It made a huge shower of red dots against the white screen of the mist, and now they heard shouts and the beat of thousands of hoofs.
"They're making for our artillery!" exclaimed Sherburne with true instinct.

"Follow me, men! We must hold them back, for a few minutes at least!" Sherburne and his gallant troops were just in time.

A great force of cavalry in blue suddenly appeared in the whitish and foggy dawn and charged straight for the guns.

Without delaying a moment, Sherburne flung his troops in between, although they were outnumbered twenty to one or more.

He did not expect to stop them; he merely hoped to delay them a few minutes, and therefore he offered himself as a sacrifice.
Harry was beside Sherburne as they galloped straight toward the Northern cavalry, firing their short carbines and then swinging their sabres.
"They'll ride over us!" he shouted to Sherburne.
"But we'll trouble 'em a little as they pass!" the captain shouted back.
Harry shut his teeth hard together.