“Lor’ bless yer, gentlemen, I was ’nother sort o’ feller that night, and was just like Mr Bracy here; hadn’t had no proper sleep for weeks, and there I was at it like one o’clock, going to sleep as you may say all over the place. Shouldn’t ha’ been here if it hadn’t been for that there doctor. Wouldn’t have had a one-legged un in the ridgiment, sir—would yer?”
“No,” said Roberts, who was leaning over and gazing at his sleeping comrade curiously. “Yes, he is sleeping as peacefully as a child. And what about you, Gedge?”
“Me, sir? Oh, I’m all right, sir. Bit stiff in the arms with all that bay’net exercise, and got the skin off one elber with ketching it agen the wall. Yer see, we’d no room.”
“We’ve been there this morning,” said Roberts, with a slight shudder. “The woodwork is chipped and cut into splinters, and the sight is horrible.”
“Well, yus, I s’pose so, sir. It was horrible work, but we was obliged to do it; they’d have cut us all to pieces. Reg’lar butchers—that they are—and deserved it. Coming on like that at a lot o’ poor cripples and a woman, besides the nong-combytant. Savages they are to try and cut down a doctor who’s ready to ’tend to everybody, either side, and tie or sew them up.”
“You’re right, Gedge, my lad; they are savages,” said Drummond, patting the speaker on the shoulder.
“Hff! gently, please, sir,” said Gedge, flinching.
“I beg your pardon. Are you hurt there?” cried Drummond hastily.
“Oh, all right, sir,” said the lad, grinning; “but you said, ‘Hurt there.’ Why, it’s all over, sir. There aren’t a place as I’ve found yet where you could put a finger on without making me squirm. Doctor made me yell like a great calf. But there’s nothing broke or cracked, and no fresh holes nowhere.”
“That’s a comfort,” said Drummond.