Once more Colonel Tait took in hand the shell-shock man. This second was a stretcher case. The man was very violent, requiring two men to hold him on his stretcher.
“Oh, let him go! Let him go!” said Colonel Tait. “What's wrong with you?” he said to the man. “Have you any wounds?”
“No, sir,” chattered the man miserably. “Shell—shock,—sir. Buried—twice—by a shell. Oh! Ah!”
The colonel had a few moments' conversation with Gregg, who came over to where Barry was sitting and said:
“I say, Dunbar, watch this case. You will see some fun.”
“Fun,” echoed Barry, shaken and indignant. “Not much fun for that poor chap.”
“Stand up,” said the colonel sharply.
The man stood up without much apparent difficulty.
“Ah!” said the colonel. “Shell shock. Bad case, too.” His voice was kind and sympathetic. He gripped the man by the arm and ran his hand down his spine until he came to the small of his back.
“Pain there, eh?” he said, giving the man a poke.