He saw a stone fence running down the center of a field, and then he saw beyond it a great mass of Northern infantry advancing with bayonets shining and colors waving.

From his own side a regiment was running toward it.
Who would reach the fence first?
The pulses in Harry's temple beat so hard that they hurt.

He could not take his eyes from that terrible race, a race of human beings, a race of life and death.

The sun blazed down on the rival forces as they sped across the field.

But the Southerners reached the wall first.