the thing through to the end,"
said Gilbert, shaking his head dolefully.

"You'll have to take your dose as I did," answered Ben. "I am glad it
is not serious. Our regiment couldn't afford to lose such a brave
fellow as you."

"Brave? Didn't I hang back until you proposed to go out alone, Ben? If
anybody was brave, it was you," and then Gilbert turned his face away
to conceal the pain that was coming on.

The hospital corps was so busy that Gilbert could not be carried back
of the firing line for some time. Feeling that there would be no more
fighting that day, Ben decided to remain by his old chum, and
requested Sorrel to do likewise, leaving the others to accompany Major
Morris back to the command proper. In the meantime, a skirmish line
was stretched to the north of the cane-brake, that the insurgents
might not regain any of the lost territory.

It was frightfully hot, but scarcely had Major Morris left with his
party than a faint breeze sprang up which gradually increased to a
fair-sized wind. Making Gilbert as comfortable as possible under some
of the tallest of the cane, Ben and Sorrel sat down beside him to do
what they could to help him forget his pain.

The three had been sitting in the shade for the best part of half an
hour, and Sorrel was sharpening his knife on the side leather of his
shoe, when, glancing up, Ben noticed a peculiar cloud in the sky
overhead.

"That looks rather queer," he remarked. "Does that denote a
wind-storm, Sorrel?"

"It denotes something, that's sartin," responded the mountaineer,
surveying the cloud with care. "It's something I ain't seed out yere
yit," and he leaped to his feet.

The cloud was about as large as a barrel in appearance, and of a deep
black color. It seemed to be whirling around and around, and as it
came forward began to expand. Then it shot off to the southward, but
not out of sight.

"I'm glad it's gone," said Gilbert, who had roused up to watch the
strange thing. "I don't want to get caught in a western cyclone--and
that cloud looks like those I have heard described."

"The rainy season is coming on here, and I presume we are bound to
have more or less tornadoes," answered Ben. "They say that last year
they were something awful along the seacoast."

The cloud was circling around the southern horizon, but now it turned
once again and came slowly toward them. While it was yet quarter of a
mile away, it shot down to earth and a strange humming sound r