The night was intensely dark, and Malcolm's first sensation was that of bitter cold.
It was indeed freezing severely, and great numbers of the wounded who might otherwise have survived were frozen to death before morning; but a few, and among these were Malcolm, were saved by the frost.

Although unconscious of the fact, he had been wounded in two places.

The first ball had penetrated his breastpiece and had entered his body, and a few seconds later another ball had struck him in the arm.

It was the first wound which had caused his insensibility; but from the second, which had severed one of the principal veins in the arm, he would have bled to death had it not been for the effects of the cold.

For a time the life blood had flowed steadily away; but as the cold increased it froze and stiffened on his jerkin, and at last the wound was staunched.
It was none too soon, for before it ceased to flow Malcolm had lost a vast quantity of blood.