"No; I do not," said I; "but you can find out down there at the hospital
tents, I suppose."
"I was told that the brigade is on the line somewhere about here," said
he.
"I will go with you to the tent," said I.
"I belong to the First," he said, "I've been absent for some days on
duty, and am just getting back to my company. Who is in charge of the
hospital?"
"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."
"If I do, I shall be willing to confess to anything," said I.
"Here, now; stand there--so! Now--_Right_--FACE!"