“Dr. Frost,” said I.

“Oh, Frank?” said he; “I’ll call on him, then.  He was our orderly-sergeant.”

By this speech I knew that he was one of Captain Haskell’s men, and I looked at him more closely; he had a very pleasant face.  I wanted to ask him about Company H, but feared to say anything, lest he should afterward, when I joined the company, recognize me and be curious.  However, I knew that my face, bound up as my head was, would hardly become familiar to him in a short time, and I risked saying that I understood that Dr. Frost had been orderly-sergeant in some company or other.

“Yes; Company H,” said he.

“That must be a good company, as it turns out surgeons.”

“Yes, and it turns out adjutants and adjutant-generals,” said he.

“You like your company?”

“Yes, and I like its captain.  I suppose every man likes his own company; I should hate to be in any other.  Have you been sick?”

“Yes,” said I; “my head received an injury, but I am better now.”

“You couldn’t be under better care,” said he.

When we had reached the tent, Dr. Frost was not to be seen.

“I’ll wait and see him,” said the man; “he is not far off, I reckon, and I know that the brigade must be close by.  What regiment do you belong to?”

The question was torture.  What I should have said I do not know; to my intense relief, and before the man had seen my hesitation, he cried, “There he is now,” and went up to the doctor; they shook hands.  I besought the doctor, with a look, not to betray me; he understood, and nodded.

The man, whom Dr. Frost had called Bellot, asked, “Where is the regiment?”

“Three-quarters of a mile northwest,” said the doctor, and Bellot soon went off.

“I’m a little sorry that he saw you,” said the doctor; “for you and he are going to be good friends.  If he remembers meeting you here to-day, he may be curious when he sees you in Company H; but we’ll hope for the best.”

“I hope to be very greatly changed in appearance before he sees me again,” said I, looking down on my garments, which were very ragged, and seemed to have been soaked in muddy water, and thinking of my strange unshaven face and bandaged head; “I must become indebted to you for something besides your professional skill, Doctor.”

“With great pleasure, Jones; you shall have everything you want, if I can get it for you.  I’ve seen Captain Haskell; he says that he will not come again, but he bids you be easy; he will make your first service as light as possible and will ... wait!  I wonder if you have forgotten your drill!”

“I know nothing about military drill,” I said, “and never did know anything about it.”

“You will be convinced, shortly, that you did,” said he; “you may have lost it mentally, but your muscles haven’t forgotten.  In three days under old John Wilson, I’ll bet you are ready for every manoeuvre.  Just get you started on ‘Load in nine times load,’ and you’ll do eight of ’em without reflection.”