At last, when everything was in readiness, the Forty-sixth charged their opponents and with little effort drove them back. The Fifty-first, however, rallied, and then began to press their foes back to their former position. In the midst of all the efforts there was wild excitement and loud cheers among the spectators, whose numbers increased with every passing moment. When the Fifty-first re-formed, it was directly in front of Levi's tent of supplies. A few minutes later, the bugle sounded and the Forty-sixth charged again. Down came the laughing boys like a whirlwind, every one yelling as loudly as his lungs enabled him. Apparently the sight of the charge of the noisy soldiers brought dismay to the hearts of the re-formed regiment, and before a word had been spoken they began to fall back. The applause and laughter among the spectators increased as the howling, laughing mass of soldiers ran swiftly forward driving their "enemies" before them. Unfortunately for the sutler, his tent and supplies were directly in the way of the retreating Fifty-first. No one afterward could explain how it had been done, but the ropes of Levi's tent somehow were cut, and in a trice the stock of the little sutler was scattered over what seemed to be a half-acre of ground. There were few of the soldiers who did not have some articles in their hands. The battle itself seemed to have been forgotten, and in a brief time all the goods had disappeared, either into haversacks or into secret pockets of the thoughtless soldiers. Levi, almost like a madman, was fighting to save his property. At one time he seized a cheese-knife and with it strove desperately to strike some of the boys. He was quickly disarmed, however, and as he was pushed from one to another he not only found no place upon which his feet could secure a resting-place, but no other weapon came within his grasp. At last, when he was released by the howling mass of soldiers, he was at least five hundred yards from the place where his ruined store had been located. It was manifest now that every soldier understood the purpose of the sham battle. The very location had been selected with the thought to bring dire troubles upon the unpopular sutler, who so often had taken advantage of the boys in their purchases of his supplies. By this time, however, orders had come from headquarters which speedily dispersed the disorderly mob, and in a brief time the camp resumed its former appearance, save for the loss of the sutler's stores and tent. It was at this time that Noel unexpectedly came upon the little sutler. The man was almost beside himself with anger and grief. "I vill haf the law on them!" he shouted. "They shall be shot, efery one! I vill haf mine goots vonce more!" Not untouched by the suffering of the man, Noel said to him, "I don't think the boys meant anything very bad. They thought you had been charging them too much for what they have been buying."