"Escaped prisoners from Andersonville, eh?" queried the guard gathering
about them.
"Yes; and more than half-starved; especially my friend here, Captain
Allison of the----"
But the sentence was left unfinished; for at that instant Harold reeled,
and would have fallen but for the strong arm of another officer quickly
outstretched to save him.
They made a litter and carried him into camp, where restoratives were
immediately applied.
He soon recovered from his faintness, but was found to be totally unfit
for duty, and sent to the hospital at Washington, where he was placed in a
bed adjoining that of his brother Richard, and allowed to share with him
in the attentions of Dr. King, Miss Lottie, and his own sister May.
How they all wept over him--reduced almost to a skeleton, so wan, so weak,
so aged, in those few short months.
He recognized his brother and sister with a faint smile, a murmured word
or two, then sank into a state of semi-stupor, from which he roused only
when spoken to, relapsing into it again immediately.
Slowly, very slowly, medical skill and tender, careful nursing told upon
his exhausted frame till at length he seemed to awake to new life, began
to notice what was going on about him, was able to take part in a cheerful
chat now and then, and became eager for news from home and of the progress
of the war.
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