Again I started, and reached the brow of the hill; it was entirely bare of trees.  Three or four hundred yards in front were lines of earthworks.  I did not pause; I went straight ahead.

A body of men marched out of the breastworks—­about a company, I thought.  They were marching forward; their line of march would bring them near me.  I held my course.  I judged that the company was some regiment’s picket for the next twenty-four hours; they were going to relieve the last night’s pickets.

The last man of the company had hardly appeared:  suddenly I heard a cannon roar, apparently from a Federal battery almost directly in my rear, and at the instant a shell had shrieked far above my head.

At once the Confederates replied.  I did not think that I was in any danger, as the shells went high in the air in order to attain their object on the other side of the Chickahominy.

The company of infantry had countermarched, and was again behind the line of earthworks.

I looked around for shelter from the Federal cannon; although the shells went high, it would be folly for me to go forward into the place of danger.  The hill was bare.  There was no depression, no tree, no fence, nothing but the open wind-swept hill—­desolate and bare.  I was on this bare hill.

A man passed me from the rear.  He was armed.  He, too, like myself, had no doubt come from the picket-line.

“Better leg it!” he cried—­and I legged it with him, making for the breastworks.

The shells from the rear seemed to fly over at a less height.

One of the shells burst over my head.

Suddenly I saw my companion throw up one hand—­his left hand—­with great violence, and fall flat; hardly was I conscious that I saw him fall; at the instant there was a deafening noise, and I was conscious of nothing.

XX

THE MASK OF IGNORANCE

                           “I am mainly ignorant
     What place this is; and all the skill I have
     Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
     Where I did lodge last night.”—­SHAKESPEARE.

“Who is it?”

“Don’t know.”

My head pained me.  I opened my eyes.  The blue sky was over me now.  A gently swaying motion lifted and lowered me.

“Hurt bad?”

“Head mashed.”

“Anybody else?”

“One more, and he’s gone!”

I could not see the speakers ...  I tried to turn my head, but could not.

I turned my eyes to the right, then to my left; the motion of my eyes threatened to break something in my head.

I saw nothing but the trees, which seemed to move back slowly, and to become larger and smaller.

Great thirst consumed me.  I tried to speak, but could not.

The swaying motion continued.  The trees rose and fell and went by.  The blue sky was over me.  I did not stir.