s. Most of the wounded lie there for the night, but the poor
lads that are killed must be buried to-morrow. Take care, dame," as poor
Nanny cried out in horror at having stumbled over a dead man's legs. He
held his lantern so that she could see the face while she groaned out,
"Poor soul." And thus they worked their sad way up to the buildings
about the water mill. There was a shed through the chinks of which light
could be seen, and at the door of which a soldier exclaimed--

"Have ye more wounded, Sam? There's no room for a dog in here. They lie
as thick as herrings in a barrel."

"Nay, 'tis a poor country woman come to look for her son. What's his
name? Is there a malignant here of the name of Harry Lakin?"

The question was repeated, and a cry of gladness, "Mother! mother!"
ended in a shriek of pain in the distance within.

"Aye, get you in, mother, get you in. A woman here will be all the
better, be she who she may."

The permission was not listened to. Nanny had already sprung into the
midst of the mass of suffering towards the bloody straw where her son
was lying.

Steadfast, who had of course looked most anxiously at each of the still
forms on the way, now ventured to say:--

"So please you, sir, would you ask after one Jephthah Kenton? On your
own side, sir, in Captain Venn's troop? I am his brother."

"Oh, ho! you are of the right sort, eh?" said the soldier. "Jephthah
Kenton. D'ye know aught of him, Joe?"

"I heard him answer to the roll call before Venn's troop went off to
quarters," replied the other man. "He is safe and sound, my lad, and
Venn's own orderly."

Steadfast's heart bounded up. He longed still to know whether poor Harry
Lakin was in very bad case, but it was impossible to get in to discover,
and he was pushed out of the way by a party carrying in another wounded
man, whose moans and cries were fearful to listen to. He thought it
would be wisest to make the best of his way home to Patience, and set
her likewise at rest, for who could tell what she might not have heard.

The moon was shining brightly enough to make his way plain, but the
scene around was all the sadder and more ghastly in that pallid light,
which showed out the dark forms of man and horse, and what was worse the
white faces turned up, and those dark pools in which once or twice he
had slipped as he saw or fancied he saw movements that made him shudder,
while a poor dog on the other side of the stream howled piteously f