Itrevealedonthelipsofthosewhohadbeenmortallywoundedandhadturnedupontheirsidethereliefwhichdeathhadbroughttheirsuffering，sometimesshowninafaintsmile。Mountinghigher，itglancedupontheactualbattleline，curiouslycurvingfortheshelterofwalls，fences，andbreastworks，andherethedeadlay，evenaswhentheylayandfired，theirfacesproneinthegrassbuttheirmusketsstillrestingacrossthebreastworks。Exposedtograpeandcanisterfromthebatteryontheridge，deathhadcometothemmercifullyalso——throughtheheadandthroat。Andnowthewholefieldlaybareinthesunlight，brokenwithgrotesqueshadowscastfromsitting，crouching，half-recumbentbutalwaysrigidfigures，whichmighthavebeeneffigiesontheirownmonuments。
Onehalf-kneelingsoldier，withheadbowedbetweenhisstiffenedhands，mighthavestoodforacarvenfigureofGriefatthefeetofhisdeadcomrade。Acaptain，shotthroughthebrainintheactofmountingawall，laysidewayshalfacrossit，hislipspartedwithawordofcommand；hisswordstillpointingoverthebarrierthewaythattheyshouldgo。
Butitwasnotuntilthesunhadmountedhigherthatitstruckthecentralhorrorofthefieldandseemedtolingerthereindazzlingpersistence，nowandthenreturningtoitinstartlingflashesthatitmightbeseenofmenandthosewhobroughtsuccor。Atinybrookhadrunobliquelynearthebattleline。Itwasherethat，thenightbeforethebattle，friendandfoehadfilledtheircanteenssidebysidewithsoldierlyrecklessness——orperhapsahigherinstinct——purposelyignoringeachother’spresence；itwasherethatthewoundedhadafterwardscrept，crawled，anddraggedthemselves，heretheyhadpushed，wrangled，striven，andfoughtforadraughtofthatpreciousfluidwhichassuagedthethirstoftheirwounds——orhappilyputthemoutoftheirmiseryforever；hereoverborne，crushed，suffocatedbynumbers，pouringtheirownbloodintotheflood，andtumblingafteritwiththeirhelplessbodies，theydammedthestream，untilrecoiling，redandangry，ithadburstitsbanksandoverflowedthecotton-fieldinabroadpoolthatnowsparkledinthesunlight。Butbelowthishumandam——amileaway——wherethebrookstillcreptsluggishly，theambulancehorsessniffedandstartedfromit。
Thedetailmovedonslowly，doingtheirworkexpeditiously，andapparentlycallously，butreallyonlywiththatmechanicalmovementthatsavesemotion。Onlyoncetheyweremovedtoanoutbreakofindignation，——thediscoveryofthebodyofanofficerwhosepocketswereturnedinsideout，butwhosehandwasstilltightlygraspedonhisbuttonedwaistcoat，asifresistingtheoutragethathadbeendonewhilestillinlife。Asthemendisengagedthestiffenedhandsomethingslippedfromthewaistcoattotheground。Thecorporalpickeditupandhandedittohisofficer。Itwasasealedpacket。
Theofficerreceiveditwiththecarelessnesswhichlongexperienceofthesepatheticmissivesfromthedyingtotheirlivingrelationshadinduced，anddroppeditinthepocketofhistunic，withthehalf-dozenothersthathehadpickedupthatmorning，andmovedonwiththedetail。Alittlefurtherontheyhalted，intheattitudeofattention，asamountedofficerappeared，ridingslowlydowntheline。