I then picked up two pine leaves, broke them off to unequal lengths, rolled them in my hands behind my back for a second, and presenting them to Harney with their ends sticking out of my closed hand, said: "The one that gets the longest one goes first." Harvey reached forth and drew the longer one.
We made a tour of reconnaissance.

Everything seemed as usual, and wonderfully calm compared with the tumult in our minds.

The Hospital guards were pacing their beats lazily; those on the Stockade were drawling listlessly the first "call around" of the evening: "Post numbah foah! Half-past seven o'clock! and a-l-l's we-l-ll!" Inside the Stockade was a Babel of sounds, above all of which rose the melody of religious and patriotic songs, sung in various parts of the camp.

From the headquarters came the shouts and laughter of the Rebel officers having a little "frolic" in the cool of the evening.

The groans of the sick around us were gradually hushing, as the abatement of the terrible heat let all but the worst cases sink into a brief slumber, from which they awoke before midnight to renew their outcries.