Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 Suddenly the ground was shaking, and hundreds of gray soldiers on horseback poured from the wooded hillside. "Rebel cavalry!" "We're under attack!" Henry grabbed Thomas and dragged him back into the grass, throwing him onto the ground so hard that the air was knocked from his lungs. "Line up! Line up!" Captain Campbell shouted. Thomas had watched the men drill back at the camp. They'd practice for hours, lining up in different battle formations, shooting at targets hundreds of

yards away. During drills they sometimes smiled and joked as they marched, tossing their hats into the air and catching them with the sharp metal tips of their bayonets. This was nothing like the drills. The men were dead serious. Even those who had been sagging during the march were now moving with lightning speed. With swift motions, the men ripped open their ammunition cartridges with their teeth, poured gunpowder down the barrels of their rifles, then pushed the bullets in with ramrods. "Stay down, Thomas!" Henry yelled. "Get behind me!" "Take aim!" the captain screamed. The soldiers all dropped to one knee, pointing their rifles at the charging cavalrymen. "Ready! Fire!" Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Bullets from a hundred muskets tore through the air.

Five rebel soldiers fell from their horses, tumbling onto the ground, rolling down the hill. "Reload and fire at will!" the captain shouted. Within seconds, the men had their rifles reloaded. Boom, boom, boom! More soldiers fell. Black gun smoke filled the air, mixing with the dust. And as quickly as they had appeared, the cavalrymen were gone. The Union soldiers stood up, catching their breath, running to help the few men who lay on the ground, wincing in pain. And then suddenly Thomas's mind roared with panic. Birdie! He leaped forward, staggering through the smoke. He managed to find the wagon that Birdie had been riding in. It was tipped over.

Sacks of flour and beans were scattered everywhere, some burst open by bullets. Lester and Homer were both in the grass, looking dazed and bruised. "Homer!" Thomas said. "Where's Birdie?" "Good Lord, I thought she was with you!" Homer said, jumping up. "Lester hurt his leg. I was trying to help him. And with all the smoke …" Thomas looked all around, praying he'd see Birdie running across the field, calling his name. But she was nowhere to be seen. Soon dozens of men were looking everywhere for her. They searched other wagons. They combed through the tall grass. Finally Thomas and Henry crossed the road and walked to the edge of the woods. Something caught Thomas's eye, something small lying on the ground. It was Birdie's doll.

He picked it up. It was splattered with blood.