Who Goes There?

, needs must I rest

around me--disorderly mob ... I look behi

y deliberately, each one for himself, away from the field. Companies, regiments, and brigades were intermingled

--sick from hunger and fatigue--and was compelled to stop and rest. The li

me--Edmonds. I called to h

ou'd better get out of that

ho is hurt

main where I was. I remembered Dr. Khayme's encouraging words

nd, and saw a man waving his hand, and heard him call me again. I went toward him. It was Willi

e you hit

ee," he

ad

it seems to me that it don't

till we find an am

all the ambulances are needed

d taken it into their heads to go. By this time the routed troops before us were packed between the high banks of the ro

g," said I to Willis, "and let th

uldn't swallow a mouthful without water. Whiskey w

drop,"

he bottom of the hill, where the road strikes the low ground, the troops had greater space; some of them foll

the creek,"

at

r; I'm dying

ou can stand it

ng as God lets me, and I can stand it bett

n, and I'll help yo

st he could, and bravely too, althoug

was a strapping fellow, more than six feet tall and as strong as a bullock. So, while I fully understood the danger in tying myself to a wounded comrade, I could not find it in my heart to desert hi

p. Men were crossing at almost all points. Slowly following the hurrying groups of twos and threes who had outstripped us, we found at length, a place that seemed fordable f

"but look how they have muddied the

dn't do us any g

; "it would m

t else c

he branch, a l

the thick forest it was cool and almost dark. I hoped that water, food, and a l

anteen, my haversack with a cup in it, and food. Willis lay on the ground near the stream

fear. A giant poplar had been uprooted by some storm and had crushed in its fall an opening in, the undergrowth.

then we lay with the log at our bac

ust under the knee-cap was a mass of clotted blood; this I washed away, using all the gentle care at my command, but giving him, nevert

there; I don't believe it's m

it out,"

ng flat on his back, eating ravenously. From moment

to get it out? The hole was so small that I conjectured the wound had been made by a buck-shot, t

s job; suppose I get the ball out, who knows that that

t out," s

do no good. Besides, I must insist that I don't like it. I

said Willis, "and c

ing afresh, but I d

too valuable for me to ri

ref

ely refuse

. Far away a low rumbling was heard, a noise

f wet clay and smoothed it over; then I wrapped the cloths around the knee, at every fold smearing the bandage with clay. I hardly knew why I did this, unless with the purpose of keeping the knee-joint from bending; when

his feet. He could stan

aid I, "and use

earth; after two strides he said, "Here! I can get along better

f which, with a soldier's vanity, I had carved the letters J. B. I

ottom. The cool water of the creek rose above our knees and seemed to cheer the w

, July 2

At length, after much and painful toil, we got through the wood. The last light of day showed us a small fie

en some straw stacks. We succeeded in reaching them. At the bottom of the smallest, I hollowed out a sort of cave. The work took but a minu

u," I r

bed and pulled the overhanging straw thinly around him, so as effectually to conceal him from any chance passer-by; I

id he, "God

me back for you to-night; but if by noon to-morrow you do not see me, you must act for the best. It may become necessary for you to show yours

llis; "I will do the best I

; thick clouds gave warning of rain. I knew that to follow this road--the same circuitous road by which we had advanced in the morning--was not to take the nearest way to Centreville. I wan

when suddenly I seemed to hear the noise of a moving wagon. I

s I could see an oblong for

harness rattling; still, I could see no one. The

be no need for it here; it must be one of ours, or else i

ad opened my lips, when a voice came from the ambulance--a voice w

t you,

gnize the voice, but surely my

pipe in his mouth; he was a small man, not more than five

n seeking y