I hesitate to tell what followed. But as I am trying to record the sensations experienced at the time of receiving a head wound, I will describe the next experience simply, and leave the reader to form his own conclusions. I was blind then, as I am now; but the blackness which was then before me underwent a change. A voice from somewhere behind me said: "This is death; will you come?" Then gradually the blackness became more intense. A curtain seemed to be slowly falling; there was space; there was darkness, blacker than my blindness; everything was past. There was a peacefulness, a nothingness; but a happiness indescribable. I seemed for a moment somewhere in the emptiness looking down at my body, lying in the shell-hole, bleeding from the temple. I was dead! and that was my body; but I was happy. But the voice I had heard seemed to be waiting for an answer. I seemed to exert myself by a frantic effort, like one in a dream who is trying to awaken. I said: "No, not now; I won't die." Then the curtain slowly lifted; my body moved and I was moving it. I was alive! There, my readers, I have told you, and I have hesitated to tell it before. More than that, I will tell you that I was not unconscious; neither did I lose consciousness until several minutes later, and then unconsciousness was quite different. I have told you how clear was my brain the moment I was hit, and I tell you also that after the sensation I have just related, my brain was equally clear, as I will show you, until I became unconscious. Call it a hallucination, a trick of the brain, or what you will. I make no attempt to influence you; I merely record the incident--but my own belief I will keep to myself. Whatever it was, I no longer feel there is any mystery about death. Nor do I dread it. Arnold was busy tearing open the field dressing which I carried in a pocket of my tunic. "Use the iodine first, Arnold; it's in the pocket in a glass phial." "The glass is broken, sir." "In a piece of paper there are two morphia tablets--quick, better give them to me." "They are not here, sir." And he bound the dressing round my eyes as the blood trickled down my face. "Quick, Arnold, my right pocket--feel in it; some papers there--a secret code--take them out--tear them up--quickly; tell me have you done it?" "Yes, sir, I have done it." I was sinking; I felt myself going; I felt that the end was at hand. I clutched his shoulder and pulled him towards me: "Arnold, I'm going. If you get back--tell my--wife--" But the message that was on my lips was not finished; I could speak no more. I was dropping into space, dropping, dropping; everything disappeared, I remembered no more. I do not know how long I remained in this condition. I remember gaining consciousness and finding Arnold by my side.