Theyouthwentslowlytowardthefireindicatedbyhisdepartedfriend. Ashereeled,hebethoughthimofthewelcomehiscomradeswouldgivehim. Hehadaconvictionthathewouldsoonfeelinhissoreheartthebarbedmissilesofridicule. Hehadnostrengthtoinventatale;hewouldbeasofttarget. Hemadevagueplanstogooffintothedeeperdarknessandhide,buttheywerealldestroyedbythevoicesofexhaustionandpainfromhisbody. Hisailments,clamoring,forcedhimtoseektheplaceoffoodandrest,atwhatevercost. Heswungunsteadilytowardthefire.Hecouldseetheformsofmenthrowingblackshadowsintheredlight,andashewentneareritbecameknowntohiminsomewaythatthegroundwasstrewnwithsleepingmen. Ofasuddenheconfrontedablackandmonstrousfigure. Ariflebarrelcaughtsomeglintingbeams.“Halt!halt!” Hewasdismayedforamoment,buthepresentlythoughtthatherecognizedthenervousvoice. Ashestoodtotteringbeforetheriflebarrel,hecalledout:“Why,hello,Wilson,you—youhere?” Theriflewasloweredtoapositionofcautionandtheloudsoldiercameslowlyforward.Hepeeredintotheyouth’sface.“Thatyou,Henry?” “Well,well,ol’boy,”saidtheother,“byginger,I’mgladt’seeyeh!Igiveyehupferagoner.Ithoughtyehwasdeadsureenough.”Therewashuskyemotioninhisvoice. Theyouthfoundthatnowhecouldbarelystanduponhisfeet. Therewasasuddensinkingofhisforces. Hethoughthemusthastentoproducehistaletoprotecthimfromthemissilesalreadyonthelipsofhisredoubtablecomrades. So,staggeringbeforetheloudsoldier,hebegan:“Yes,yes.I’ve—I’vehadanawfultime.I’vebeenallover.Wayoveronth’right.Ter’blefightin’overthere.Ihadanawfultime.Igotseparatedfromthereg’ment.Overonth’right,Igotshot.Inth’head.Ineverseesechfightin’.Awfultime. Idon’tseehowIcoulda’gotseparatedfromth’reg’ment.Igotshot,too.” Hisfriendhadsteppedforwardquickly.“What?Gotshot?Whydidn’tyehsaysofirst?Poorol’boy,wemust—hol’onaminnit;whatamIdoin’.I’llcallSimpson.” Anotherfigureatthatmomentloomedinthegloom. Theycouldseethatitwasthecorporal.“Whoyehtalkin’to,Wilson?”hedemanded.Hisvoicewasanger-toned.“Whoyehtalkin’to? Yehth’derndestsentinel—why—hello,Henry,youhere? Why,Ithoughtyouwasdeadfourhoursago! GreatJerusalem,theykeepturnin’upeverytenminutesorso! Wethoughtwe’dlostforty-twomenbystraightcount,butiftheykeepona-comin’thisway,we’llgitth’comp’nyallbackbymornin’yit.Wherewasyeh?” “Overonth’right.Igotseparated”—begantheyouthwithconsiderableglibness. Buthisfriendhadinterruptedhastily.“Yes,an’hegotshotinth’headan’he’sinafix,an’wemustseet’himrightaway.” Herestedhisrifleinthehollowofhisleftarmandhisrightaroundtheyouth’sshoulder. “Gee,itmusthurtlikethunder!”hesaid. Theyouthleanedheavilyuponhisfriend.“Yes,ithurts—hurtsagooddeal,”hereplied.Therewasafalteringinhisvoice. “Oh,”saidthecorporal.Helinkedhisarmintheyouth’sanddrewhimforward.“Comeon,Henry.I’lltakekeer‘ayeh.” Astheywentontogethertheloudprivatecalledoutafterthem:“Put‘imt’sleepinmyblanket,Simpson. An’—hol’onaminnit—here’smycanteen.It’sfull‘acoffee. Lookathisheadbyth’firean’seehowitlooks.Maybeit’saprettybadun. WhenIgitrelievedinacouple‘aminnits,I’llbeoveran’seet’him.” Theyouth’ssensesweresodeadenedthathisfriend’svoicesoundedfromafarandhecouldscarcelyfeelthepressureofthecorporal’sarm. Hesubmittedpassivelytothelatter’sdirectingstrength. Hisheadwasintheoldmannerhangingforwarduponhisbreast.Hiskneeswobbled. Thecorporalledhimintotheglareofthefire.