s bad--for to march ten miles in the wet, and then to make camp
under these same conditions, was soldiering indeed.

Yet ten minutes after we had left camp, the advance guard of the
battalion, we were staring at each other in new dismay. For pop-pop! Our
point had found the enemy. Now for comfort a skirmish ought to be fought
near the new camping ground: anticipation keeps us going till the fight
begins, and then at the end, weary, we have but a short way to march.
This was the deuce! In a moment we were turned aside into a field, and
saw the white hat-bands beyond a fence in front. First deployment, then
"Down, men!" and flat I threw myself into a six inch bed of clover, as
wet as a sponge. From this couch I fired for a while, was ordered up,
hurried with the squad forward to a new line, flopped again, fired, and
then dashed once more.

For two hours, mother, this sort of thing continued. In a long line our
company spread over the fields, now one part advancing, then the rest.
Sometimes we were flat, sometimes we might squat on cold stones behind a
wall, sometimes we were climbing walls and running forward. Discovering
that it was wetter below me than above, I hung my poncho at my hip, and
when we flopped, fell on it. We struck soft ground and formed in squad
columns, then came to a place where the enemy was visible in a
sugar-bush, across a ravine. Down into the gully I plunged among the
rest, and in a confusion of men each seeking in a hurry the best way
across, got through two wire fences, forced my way among a growth of
alders, and splashed through a brook, luckily no deeper than my ankles.
Then up the steep slope, and as soon as the platoon was gathered at the
top Jones cried "Follow me,"--and those whose wind was poor began to lag.
The enemy was driven from this position, then as we followed him he fired
at us again from behind a stone wall, for there were plenty here, with
others of all kinds. We drove him again, our laggards helping where they
could, coming up to us as we paused to fire and falling down to pant.
Poor Corder! Part of the charges he was in, part he had to plod after,
out of breath. A minute's rest would freshen him, and then he would keep
up for a while. But the pace was hot, until suddenly the enemy vanished.
In pursuit, we crossed a wide space with broad flat weatherworn ledges,
then came upon soft ground, and were bogged.

The part that confronted our squad was a hog-wallow below a pig pen an