unconscious of the fact, he had been wounded in two places. The first
ball had penetrated his breastpiece and had entered his body, and a few
seconds later another ball had struck him in the arm. It was the first
wound which had caused his insensibility; but from the second, which
had severed one of the principal veins in the arm, he would have bled to
death had it not been for the effects of the cold. For a time the life
blood had flowed steadily away; but as the cold increased it froze and
stiffened on his jerkin, and at last the wound was staunched.

It was none too soon, for before it ceased to flow Malcolm had lost a
vast quantity of blood. It was hours before nature recovered from the
drain. Gradually and slowly he awoke from his swoon. It was some time
before he realized where he was and what had happened, then gradually
his recollection of the fight returned to him.

"I remember now," he murmured to himself, "I was fighting with the
Swedish infantry when a shot struck me in the body, I think, for I
seemed to feel a sudden pain like a red hot iron. Who won the day, I
wonder? How bitterly cold it is! I feel as if I were freezing to death."

So faint and stiff was he, partly from loss of blood, partly from being
bruised from head to foot by being trampled on again and again as the
ranks of the combatants swept over him, that it was some time before
he was capable of making the slightest movement. His left arm was, he
found, entirely useless; it was indeed firmly frozen to the ground; but
after some difficulty he succeeded in moving his right, and felt for the
flask which had hung from his girdle.

So frozen and stiff were his fingers that he was unable to unbuckle the
strap which fastened it; but, drawing his dagger, he at last cut through
this, and removing the stopper of the flask, took a long draught of
the wine with which it was filled. The relief which it afforded him was
almost instantaneous, and he seemed to feel life again coursing in his
veins.

After a while he was sufficiently restored to be enabled to get from his
havresack some bread and meat which he had placed there after finishing
his breakfast on the previous morning. He ate a few mouthfuls, took
another long draught of wine, and then felt that he could hope to hold
on until morning. He was unable to rise even into a sitting position,
nor would it have availed him had he been able to walk, for he knew not
where the armies were lying, nor could