"Other men than our own are moving in the forest. I can hear the tread
of horses' hoofs on the dry leaves and twigs at the far edge. Our scouts
should meet them in a moment or two."

It came as the sergeant had predicted, and Dick saw a tiny flash of fire,
not much larger than a pink dot in the woods, heard the sharp report of a
rifle and then the crack of another rifle in reply. Silence followed for
an instant, but it was evident that the hostile forces were in touch and
then in another moment or two the horses of the scouts crashed in the
brush, as they rode back to the main column. They had seen enough.

Colonel Hertford gave the order and the entire Union force now advanced
at a gallop. Through the woods, narrowing so rapidly, came the swift
beat of hoofs on the other side, and it was apparent that coincidence
would bring the two forces to the point of convergence at the same time.
The moonlight seemed to Dick to grow so bright and intense that it had
almost the quality of sunlight. Nature, in the absence of day, was
making the field of battle as light as possible.

"What's the lay of the land at the point of meeting?" he whispered
hurriedly to Shepard who had ridden up by his side.

"Almost level," came the quick response.

A few more rapid hoofbeats and the shrouding woods between disappeared.
One column saw another column, both clad in the moonlight, in Dick's
fancy, all in silver mail. The two forces wheeled and faced each other
across the open space, their horses staring with red eyes, and the men
looking intently at their opponents. Both were oppressed for an instant
or two by a deep and singular silence.