At the same moment he dropped almost flat upon the ground.

The bullet cut the leaves above Woodville and he sprang back, startled.

A half-dozen Southern skirmishers fired at the flash of Dick's pistol, but he, too, lying on the ground, heard them cutting leaves over his head.
Dick saw the face of Woodville disappear from the bush, and then he crept away, rejoining Colonel Winchester and his comrades.

Five minutes later the skirmish ceased by mutual consent, and each band fell back on its own army, convinced that both were on the watch.
They were to advance at four o'clock in the morning, but Pennington's prediction came true.

After midnight, flashes of lightning cut the sky and the thunder rolled heavily.