sat up supported
by her shoulder. Even this slight movement caused me to clinch my teeth
in agony, and she cried out,

"You are hurt? Tell me the truth!"

"My shoulder and side pain me," I admitted, "but they are nothing to
worry over. Can you find water?"

"Yes," eager now for action. She was gone not to exceed a minute,
returning with a pail and cloth, and dropping again on her knees, began
bathing my face.

"It is a charnel house, with dead lying everywhere. I had to step across
their bodies to get to the kitchen, and stopped to give one poor
wounded lad a drink. Oh, I never can blot this scene out; it will haunt
me in my dreams." Tears were in her eyes, and stealing down her cheeks,
but there was no faltering. Softly she bathed the wound on my head, and
bound it up. Then she kissed me. "Will they never come to help us?" she
cried, lifting her eyes from mine. "Hear that man yonder groan. What can
I do, Robert? I cannot sit still here!"

"Try to revive Miles," I suggested, pointing to him. "You heard what he
replied when I called him just before the charge. He had caught the
murderer, and, if he dies, we may never know the man's identity. Here,
Billie, take this cloth and sprinkle water on his face. Don't mind me
any more; I am all right now."

She started to do as I requested but had scarcely dampened the rag when
a man came in through the wrecked door, picked his way forward a couple
of steps, and stopped, staring about at the scene. Behind him were other
figures blocking the entrance. Apparently we were indistinguishable from
where he stood, for he called out,

"Is there any one alive here?"

I heard a weak response or two, and then answered, "A few, yes--back
here behind the stairs."

He moved to one side, shading his eyes with one hand so as to see
better. I could tell now he wore the uniform of a Federal officer, but
was unable to distinguish his rank. The sight of the girl, standing in
the midst of all that horror, her loosened hair falling below her waist,
evidently startled him. An instant he stared toward us incredulously;
then removed his hat.

"Who are you?"

"I am Lieutenant Galesworth," I answered, although his question was
directed to her. "And this lady is Miss Hardy, the daughter of Major
Hardy of the Confederate army."

"This, I believe, was the Hardy plantation?"

"Yes--she was present throughout the fight."

"I understand. By all the gods, I thought I had gone crazy when I first