“Bet I’d go to the surgeon, then, ef it was me,” he said.

“Wish I could see the Doctor,” I replied, spelling the word, mentally, with a capital.

“Well, why don’t you tell your captain to let you go back?”

“You don’t know my captain,” said I.

“Hard on you, is he?”

“Well, hard ain’t the word; but I wouldn’t risk asking him out here.”

“Bet I’d go, anyhow, ef it was me,” said he.

“If he should see me going, know what he’d do?”

“What?”

“Send a man after me.”

“Well, you jest come along with, me.  Bet our men won’t stop you; you don’t belong to them.”

This was just what I wanted; but I was afraid to show any eagerness.  We were almost at the picket-line, and I had no doubt that my friend was marching straight toward his own rifle-pit; he was surely on the left of his company—­he was such a small man.

“Stop,” said I.

He halted, and turned to me.  He was a good-looking young fellow.  He had the palmetto button on his coat.  Our eyes met.

“You won’t give me away?” I said.

“What do you take me for?” he asked.

“Oh, you’re all right; but if you should happen to say anything to anybody, it might get out.  If you won’t tell any of your men, I’ll go.”

“Oh, come along; you needn’t be afeared of my tellin’ on you.  I don’t know your name, and—­not to cause hard feelin’s—­I don’t want to know it; come on.”

He stopped at the pit on the edge of the gully.  I passed on.  I saw men lying, sitting, and a very few standing down the line at some of the other pits.  I heard no talk.  The men at the pit where my friend had halted did not speak to me.  There was nothing to cause them to speak.  He handed his canteen to one of the men; even this man did not speak; he drank.

I walked up the hill, going straight toward the big pine.  The sun itself could now be seen.  What I have narrated had not taken five minutes, for the pits were not more than a hundred yards from the edge of the swamp.

Now, once out of sight of the picket-line, I should feel safe.  How far in the rear the Confederate fortifications were, I could not yet tell—­but that mattered little; I should have no fears when I reached them.

As long as I thought it possible that I could be seen from the pits I went toward the big pine; soon I knew that I was hidden by bushes, and I went as rapidly as I could walk in a southeast direction for nearly an hour.  I passed in full sight of the picket-line in many places, and fortifications far to my right could be seen upon the hills.  My purpose was to enter the main Confederate entrenchments as nearly as possible opposite New Bridge—­opposite the position from which, I had started on the night before.

The sun was an hour high.  I had come three miles, I thought; I sat in a shady place and endeavoured to think what course was best.  I believed I had come far enough.  I had nothing to do but go forward.  I could see parts of fortifications.  No one would think of hindering my entrance.  I would go into the lines; then I would turn to the right and follow out my instructions.