The National tribune., 1901-11-28

everything was SOHes III Adcts Ne Was HdaN
~ able TO march.
Where are You hit.H l asked
'.The knee be replied.
"BadT
q don't think it is serious; It seems
70 me that it don't pain me as II dc
awhile ago"
Can YOU hold out till we find an am
bulanceT l asked.
We'll, that depends; 1 guess all the
ambulanees are needed for men worse oil
than l am
just then an officer rode along, endeav-
oling to effect some order. but the men
gave no attention to him at all. They
had taken it into their heads TO go. By
this time the routed troops before us were
packed between the high banks of the
roadway which went down toward the
creek. / was desperately hungry, hav-
ing eaten nothing since . o'clock IN the
morning
Let's stay here and eat something,
said to Willis, ''and let the crowd scat
ter before we so on
No, not yet" said he; I'VE need water
FIRST. [ couldn't swallow mouthfh with
out water. Whisky wouldn't hurt either
Got any water in your eauteenF
Not q DROP said /.
Although Willis was limpiug badly, the
slow progress of the troops at this point
allowed him TO keep on. At the bottom
of the hill, where the road strikes the low
ground, the troops had greater space;
some of them followed their leaders
straight ahead on the road: others went
to the right and left, seeking to avoid
the crowd.
LET'S go up the creek said Willis.
"What forF'
''To get water; I'm dying of thirst"
''Do you think you can stand it awhile
longer?'
long as God lets me. and can stand it
better il l can get water and something
to eat"
"Well, then, come on, and I'll help
you as long as | cam
He leaned on me, hobbling along as
best he could, and bravely, too, although
at every step he groaned with pain.
| had become somewhat attached to
Willis. He was egotistic-just little
but harmlessly so, ami his senses were
sound and his win was good; had, too,
abundant evidence of his li4Ling fer me.
He was strapping fellow, more than
six feet tall and as strong as bullock
So, while | fully understood the danger
in tying myself to a wounded comrade,
could not find it in my heart to desert
him, especially since he showed such de-
termination TO save himself Besides, l
knew that he was quick-witted and coun-
try-bfed; and l had great hope that he
would prove more of help than hind
runce.
We followed a few stragglers who mad
passed us and were now running up the
creek seeking a crossing. The stream was
shallow, but the banks were high and
in most places steep. Men were crossing
at almost all points. Slowly following
the hurrying groups of twos and threes
who had outstripped US, we found at
length q place that seemed fordabie for
Willis. It was where a small branch
emptied into the creek; and by getting
into the branch above its mouth and fol-
lowing its course, we should be able to
cross the creek.
Lord ] am thirsty" said Willis; but
look how they have muddied the branch;
it's as bad as the creek"
"That water wouldn't do us any good,
I replied.
mo said he, st would make US sick"
"But what else, can we dog
Lets so UP the branch little" said
he.
All sounds in our rear had loEg since
died away The sun was yet shining, but
in the thick forest it was cool and almost
dark. l hoped that water. food and
little rest would DO us more good than
harm-that time would be saved, IN ef-
feet.
a hundred yards above the mouth Of
the branch ~a found the wafer clear. l
still had my canteen, my hagersack with
a cup in it, and food. Willis lay on the
ground near the stream, while filed my
cantaen; / handed it to him. and then
knelt in the wet sand and drank.
The spot might have been well chosen
for secrecy; indeed, we might have re-
NAMED there for days were it not for
fear. A giant poplar had been upr9oted
by some storm and had crushed in its fall
an opening in the Gndergrowth. The
trunk spanned the little brook, and the
boughs, intermingling with the copse,
made a complete hiding place.
/ helped Willis to cross the branch;
then we lay with the log at our backs
and completely screened from view.
Willis drank another great draught of
water. l filed the canteen again, and
examined his wound. His knee was stiff
and much swollen; just under the knee
cap was a mass of clptted blood; this |
washed away, using all the gentle care
at my command, but giving him, never
great pain. A small round hole
was now seen, and by gently pressing on
its walls, l thought l detected the pres
anee of the ball.
Sergeant said /, its there: I don't
believe it's more than half an inch deep.
'rhen pull it out" said Willis.
That was more easily said than done.
Willis was lying fiat on his back, eating
ravenously. From moment to moment
stuffed my mouth with hardtack and pork.
/ sharpened reed and introduced its
point into the wound; TN obstacle was
net at once-bBt how TO get it out? The
lole was SO small that / conjectured the
wound had been made by buck-shot. the
'ebels using, as we ourselves, many
muskets, loaded with buck
lnd-balI cartridges.
willis" said /, "I think I'd better not
undertake this job; suppose 1 get the bali