I helped Willis to cross the branch; then we lay with the log at our backs and completely screened from view.

Willis drank another great draught of water.  I filled the canteen again, and examined his wound.  His knee was stiff and much swollen; just under the knee-cap was a mass of clotted blood; this I washed away, using all the gentle care at my command, but giving him, nevertheless, great pain.  A small round hole was now scan, and by gently pressing on its walls, I thought I detected the presence of the ball.

“Sergeant,” said I, “it’s in there; I don’t believe it’s more than half an inch, deep.”

“Then pull it out,” said Willis,

That was more easily said than done.  Willis was lying flat on his back, eating ravenously.  From moment to moment I stuffed my mouth with hardtack and pork.

I sharpened a reed and introduced its point into the wound; an obstacle was met at once—­but how to get it out?  The hole was so small that I conjectured the wound had been made by a buck-shot, the rebels using, as we ourselves, many smooth-bore muskets, loaded with buck-and-ball cartridges.

“Willis,” said I, “I think I’d better not undertake this job; suppose I get the ball out, who knows that that will be better for you?  Maybe you’d lose too much blood.”

“I want it out,” said Willis.

“But suppose I can’t got it out; we might lose an hour and do no good.  Besides, I must insist that I don’t like it.  I think my business is to let your leg alone; I’m no surgeon.”

“Take your knife,” said Willis, “and cut the hole bigger.”

The wound was bleeding afresh, but I did not tell him so.

“No,” said I; “your leg is too valuable for me to risk anything of that kind.”

“You refuse?”

“I positively refuse,” said I.

We had eaten enough.  The sun was almost down.  Far away a low rumbling was heard, a noise like the rolling of cars or of a wagon train.

Willis reluctantly consented to start.  I went to the brook and kneaded some clay into the consistency of plaster; I took off my shirt, and tore it into strips.  Against the naked limb, stiffened out, I applied a handful of wet clay and smoothed it over; then I wrapped the cloths around the knee, at every fold smearing the bandage with clay.  I hardly knew why I did this, unless with the purpose of keeping the knee-joint from bending; when the clay should become dry and hard the joint would be incased in a stiff setting which I hoped would serve for splints.  Willis approved the treatment, saying that clay was good for sprains, and might be good for wounds.

I helped the sergeant to his feet.  He could stand, but could hardly move.

“Take my gun,” said I, “and use it as a crutch.”

He did as I said, but the barrel of the gun sank into the soft earth; after two strides he said, “Here!  I can get along better without it.”  Meanwhile I had been sustaining part of his weight.