Four horses dashed by his side dragging through the woods a big gun to
train on the battery that was plowing through their lines. A solid shot
crashed straight through a horse's head, blinding Ned with blood and
brains.
He threw his hand to his face and buried it in the hot quivering mass,
exclaiming:
"My God, boys, my brains are out!"
"You've got the biggest set I ever saw then!" the Captain said, helping
him to clear his eyes.
A shell exploded squarely against the gun carriage, hurling it into junk
and piling all four horses on the ground. Their dying cries rang
pitifully through the smoke-wreathed woods. One horse lifted his head,
placed both fore feet on the ground and tried to rise. His hind legs
were only shreds of torn flesh. He neighed a long, quivering,
soul-piercing shriek of agony and a merciful officer drew his revolver
and killed him.
A cannoneer lay by this horse's side with both his legs hopelessly
crushed so high in the thick flesh of the thighs there was no hope. He
was moaning horribly. He turned his eyes in agony to the officer who had
shot the horse:
"Please, Captain--for the love of God--shoot me, too, I can't live----"
The Captain shook his head.
"Have mercy on me--for Jesus' sake--kill me--you were kind to my
horse--can't you do as much for me?"
The Captain turned away in anguish.
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