Whentheyouthawokeitseemedtohimthathehadbeenasleepforathousandyears,andhefeltsurethatheopenedhiseyesuponanunexpectedworld. Graymistswereslowlyshiftingbeforethefirsteffortsofthesunrays. Animpendingsplendorcouldbeseenintheeasternsky. Anicydewhadchilledhisface,andimmediatelyuponarousinghecurledfartherdownintohisblanket. Hestaredforawhileattheleavesoverhead,movinginaheraldicwindoftheday. Thedistancewassplinteringandblaringwiththenoiseoffighting.Therewasinthesoundanexpressionofadeadlypersistency,asifithadnotbeganandwasnottocease. Abouthimweretherowsandgroupsofmenthathehaddimlyseenthepreviousnight. Theyweregettingalastdraughtofsleepbeforetheawakening. Thegaunt,carewornfeaturesanddustyfiguresweremadeplainbythisquaintlightatthedawning,butitdressedtheskinofthemenincorpse-likehuesandmadethetangledlimbsappearpulselessanddead. Theyouthstartedupwithalittlecrywhenhiseyesfirstsweptoverthismotionlessmassofmen,thick-spreadupontheground,pallid,andinstrangepostures. Hisdisorderedmindinterpretedthehalloftheforestasacharnelplace. Hebelievedforaninstantthathewasinthehouseofthedead,andhedidnotdaretomovelestthesecorpsesstartup,squallingandsquawking. Inasecond,however,heachievedhispropermind.Hesworeacomplicatedoathathimself. Hesawthatthissomberpicturewasnotafactofthepresent,butamereprophecy. Heheardthenthenoiseofafirecracklingbrisklyinthecoldair,and,turninghishead,hesawhisfriendpotteringbusilyaboutasmallblaze. Afewotherfiguresmovedinthefog,andheheardthehardcrackingofaxeblows. Suddenlytherewasahollowrumbleofdrums.Adistantbuglesangfaintly. Similarsounds,varyinginstrength,camefromnearandfarovertheforest. Thebuglescalledtoeachotherlikebrazengamecocks. Thenearthunderoftheregimentaldrumsrolled. Thebodyofmeninthewoodsrustled.Therewasageneralupliftingofheads. Amurmuringofvoicesbrokeupontheair. Inittherewasmuchbassofgrumblingoaths. Strangegodswereaddressedincondemnationoftheearlyhoursnecessarytocorrectwar. Anofficer’speremptorytenorrangoutandquickenedthestiffenedmovementofthemen.Thetangledlimbsunraveled. Thecorpse-huedfaceswerehiddenbehindfiststhattwistedslowlyintheeyesockets. Theyouthsatupandgaveventtoanenormousyawn.“Thunder!”heremarkedpetulantly. Herubbedhiseyes,andthenputtinguphishandfeltcarefullythebandageoverhiswound. Hisfriend,perceivinghimtobeawake,camefromthefire. “Well,Henry,ol’man,howdoyehfeelthismornin’?”hedemanded. Theyouthyawnedagain.Thenhepuckeredhismouthtoalittlepucker.Hishead,intruth,feltpreciselylikeamelon,andtherewasanunpleasantsensationathisstomach. “Oh,Lord,Ifeelprettybad,”hesaid. “Thunder!”exclaimedtheother.“Ihopedye’dfeelallrightthismornin’.Let’sseeth’bandage—Iguessit’sslipped.”Hebegantotinkeratthewoundinratheraclumsywayuntiltheyouthexploded. “Gosh-dernit!”hesaidinsharpirritation;“you’rethehangdestmanIeversaw!Youwearmuffsonyourhands. Whyingoodthunderationcan’tyoubemoreeasy? I’dratheryou’dstandoffan’throwgunsatit. Now,goslow,an’don’tactasifyouwasnailingdowncarpet.” Heglaredwithinsolentcommandathisfriend,butthelatteransweredsoothingly.“Well,well,comenow,an’gitsomegrub,”hesaid.“Then,maybe,yeh’llfeelbetter.” Atthefiresidetheloudyoungsoldierwatchedoverhiscomrade’swantswithtendernessandcare. Hewasverybusymarshalingthelittleblackvagabondsoftincupsandpouringintothemthestreamingironcoloredmixturefromasmallandsootytinpail. Hehadsomefreshmeat,whichheroastedhurriedlyonastick. Hesatdownthenandcontemplatedtheyouth’sappetitewithglee. Theyouthtooknoteofaremarkablechangeinhiscomradesincethosedaysofcamplifeupontheriverbank. Heseemednomoretobecontinuallyregardingtheproportionsofhispersonalprowess. Hewasnotfuriousatsmallwordsthatprickedhisconceits.Hewasnomorealoudyoungsoldier. Therewasabouthimnowafinereliance. Heshowedaquietbeliefinhispurposesandhisabilities. Andthisinwardconfidenceevidentlyenabledhimtobeindifferenttolittlewordsofothermenaimedathim. Theyouthreflected.Hehadbeenusedtoregardinghiscomradeasablatantchildwithanaudacitygrownfromhisinexperience,thoughtless,headstrong,jealous,andfilledwithatinselcourage. Aswaggeringbabeaccustomedtostrutinhisowndooryard. Theyouthwonderedwherehadbeenborntheseneweyes;whenhiscomradehadmadethegreatdiscoverythatthereweremanymenwhowouldrefusetobesubjectedbyhim. Apparently,theotherhadnowclimbedapeakofwisdomfromwhichhecouldperceivehimselfasaveryweething. Andtheyouthsawthateverafteritwouldbeeasiertoliveinhisfriend’sneighborhood. Hiscomradebalancedhisebonycoffee-cuponhisknee.