o
kill him, but finding his head too hard, it turned away, and went out
through his hair. He won't have any scar, either, because it's all under
the thickest part of his hair.

"Of course his eyes are closed, ma'am. He hasn't come around yet, but
he's coming fast. Don't cry on his face, ma'am. Boys never like to have
their faces cried on. I'd have brought him in myself, but I found I
was too weak to carry him. It's been too short a time since the Second
Manassas for me to have got back all my strength. So I just bound up his
head, held it in my lap, and yelled for help. Along came a rebel party,
bearing two wounded, and they looked at me. 'You're about pumped out,'
said one of them, 'but we'll take your friend in for you.' 'No, you
won't,' I said. 'Why not?' said they. 'Because you're no account
Johnnies,' I said, 'while my wounded friend and I are high-toned Yanks.'
'I beg your pardon,' said the Johnny, who was one of the most polite
fellows I ever saw, 'I didn't see your uniform clearly by this dim
light, but the parties looking for the wounded are mostly going in, and
you're likely to be left here with your friend, who needs attention.
Better come along with us and be prisoners and give him a chance to get
well.'

"Now, that was white, real white, but I thanked him and said that as
soon as General Buell heard that the best two soldiers in his whole army
were here resting, he'd come with his finest ambulance for us, driving
his horses himself. They said then they didn't suppose they were needed
and went on. But do you know, ma'am, every one of those Johnnies, as he
passed poor old unconscious Dick with his head in my lap, took off his
hat."

"It was a fine thing for them to do," said Colonel Winchester, and then
he whispered: "I'm glad you talked that way, Warner. It helps. You see,
she's feeling more cheerful already."

"Yes, and you see old Dick's opening his eyes. Isn't it strange that
the first thing he should see when he opens them here on the battlefield
should be his mother?"

"A strange and happy circumstance," said Colonel Winchester.

Dick opened his eyes.

"Mother!" he exclaimed.

Her arms were already around him.

CHAPTER XIV. SEEKING BRAGG

They took Dick to the house of his relatives, the Careys, in Danville,
and in a few days he learned the sequel of that sudden and terrible
storm of death at Perryville. Buell had gathered all his forces in
the night, and in the morning had intende