He drank again and new life coursed through him.
"Yes--hell of a hole!" he repeated drowsily.

"Sorry for you--Neil--" and he seemed to sleep again.
Neil laughed as he wiped his companion's face with a wet cloth.
"I'm used to it, Nat.

Been here before," he said.

"Can you get up?
There's a bench over here--not long enough to stretch you out on or I would have made you a bed of it, but it's better than this mud to sit on." He put his arms about Nathaniel and helped him to his feet.

For a few moments the wounded man stood without moving.
"I'm not very bad, I guess," he said, taking a slow step.