"First rate, major," one of the men answered."We all of us took a turn as soon as we heard that the Yanks were whipped.""Yes, we have thrashed them handsomely," the major said."Ah, Wingfield, I am glad to see you are alive.I thought when you fell it was all over with you.""I am not much hurt, sir," Vincent replied."A flesh wound and some ribs are broken, I hear; but they won't be long mending Ihope.""It's a nasty wound to look at," the major said, as Dan lifted the pad of wet linen."But with youth and health you will soon get round it, never fear.""Ah, my poor lad, yours is a worse case," he said as he bent over a young fellow who was lying a few paces from Vincent.
"It's all up with me, major," he replied faintly; "the doctor said he could do nothing for me.But I don't mind, now we have beaten them.You will send a line to the old people, major, won't you, and say I died doing my duty? I've got two brothers, and I expect they will send one on to take my place.""I will write to them, my lad," the major said, "and tell them all about you." He could give the lad no false hopes, for already a gray shade was stealing over the white face, and the end was close at hand; in a few minutes he ceased to breathe.
Late in the evening the surgeons, having attended to more urgent cases, came round.Vincent's wound was now more carefully examined than before, but the result was the same.Three of the ribs were badly fractured, but there was no serious danger.
"You will want quiet and good nursing for some time, my lad," the principal surgeon said."There will be a train of wounded going off for Richmond the first thing in the morning, and you shall go by it.You had better get a door, lads," he said to some of the troopers who had come across from the spot where the cavalry were bivouacked to see how their comrades were getting on, "and carry him down and put him in the train.One has just been sent off, and another will be made up at once, so that the wounded can be put in it as they are taken down.Now I will bandage the wound, and it will not want any more attention until you get home."A wad of lint was placed upon the wound and bandaged tightly round the body.
Remember you have got to he perfectly quiet, and not attempt to move till the bones have knit.I am afraid that they are badly fractured, and will require some time to heal up again."A door was fetched from an out-house near, and Vincent and two of his comrades, who were also ordered to be sent to the rear, were one by one carried down to the nearest point on the railway, where a train stood ready to receive them, and they were then laid on the seats.
All night the wounded kept arriving, and by morning the train was packed as full as it would hold, and with two or three surgeons in charge started for Richmond.Dan was permitted to accompany the train, at Vincent's urgent request, in the character of doctor's assistant, and he went about distributing water to the wounded, and assisting the surgeons in moving such us required it.
It was night before the train reached Richmond.A number of people were at the station to receive it; for as soon as the news of the battle had been received, preparations had been made for the reception of the wounded, several public buildings had been converted into hospitals, and numbers of the citizens had come forward with offers to take one or more of the wounded into their houses.The streets were crowded with people, who were wild with joy at the news of the victory which, as they believed, had secured the State from any further fear of invasion.Numbers of willing hands were in readiness to carry the wounded on stretchers to the hospitals, where all the surgeons of the town were already waiting to attend upon themVincent, at his own request, was only laid upon a bed, as he said that he would go home to he nursed the first thing in the morning.
This being the case it was needless to put him to the pain and trouble of being undressed.Dan had started as soon as he saw his master carried into the hospital to take the news to the Orangery, being strictly charged by Vincent to make light of his injury, and on no account whatever to alarm them.He was to ask that the carriage should come to fetch him the first thing in the morning.
It was indeed but just daybreak when Mrs.Wingfield drove up to the hospital.Dan had been so severely cross-examined that he had been obliged to give an accurate account of Vincent's injury.
There was bustle and movement even at that early hour, for another train of wounded had just arrived.As she entered the hospital she gave an exclamation of pleasure, for at the door were two gentlemen in conversation, one of whom was the doctor who had long attended the family at the Orangery.
