rs, no longer possessed the slightest tang of
novelty. Where the operation was petty, and a man in no extreme personal
danger, he could not be expected to be much interested. The troops
yawned; some of the men slept; others fretted. "Why can't we swim the
damned old trough? They'll get away! Thank the Lord, I wasn't born in
Tidewater Virginia! Oh, I'd like to see the Shenandoah!"

The 65th Virginia occupied a rise of sandy ground covered with hazel
bushes. Company A had the brink of it, looking out toward the enormously
tall trees towering erect from the river's margin of swamp. The hazel
bushes gave little shade and kept off the air, the blue above was
intense, the buzzards sailing. Muskets were stacked, the men sprawling
at ease. A private, who at home was a Sunday School superintendent, read
his Bible; another, a lawyer, tickled a hop toad with a spear of grass;
another, a blacksmith, rebound the injured ankle of a schoolboy. Some
slept, snoring in the scanty shade; some compared diaries or related,
scrappily enough, battle experiences. "Yes, and Robinson was scouting,
and he was close to Garland's line, and, gosh! he said it was short
enough! And Garland rode along it, and he said, said he, 'Boys, you are
not many, but you are a noble few.'" Some listened to the booming of the
sparring batteries; two or three who had lost close friends or kinsmen
moped aside. The frank sympathy of all for these made itself apparent.
The shadiest hazel bushes unobtrusively came into their possession;
there was an evident intention of seeing that they got the best fare
when dinner was called; a collection of tobacco had been taken and
quietly pushed their way. Some examined knapsack and haversacks, good
oilcloths, belts, rolled blankets, canteens, cartridge-boxes and
cartridges, picked up upon the road. Others seriously did incline to
search for certain intruders along the seams of shirt and trousers;
others merely lay on their backs and looked up into Heaven. Billy Maydew
was one of these, and Steve Dagg overturned the contents of a knapsack.

It was well filled, but with things Steve did not want. "O Gawd! picters
and pincushions and Testaments with United States flags in them--I never
did have any luck, anyhow!--in this here war nor on Thunder Run
neither!"

Dave Maydew rolled over. "Steve says Thunder Run didn't like him--Gosh!
what's a-going to happen ef Steve takes to telling the truth?"

Sergeant Coffin turned from contempla