"How did you suppose you received your hurt?" asked the adjutant. "I was told by Dr. Frost that somebody knocked me down," said I, with nervous curiosity. "Yes, that's so; somebody did knock you down," said the doctor. "You were struck senseless by a bursting shell thrown by the enemy's cannon," said the adjutant, "and yet you refuse to admit that you are a soldier!" To say that I was speechless would be weak. I stared back at the two men. "You have on the uniform; you are armed; you are in the ranks; you are under fire from the enemy's batteries, where death may come, and does come; you are wounded; you are brought to your hospital for treatment. And yet you doubt that you are a soldier! You must be merely dreaming that you doubt!" While speaking Adjutant Haskell had risen, a sign that he was getting angry, I feared; but no, he was going to leave. "Jones, good-by," he said; "hold on to that strong will of yours, but don't let it fall into obstinacy." The doctor came nearer. "You are stronger than you thought," said he. "Yes, I am. I was surprised." "You remind me of horses I have seen fall between the shafts; they lie there and seem to fancy that they have no strength at all. I suppose they think that they are dreaming." At this speech. I laughed aloud--why, I hardly know, unless it was that my own mind recalled one such ludicrous incident; then, too, it was pleasant to hear the doctor say that I was strong. "Yes, Jones; all you need is a little more time. Two or three days will set you up." "Doctor, I cannot understand it at all; this talk about armies, and war, and wounds, and adjutants--what does it all mean?" "You must not try to know everything at once. I think you are now convinced that there is a war?" "Yes." "You will learn all about it very soon, perhaps to-morrow; it ought to be enough for you to know that your country is in danger. Are you a patriot?" "I trust so." "Well, of course you are. Now you must go to sleep. You have talked long enough. Good night. I will send William to give you a night-cap." * * * * * The next morning Dr. Frost expressed great satisfaction with my progress, and began, almost as soon as I had eaten, to gratify my curiosity. "I believe that you confess to the charge of being a patriot," said he. "I trust I am," said I. "We are invaded. Our homes are destroyed. Our women are insulted. Our men are slain. The enemy is before our capital and hopes to conquer. Can you hesitate?" "I should not hesitate if I understood as you understand. But how can you expect me to kill men when I know nothing of the merits of the cause for which I am told to fight?"