ze." As he tugged at it, Hoodoo dying and convulsed
struck out with his fore legs and caught the unlucky soldier full in the
belly. The man gave a wild cry and staggering back fell.

Penhallow craned over the horse's body and broke into laughter. It hurt
his arm, but he gasped with fierce joy, "Francis would call him a
freebooter." Then he fell back and quite helpless listened. Unable to
turn his head, he heard behind him the wild rush of men. Leaping over
horse and man they went by. He got a look to right and left. They tore
through the slashes, dropping fast and facing a furious fusillade were
lost to sight in the underbrush. "By George! they've won," he exclaimed
and fell back. "They must have carried the parapet." He waited. In
about a half hour a party of men in grey went by. An officer in blue
cried out, "Up the hill, you beggars!" More of the grey men followed--a
battle-grimed mob of hundreds.

"Halloa!" called Penhallow. "Get this horse up. Put your hand in my
pocket and you will find fifty dollars." They stopped short and a half
dozen men lifted the dead animal. "Thank you, set me on my feet," said
Penhallow. "Empty my pockets--I can't use my arms." They did it well, and
taking also his watch went on their way well pleased.

John stood still, the blood tingling in his numb foot. "Halloa!" he
cried, as the stretcher-bearers and surgeons came near. A headquarters
surgeon said, "We thought you were killed. Can you walk?"

"No--hit in both arms--why the deuce can't I walk?"

"Shock, I suppose."

A half hour later he was in a hospital tent and a grim old army surgeon
handling his arms. "Right arm flesh-wound--left elbow smashed. You will
likely have to lose the arm."

"No, I won't," said Penhallow, "I'd as leave die."

"Don't talk nonsense. They all say that. See you again."

"You will get ten dollars," said John to a hospital orderly, "if you will
find Captain Blake of General Wright's staff."

"I'll do it, sir."

Presently his arms having been dressed, he was made comfortable with
morphia. At dusk next morning his friend Blake sat down beside his cot.
"Are you badly hurt?" he said. A certain tenderness in the voice was like
a revelation of some qualities unknown before.

"I do not know. For about the first time in my life I am suffering
pain--I mean constant pain, with a devilish variety in it too. The same
ball, I believe, went through some muscle in the right arm and smashed my
left elbow. It's a q