o sleep.

I felt, or rather sensed, the presence of others moving about from
time to time, but took no interest in the matter until, suddenly, back
came the old feeling that something was not right--that there had been
a big change in all the affairs of the world--and then, after what
seemed hours of struggling with the problem, it came to me like a
flash--it was the "quiet" that was bothering me. That was it; there
was no noise; and then, my brain becoming clearer all the time, I
began to wonder whether I was deaf or whether the war was over. It
occurred to me that I might clap my hands or make some movement to
find out whether or not I could hear, but the idea was dismissed as
involving too much exertion; just as it was too much work to open my
eyes to try to see.

Then I _heard_ some one come close to me, heard voices, faint and far
away they seemed, so I shouted to them (I thought I shouted but it was
only a mumbling whisper), and then a voice, low and close at hand,
asked me: "Are you awake?"

"Course; what's matter?"

"Nothing is the matter; you're all right now. Don't you think you
could eat something?"

I pondered that for some time, but as I was quite comfortable and
could not see the sense of dead folks eating, anyhow, I declined and
fell asleep again. It was too much trouble to talk, especially to
answer questions.

When next I awoke it was different. I actually opened my eyes, or at
least one of them, the other being bandaged, and I could see a face
looking down at me--a face and a white expanse of something with
a brilliant red cross in the center, and when the face asked me how I
felt now and did I think I could eat a little, I grunted something
which was intended to assure her that I was feeling all right and was
hungry. At any rate, she understood, and disappearing, soon returned
with a tray, loaded with things. She first helped me hold up my head
while she gave me a tumblerful of hot milk with brandy in it, but that
was no good--it would not stay down; so, after a little trouble on
that account, she vanished again and came back with a pint bottle of
champagne which she opened and fed to me; first a spoonful at a time
and then a full glass. That paved the way all right and I was able to
eat something, I don't remember just what, but it was good.

By this time I had discovered that I still had all my hands and feet
and could move them about. Satisfied on that point, I asked where I
was.

"Hosp