iah's clever devices and
watchful care. As the army was in winter-quarters, there was time enough
for pleasant visiting, and for the engineers more than enough of danger
in the trenches or when called on to accompany some general officer as an
aide during Grant's obstinate efforts to cut the railways on which Lee
relied. Francis, not gravely wounded, was at home repairing damages; but
now, with snow on the ground and ease of intercourse, Blake was a
frequent visitor in the engineer quarters. When Rivers also turned up,
the two young men found the talk unrivalled, for never had the tall
clergyman seemed more attractive or as happy.

Of an afternoon late in November Penhallow was toasting himself by the
small fire-place and deep in thought. He had had a long day in the
intrenchments and one moment of that feeling of imminent nearness to
death which affects men in various ways. A shell neatly dropped in a
trench within a few feet of where he stood, rolled over, spitting red
flashes. The men cried, "Down, down, sir!" and fell flat. Something
like the fascination a snake exercises held him motionless; he never was
able to explain his folly. The fuse went out as he watched it--the shell
was a dead thing and harmless. The men as they rose eyed him curiously.

"A near thing," he said, and with unusual care moved along a traverse,
his duty over for the day. He took with him a feeling of mental confusion
and of annoyed wonder.

He found Josiah picking a chicken as he sat whistling in front of the
tent. "There's been a fight, sir, about three o'clock, on our left. Bill
says we beat."

"Indeed!" It was too common news to interest him. He felt some singular
completeness of exhaustion, and was troubled because of there being no
explanation which satisfied him. Asking for whisky to Josiah's surprise,
he took it and lay down, as the servant said, "There's letters, sir, on
the table."

"Very well. Close the tent and say I'm not well; I won't see any one."

"Yes, sir. Nothing serious?"

"No." He fell asleep as if drugged.

Outside Josiah picked his lean chicken and whistled with such peculiar
sweetness as is possible only to the black man. Everything interested
him. Now and then he listened to the varied notes of the missiles far
away and attracting little attention unless men were so near that the
war-cries of shot and shell became of material moment. The day was cold,
and an early November snow lay on the ground and covered th