As I reached into the lower of the two bunks my finger came in contact with some substance that left the impression of a human body beneath the blanket.

I jerked away, startled, expecting my light touch would arouse the occupant.

There was no movement, however, nor could I distinguish any sound of breathing.
Convinced I had been mistaken, I reached in once more to assure myself of the truth, and my hand touched cold, clammy flesh.

The shock of discovery sent me reeling backward so suddenly that I slipped and fell.
It was a man--a dead man! In imagination I could see the wide-open, sightless eyes, staring toward me through the dark.

Trembling with the unreasonable terror of unstrung nerves, I yet managed to regain my feet.