, and marching along its edge, opened fire by file upon the battery and the rebels in the woods. "You do well, Frank!" said Atwater, seeing his young companion coolly loading and firing at his side. "It's a perfect surprise to them! they didn't think we could do it!" cried Gray, elated. "Lively, boys! lively." The firing, regular at first, running along the line from right to left, soon became a continual rattling, each man loading at will, and firing whenever an enemy's head showed itself. "There! I popped you over, you sneaking rebel!" cried Seth Tucket, watching the effect of his shot. "Take the fellow next to him there, Harris! behind that stump!" "Let him put up his head a little higher!" said Harris, taking aim. He fired. The rebel dropped, not behind the stump, but beside it. "You've saved him!" shouted Tucket. "That'll pay for Ellis and Jack Winch!" The fire of the enemy in the woods was soon concentrated on Captain Edney's company, which happened to be most exposed. "Fire and load lying!" rang the captain's voice through the din. Frank saw those next him throw themselves down behind a fallen tree. He did the same. The trunk presented an excellent rest for his musket, and he fired across it. But when he came to load, he found difficulty. He had been exercised in the manual of arms, yet the operation of ramming the cartridge while on his back was beyond his practice. Give him time, and he could do it. But he felt that time was precious, and that every shot told.