"Don't tell me--I've seen you somewhere--no, not a word--don't even tell me your name--I'm going to think of it." Keith smiled, not unwilling to humor the man's eccentricity, and returned to his meal, with only an occasional inquiring glance across the table.

The other sat and stared at him, his heavy eyebrows wrinkled, as he struggled to awaken memory.

The younger man had begun on his pie when the face opposite suddenly cleared.
"Damn me, I've got it--hell, yes; hospital tent--Shenandoah--bullet imbedded under third rib--ordinary case--that's why I forgot--clear as mud now--get the name in a minute--Captain--Captain Keith--that's it--shake hands." Puzzled at the unexpected recognition, yet realizing the friendliness of the man, Keith grasped the pudgy fingers extended with some cordiality.
"Don't remember me I s'pose--don't think you ever saw me--delirious when I came--hate to tell you what you was talking about--gave you hypodermic first thing--behaved well enough though when I dug out the lead--Minie bullet, badly blunted hitting the rib--thought you might die with blood poison--couldn't stay to see--too damn much to do--evidently didn't though--remember me now ?" "No, only from what you say.

You must have been at General Waite's headquarters." "That's it--charge of Stonewall's field hospital--just happened to ride into Waite's camp that night--damn lucky for you I did--young snip there wanted to saw the bone--I stopped that--liked your face--imagined you might be worth saving--ain't so sure of it now, or you wouldn't be out in this God forsaken country, eating such grub--my name's Fairbain--Joseph Wright Fairbain, M.D .-- contract surgeon for the railroad--working on the line ?" Keith shook his head, feeling awakening interest in his peculiar companion.
"No; just drifted in here from down on the Arkansas," he explained, briefly.

"Did you know General Waite was dead ?" The doctor's ruddy face whitened.
"Dead ?--Willis Waite dead ?" he repeated.