for ef thar
is a cowardly critter on the created airth it's a
Greaser--an' in less nor half an' hour wor beatin'
back to quarters. When all wor quiet agin, I left
my tent, an' away to look fur Bill. I sarched an'
sarched till my heart were almost broke, an at
last I cried out, 'Oh Bill, my mate, whar be you?'
an' I hearn a fibble v'ice say, 'Here I be,
Jerry!'

"I swon! I wor gladder nor anything wen I hearn
that. I hugged him to my heart, I wor moved so
powerful, an' then I tuck him on my back, an' off
to camp; werry slow an' patient, fur he were sore
wownded, an' the life in him wery low.

"Wall, young genl'men, I'll not weary you wi' the
long hours as dragged by afore mornin'. I med him
as snug as I could, and at daybreak we hed him
took to the sugeon's tent.

"I wor on guard all that mornin' an' could not get
to my lad; but at last the relief kim roun', an'
the man as was to take my place says, says he,
'Jerry, my mate, ef I was you I'd go right to the
hosp'tl an' stay by poor Bill' (fur they all knew
as I sot gret store by him); 'He is werry wild in
his head, I hearn, an' the sugeon says as how he
can't last long.'

"Ye may b'lieve how my hairt jumped wen I hearn
that. I laid down my gun, an' ran fur the wooden
shed, which were all the place they hed fur them
as was wownded. An' thar wor Bill--my mate
Bill--laying on a blanket spred on the floore, wi'
his clothes all on (fur it's a hard bed, an' his
own bloody uniform, that a sojer must die in), wi'
the corpse o' another poor fellow as had died all
alone in the night a'most touching him, an'
slopped wi' blood. I moved it fur away all in a
trimble o' sorrer, an' kivered it decent like, so
as Bill mightn't see it an' get downhearted fur
hisself. Then I went an' sot down aside my mate.
He didn't know me, no more nor if I wor a
stranger; but kept throwin' his arms about, an'
moanin' out continual, 'Oh mother! mother! Why
don't you come to your boy?'

"I bust right out crying, I do own, wen I hearn
that, an' takin' his han' in