y ditch. An hour before daybreak we were on the
alert, and served out rations, and then they began playing tricks
on one another as if we were out for a junketing. I sat with my
watch in my hand, feeling queer, and wondering whether I was a
greater coward than the rest. Then came a streak of light. I put
up my watch, formed the men; up went a rocket, my signal, and out
into the open we went at the double. We hadn't got over a third
of the ground when bang went the fort guns, and the grape-shot
were whistling about our ears; so I shouted 'Forward!' and away
we went as hard as we could go. I was obliged to go ahead, you
see, because every man of them knew I had beaten Larry, their
best runner, when he had no gun to carry; but I didn't half like
it, and should have blessed any hole or bramble which would have
sent me over and given them time to catch me. But the ground was
provokingly level; and so I was at the first mound and over it
several lengths in front of the men, and among a lot of black
fellows serving the guns. They came at me like wild cats, and how
I got off is a mystery. I parried a cut from one fellow, and
dodged a second; a third rushed at my left side. I just caught
the flash of his tulwar, and thought it was all up, when he
jumped into the air, shot through the heart by Sergeant Winburn;
and the next moment Master Larry rushed by me and plunged his
bayonet into my friend in front. It turned me as sick as a dog. I
can't fancy anything more disagreeable than seeing the operation
for the first time, except being struck oneself. The supporting
companies were in in another minute, with the dear old chief
himself, who came up and shook hands with me, and said I had done
credit to the regiment. Then I began to look about, and missed
poor little Jones. We found him about twenty yards from the place
with two grape-shot through him, stone dead, and smiling like a
child asleep. We buried him in the fort. I cut off some of his
hair, and sent it home to his mother. Her last letter was in his
breast pocket, and a lock of bright brown hair of some one's. I
sent them back, too, and his sword.

"Since then we have been with the army, and had three or four
general actions; about which I can tell you nothing, except that
we have lost about the third of the regiment, and have always
been told we have won. Steps go fast enough; my captain died of
wounds and dysentery a week ago; so I have the company in
earnest. How long I