Great limbs and even tops of trees
fell crashing after them. Blending faintly with the rending sound
which followed were screams and yells.
"Well," exclaimed the girl, "if Cousin Mad is there he at least is
brave. It seems as if my knees would give way under me."
Even as she spoke, a forked line of light burned downward athwart
the heavy rising clouds. The smoke of the battle was lurid an
instant; then came a peal which dwarfed the thunder of earthly
artillery. Strange to say, the sound was reassuring to the girl; it
was familiar. "Ah!" she cried, "the voice of heaven is louder than
this din, and heaven after all is supreme. This fiery battle will
soon be quenched and hot blood cooled."
The voice in the sky was unheeded, for entering the lawn from the
road, distant from the mansion about an eighth of a mile, was seen a
solid gray column. On it went toward the ridge at a sharp trot.
"Ah!" groaned Mr. Baron, "now comes the tug of war."
The girl screamed and moaned as she saw shells tearing their way
through this column, horses and men rolling over on the ground,
puffs of smoke which rose revealing frightful gaps; but on flowed
the dark gray torrent as if propelled by an invisible, resistless
force.
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