It was evident his mind was wandering; he fancied himself once more at home, and wished to be laid in the little chamber where he used to sleep with Frank, as Frank had slept with Willie in later days.
"Kiss me, mother!" The ashen face smiled; then the light faded from it; and the lips, grown cold and numb, murmured softly, "It is growing dark—Good night!"
And he slept—the sleep of eternity.
When Frank rose up from the corpse he had mastered himself. Then Captain Edney saw, what none had noticed before, that blood was streaming down his arm—the same arm that had been grazed before; this time it had been shot through.
"You are wounded!"
"Yes—but not much. I must go—let me go and take care of Atwater!"
"But you need taking care of yourself!"—for he was deadly pale.
"No, sir—I—Abe, there——"
Even as the boy was speaking he grew dizzy and fell fainting in his captain's arms.