to add to, or aggravate their pains, by rifling their
persons, or by any taunting triumph. It would have been a mercy to have
hidden from the human eye such a sight as was then before us, and we
hailed with joy the closing of day, which shut from our view the
distorted features of dying men, and the gushing streams of the wounded.
The night set in, in dreary darkness, and the clouds seemed thick and
gloomy; and in an instant all was hidden from short-sighted man, and
seen alone to Him to whose care and protection we will leave the
sufferers.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXI.

After we had taken full possession of the town of Gurrah Mundellah, I
was directed, at about ten o'clock at night, to proceed alone and
examine a distant temple, to ascertain if it was a safe asylum to lodge
men in for the night. This temple stood at the end of a long street, to
which I was obliged to grope my way, guided only by the distant fired
hut, or a peeping star. Why did the general send me alone? Because he
knew I would go, and it was better to risk the life of one man than five
hundred. I cannot say that I had any great _penchant_ for this job; but
off I marched without a murmur. It was the general's part to order, and
my duty promptly and cheerfully to obey. The night being dark, and the
dead and the dying lying in all directions, it was no very enviable
trip; but duty led me through every difficulty. My pace was slow and
cautious; not quite so slow as the goose-step, but something near it. In
each hand I had a pistol, and I kept one eye turned to the right and the
other to the left, now and then stealing a glimpse to the front, but
could not spare time to look behind me. Occasionally my pointed toe
would come in contact with a dead body or wounded man. This created
sensations by no means agreeable. I had not proceeded far, when some
person seized my leg, and said, "Who are you?" This a little startled
me; I suddenly drew it away, and said I was his friend. "Then give me
some water," said he, "for I am wounded." I felt every inclination to
render the poor creature this service, but it was quite impossible; so I
passed on, but had hardly recovered my fright, when a large beam that
was on fire fell with a tremendous crash, and several voices were heard,
and the sound of persons running from the place where the beam fell. I
stopped for a moment to listen, but all was again quiet, and I moved on
slowly till I reached