Several other men were already there, and one in particular groaned most miserably at every jolt of the clumsy vehicle.
Of course, I saw little of what went on, but the fog had departed, and the blessed light of day itself cheered me, while it was good again to hear the different sounds--the rumbling of wheels, the neigh of horses, the shouts of the drivers, the steady tramp, tramp as of the marching of thousands of men.
That ghostly regiment, gliding through the blackness, unseen, unheard, had in my weakened state preyed on my nerves.
Now I was really in the land of living beings again, and I smiled to myself at hearing the crack of the carter's whip, and the familiar words addressed to the horses.
Somewhere on the journey we halted a long, long time, and at length proceeded very slowly and cautiously.
We were crossing the Theiss on a narrow and temporary bridge, though the infantry had gone over on the ice.
Soon after this the wounded man at my side ceased his groaning, which enabled me to go to sleep; but I did not guess that the poor fellow would never disturb any of us again.
The next time the wagon halted, a man, clambering into it, brought a flask, from which several of us drank.
The stuff, whatever its name, had a strange flavour, something like new milk; but it warmed me all over, and even before the cart again started I was sound asleep.
CHAPTER X.