“Well,Henry,”hesaid,“whatd’yehthinkth’chancesare?D’yehthinkwe’llwallop‘em?” Theyouthconsideredforamoment.“Day-b’fore-yesterday,”hefinallyreplied,withboldness,“youwould‘a’betyou’dlickthehullkit-an’-boodleallbyyourself.” Hisfriendlookedatrifleamazed.“WouldI?”heasked.Hepondered.“Well,perhapsIwould,”hedecidedatlast.Hestaredhumblyatthefire. Theyouthwasquitedisconcertedatthissurprisingreceptionofhisremarks.“Oh,no,youwouldn’teither,”hesaid,hastilytryingtoretrace. Buttheothermadeadeprecatinggesture.“Oh,yehneedn’tmind,Henry,”hesaid.“IbelieveIwasaprettybigfoolinthosedays.”Hespokeasafteralapseofyears. “Allth’officerssaywe’vegotth’rebsinaprettytightbox,”saidthefriend,clearinghisthroatinacommonplaceway.“Theyallseemt’thinkwe’vegot‘emjestwherewewant‘em.” “Idon’tknowaboutthat,”theyouthreplied.“WhatIseenoveronth’rightmakesmethinkitwasth’otherwayabout.FromwhereIwas,itlookedasifwewasgettin’agoodpoundin’yestirday.” “D’yehthinkso?”inquiredthefriend.“Ithoughtwehandled‘emprettyroughyestirday.” “Notabit,”saidtheyouth.“Why,lord,man,youdidn’tseenothingofthefight.Why!”Thenasuddenthoughtcametohim.“Oh!JimConklin’sdead.” Hisfriendstarted.“What?Ishe?JimConklin?” Theyouthspokeslowly.“Yes.He’sdead.Shotinth’side.” “Yehdon’tsayso.JimConklin...poorcuss!” Allaboutthemwereothersmallfiressurroundedbymenwiththeirlittleblackutensils. Fromoneofthesenearcamesuddensharpvoicesinarow. Itappearedthattwolight-footedsoldiershadbeenteasingahuge,beardedman,causinghimtospillcoffeeuponhisblueknees. Themanhadgoneintoarageandhadsworncomprehensively. Stungbyhislanguage,histormentorshadimmediatelybristledathimwithagreatshowofresentingunjustoaths.Possiblytherewasgoingtobeafight. Thefriendaroseandwentovertothem,makingpacificmotionswithhisarms.“Oh,here,now,boys,what’sth’use?”hesaid. “We’llbeatth’rebsinless’nanhour. What’sth’goodfightin’‘mongourselves?” Oneofthelight-footedsoldiersturneduponhimred-facedandviolent. “Yehneedn’tcomearoundherewithyerpreachin’. Is’poseyehdon’tapprove‘afightin’sinceCharleyMorganlickedyeh;butIdon’tseewhatbusinessthishereis‘ayoursoranybodyelse.” “Well,itain’t,”saidthefriendmildly.“StillIhatet’see—” Therewasatangledargument. “Well,he—,”saidthetwo,indicatingtheiropponentwithaccusativeforefingers. Thehugesoldierwasquitepurplewithrage.Hepointedatthetwosoldierswithhisgreathand,extendedclawlike.“Well,they—” Butduringthisargumentativetimethedesiretodealblowsseemedtopass,althoughtheysaidmuchtoeachother. Finallythefriendreturnedtohisoldseat. Inashortwhilethethreeantagonistscouldbeseentogetherinanamiablebunch. “JimmieRogerssesI’llhavet’fighthimafterth’battlet’-day,”announcedthefriendasheagainseatedhimself. “Heseshedon’tallownointerferin’inhisbusiness. Ihatet’seeth’boysfightin’‘mongthemselves.” Theyouthlaughed.“Yerchangedagoodbit.Yehain’tatalllikeyehwas.Irememberwhenyouan’thatIrishfeller—”Hestoppedandlaughedagain. “No,Ididn’tuset’bethatway,”saidhisfriendthoughtfully.“That’strue‘nough.” “Well,Ididn’tmean—”begantheyouth. Thefriendmadeanotherdeprecatorygesture.“Oh,yehneedn’tmind,Henry.” Therewasanotherlittlepause. “Th’reg’mentlostoverhalfth’menyestirday,”remarkedthefriendeventually. “Ithought‘acoursetheywasalldead,but,laws,theykep’a-comin’backlastnightuntilitseems,afterall,wedidn’tlosebutafew. They’dbeenscatteredallover,wanderin’aroundinth’woods,fightin’withotherreg’ments,an’everything.Jestlikeyoudone.” 
