Page:Into Mexico with General Scott (1920).djvu/224

 air seemed filled with suspense. The Mexican batteries up the road stayed very alert, expecting an attack. But the brigade officers, within sight of Jerry, constantly trained their glasses upon the lava field to the west—really paying more attention to that than to San Antonio.

Then about the middle of the afternoon the dull booming of artillery and the crash of musketry came rolling across the bristling lava. Speedily two clouds of smoke rose toward the sun; both were three or four miles away. The larger one veiled a hill that just showed itself above the lava field.

It was a battle at last. The large cloud was from the Mexican batteries, the smaller cloud from the American guns.

General Worth and a group of officers had issued upon the flat roof of the ranch house headquarters to gaze at the smoke. Division Adjutant Captain William Mackall galloped in from the headquarters to Colonel Garland; Brigade Adjutant Nichols bore the orders to Major Lee of the Fourth Regiment.

"The battalions are to stand in line, at rest, major, prepared to move."

"Battalion, attention!"

Officers ran to their places; the men, who had been sitting down, sprang up.

"Right—dress! Front! Order—arms! Battalion—rest!"

So the regiments waited for the command to march.

"We'll be going yonder and lend a hand." This was the hope. But although the firing grew heavier