The bulk of their column had already streamed past him.

If defeated, there was always the danger that it might be rolled back upon him--but he conjectured that the division commander would attempt to prevent the junction of the supports with the main column by breaking between them, crowding them from the ridge, and joining him.

As the last stragglers of the rear guard swept by, Brant's bugles were already recalling the skirmishers.

He redoubled his pickets, and resolved to wait and watch.
And there was the more painful duty of looking after the wounded and the dead.

The larger rooms of the headquarters had already been used as a hospital.