The flames now were more impudent in their motion, and one street was impassable for them. We arrived back at the square with all possible expedition, our nerves in no settled state.
One of our number stood guard there, while two of the other soldiers had busied themselves in binding Jocko’s wound and preparing room for him on the rebels’ abandoned cart; which conveyance was emptied now of all but some sacks of grain and a few hogsheads of dried fish.
We coming to them, Private Harrison rushed forward to greet his grievously wounded friend, calling, “Jocko! Jocko!” But it was evident to all of us that Jocko could not hear himself hailed; that he was wandering already upon the foothills of a country where there are no names.
Corporal Craigie stood above the wounded man; cried, “He’s all over his sark!”; and asked if any among us knew better how to bind.
Months ago, I applied a tourniquet to Dr. Trefusis after letting him blood; a scene which does not speak impressively of my skill in this art; but now I stepped forward and offered to tighten the bloody sash tied about Jocko. Bono and I did what we could, the first desideratum being rum, which we poured between his lips; the second being a steady hand in retying the cloth, which operation I undertook as the insensible patient twitched.
The strip of stuff had not been placed well atop the wound, and I shifted it so that his belly would be better gripped. I feared my inadequacies; supplicated Bono to yank tighter, which he squatted and did. Jocko’s head lolled, and I could not but recall that awful vision, the insensate head of the dead sniper upon the stairs, cheek pierced by our musket-fire.
We bound Jocko as best we could. The wound was deep, however, and he bled copiously; his breath was weak, his eye empty. We lay him upon the cart, tied the prisoner’s rope to the axle, and drew them along after us in our dismal parade.
We quitted the scene, leaving behind us a toppled parlor on the dirt street, table flung with arms wide, clock facedown, chairs jumbled on the ground.