"Field hospital, Sixth Corps," he said, with a strong Hibernian accent "An' how de ye loike it, Johnny?"
"Better than some others I've seen," I managed to articulate faintly. "Who won?"
"Divil a wan of us knows," he admitted frankly, "but your fellows did the retratin'."
It was an old, old story to all of us by that time, and I closed my eyes wearily, content to ask no more.
I have no way of knowing how long I rested there motionless although awake, my eyes closed to keep out the painful glare, my sad thoughts busied with memory of those men whom I had seen reel and fall upon that stricken field we had battled so vainly to save. Once I wondered, with sudden start of fear, if I had lost a limb, if I was to be crippled for life, the one thing I dreaded above all else. Feeling feebly beneath my bed-clothing I tested, as best I could, each limb. All were apparently intact, although my left arm seemed useless and devoid of feeling, broken no doubt, and I heaved a sigh of genuine relief. Then I became partially aroused to my surroundings by a voice speaking from the cot next mine.
"You lazy Irish marine!" it cried petulantly, "that beef stew was to have been given me an hour ago."
"Sure, sor," was the soothing reply, "it wasn't to be given yer honor till two o'clock."
That first voice sounded oddly familiar, and I turned my face that way, but was unable to perceive the speaker.
"Is that Lieutenant Caton?" I asked doubtfully.
"Most assuredly it is," quickly. "And who are you?"
"Captain Wayne, of the Confederate Army."
"Oh, Wayne? Glad you spoke, but extremely sorry to have you here. Badly hurt?"
"Not seriously, I think. No limbs missing, anyhow, but exceedingly weak. Where did they get you?"
"In the side, a musket ball, but extracted. I would be all right if that lazy Irish scamp would only give me half enough to eat. By the way, Wayne, of course I never got the straight of it, for there are half-a-dozen stories about the affair flying around, and those most interested will not talk, but one of your special friends, and to my notion a most charming young woman, will be in here to see me sometime this afternoon. She will be delighted to meet you again, I'm sure."
"One of my friends?" I questioned incredulously, yet instantly thinking of Edith Brennan. "A young woman?"