“Now,Henry,”hesaid,“let’shavelookatyerol’head.” Theyouthsatobedientlyandthecorporal,layingasidehisrifle,begantofumbleinthebushyhairofhiscomrade. Hewasobligedtoturntheother’sheadsothatthefullflushofthefirelightwouldbeamuponit. Hepuckeredhismouthwithacriticalair. Hedrewbackhislipsandwhistledthroughhisteethwhenhisfingerscameincontactwiththesplashedbloodandtherarewound. Heawkwardlymadefurtherinvestigations. “JestasIthought,”headded,presently.“Yeh’vebeengrazedbyaball. It’sraisedaqueerlumpjestasifsomefellerhadlammedyehonth’headwithaclub.Itstoppeda-bleedin’longtimeago. Th’mostaboutitisthatinth’mornin’yeh’llfellthatanumbertenhatwouldn’tfityeh. An’yourhead’llbeallhetupan’feelasdryasburntpork. An’yehmaygitalot‘aothersicknesses,too,bymornin’.Yehcan’tnevertell.Still,Idon’tmuchthinkso. It’sjestadamn’goodbeltonth’head,an’nothin’more. Now,youjestsitherean’don’tmove,whileIgoroutoutth’relief. ThenI’llsendWilsont’takekeer‘ayeh.” Thecorporalwentaway.Theyouthremainedonthegroundlikeaparcel.Hestaredwithavacantlookintothefire. Afteratimehearoused,forsomepart,andthethingsabouthimbegantotakeform. Hesawthatthegroundinthedeepshadowswasclutteredwithmen,sprawlingineveryconceivableposture. Glancingnarrowlyintothemoredistantdarkness,hecaughtoccasionalglimpsesofvisagesthatloomedpallidandghostly,litwithaphosphorescentglow. Thesefacesexpressedintheirlinesthedeepstuporofthetiredsoldiers. Theymadethemappearlikemendrunkwithwine. Thisbitofforestmighthaveappearedtoanetherealwandererasasceneoftheresultofsomefrightfuldebauch. Ontheothersideofthefiretheyouthobservedanofficerasleep,seatedboltupright,withhisbackagainstatree. Therewassomethingperilousinhisposition. Badgeredbydreams,perhaps,heswayedwithlittlebouncesandstarts,likeanold,toddy-strickengrandfatherinachimneycorner.Dustandstainswereuponhisface. Hislowerjawhungdownasiflackingstrengthtoassumeitsnormalposition. Hewasthepictureofanexhaustedsoldierafterafeastofwar. Hehadevidentlygonetosleepwithhisswordinhisarms. Thesetwohadslumberedinanembrace,buttheweaponhadbeenallowedintimetofallunheededtotheground. Thebrass-mountedhiltlayincontactwithsomepartsofthefire. Withinthegleamofroseandorangelightfromtheburningstickswereothersoldiers,snoringandheaving,orlyingdeathlikeinslumber. Afewpairsoflegswerestuckforth,rigidandstraight. Theshoesdisplayedthemudordustofmarchesandbitsofroundedtrousers,protrudingfromtheblankets,showedrentsandtearsfromhurriedpitchingsthroughthedensebrambles. Thefirecackledmusically.Fromitswelledlightsmoke.Overheadthefoliagemovedsoftly. Theleaves,withtheirfacesturnedtowardtheblaze,werecoloredshiftinghuesofsilver,oftenedgedwithred. Farofftotheright,throughawindowintheforestcouldbeseenahandfulofstarslying,likeglitteringpebbles,ontheblacklevelofthenight. Occasionally,inthislow-archedhall,asoldierwouldarouseandturnhisbodytoanewposition,theexperienceofhissleephavingtaughthimofunevenandobjectionableplacesuponthegroundunderhim. Or,perhaps,hewouldlifthimselftoasittingposture,blinkatthefireforanunintelligentmoment,throwaswiftglanceathisprostratecompanion,andthencuddledownagainwithagruntofsleepycontent. Theyouthsatinaforlornheapuntilhisfriendtheloudyoungsoldiercame,swingingtwocanteensbytheirlightstrings. “Well,now,Henry,ol’boy,”saidthelatter,“we’llhaveyehfixedupinjestaboutaminnit.” Hehadthebustlingwaysofanamateurnurse. Hefussedaroundthefireandstirredthestickstobrilliantexertions. Hemadehispatientdrinklargelyfromthecanteenthatcontainedthecoffee. Itwastotheyouthadeliciousdraught. Hetiltedhisheadafarbackandheldthecanteenlongtohislips. Thecoolmixturewentcaressinglydownhisblisteredthroat. Havingfinished,hesighedwithcomfortabledelight. Theloudyoungsoldierwatchedhiscomradewithanairofsatisfaction. Helaterproducedanextensivehandkerchieffromhispocket. Hefoldeditintoamannerofbandageandsousedwaterfromtheothercanteenuponthemiddleofit. Thiscrudearrangementheboundovertheyouth’shead,tyingtheendsinaqueerknotatthebackoftheneck. “There,”hesaid,movingoffandsurveyinghisdeed,“yehlookliketh’devil,butIbetyehfeelbetter.” Theyouthcontemplatedhisfriendwithgratefuleyes.Uponhisachingandswellingheadthecoldclothwaslikeatenderwoman’shand. “Yehdon’thollernersaynothin’,”remarkedhisfriendapprovingly. “IknowI’mablacksmithattakin’keer‘asickfolks,an’yehneversqueaked.Yeragoodun,Henry. Most‘amenwoulda’beeninth’hospitallongago. Ashotinth’headain’tfoolin’business.” Theyouthmadenoreply,butbegantofumblewiththebuttonsofhisjacket. “Well,come,now,”continuedhisfriend,“comeon.Imustputyeht’bedan’seethatyehgitagoodnight’srest.” Theothergotcarefullyerect,andtheloudyoungsoldierledhimamongthesleepingformslyingingroupsandrows. Presentlyhestoopedandpickeduphisblankets. Hespreadtherubberoneuponthegroundandplacedthewoolenoneabouttheyouth’sshoulders. “Therenow,”hesaid,“liedownan’gitsomesleep.” Theyouth,withhismannerofdoglikeobedience,gotcarefullydownlikeacronestooping.Hestretchedoutwithamurmurofreliefandcomfort.Thegroundfeltlikethesoftestcouch. Butofasuddenheejaculated:“Hol’onaminnit!Whereyougoin’t’sleep?” Hisfriendwavedhishandimpatiently.“Rightdowntherebyyeh.” “Well,buthol’onaminnit,”continuedtheyouth.“Whatyehgoin’t’sleepin?I’vegotyour—” Theloudyoungsoldiersnarled:“Shetupan’goont’sleep.Don’tbemakin’adamn’fool‘ayerself,”hesaidseverely. Afterthereprooftheyouthsaidnomore. Anexquisitedrowsinesshadspreadthroughhim. Thewarmcomfortoftheblanketenvelopedhimandmadeagentlelangour. Hisheadfellforwardonhiscrookedarmandhisweightedlidswentsoftlydownoverhiseyes. Hearingasplatterofmusketryfromthedistance,hewonderedindifferentlyifthosemensometimesslept. Hegavealongsigh,snuggleddownintohisblanket,andinamomentwaslikehiscomrades. 
