He lay upon the dry grass, and although the night was again hot and
breathless, surcharged with smoke and dust and fire, he felt a chill that
went to the bone, and he trembled all over. Then a cold perspiration
broke out upon him. It was the collapse after two days of tremendous
exertion, excitement and anxiety. He did not move for eight or ten
minutes, blind to everything that was going on about him, and then
through the darkness he saw Colonel Winchester standing by and looking
down at him.
"Are you all right, Dick, my boy?" the colonel asked.
"Yes, sir," replied Dick, as his pride made him drag himself to his feet.
"I'm not wounded at all. I was just clean played out."
"You're lucky to get off so well," said the colonel, smiling sadly.
"We've lost many thousands and we've lost the battle, too. The killed
or wounded in my regiment number more than two-thirds."
"Have you seen anything of Warner and Pennington, sir? I lost sight of
them in that last terrible attack."
"Pennington is here. He has had a bullet through the fleshy part of
his left arm, but he's so healthy it won't take him long to get well.
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