I fust battle we went into , he gave me a lesson that I did n't forgit in a hurry , and I 'll tell you how it was . It ai n't no use tryin ' to picter the noise and hurry , and general horridness of a battle to you young fellers , for I ai n't no words to do it in ; but I 'm free to confess that I got so sort of confused and upset at the fust on it , that I did n't know what I was about . We was ordered to charge , and went ahead like good ones , never stoppin ' to pick up them that went down in the scrimmage . I got a shot in the arm , and was pitched out of the saddle do n't know how , but there I was left behind with two or three others , dead and wounded , for the rest went on , as I say . Wal , I picked myself up and looked round for Major , feeling as ef I 'd had about enough for that spell . I did n't see him nowhere , and was kinder walking back to camp , when I heard a whinny that sounded nateral . I looked round , and there was Major stopping for me a long way off , and lookin ' as ef he did n't understand why I was loiterin ' behind . I whistled , and he trotted up to me as I 'd trained him to do . I mounted as well as I could with my left arm bleedin ' and was for going on to camp , for I declare I felt as sick and wimbly as a woman ; folks often do in their fust battle . But , no sir ! Major was the bravest of the two , and he would n't go , not a peg ; he jest rared up , and danced , and snorted , and acted as ef the smell of powder and the noise had drove him half wild . I done my best , but he would n't give in , so I did ; and what do you think that plucky brute done ? He wheeled slap round , and galloped back like a hurricane , right into the thickest of the scrimmage ! '' `` Good for him ! '' cried Dan excitedly , while the other boys forgot apples and nuts in their interest . `` I wish I may die ef I war n't ashamed of myself , '' continued Silas , warming up at the recollection of that day . `` I was mad as a hornet , and I forgot my waound , and jest pitched in , rampagin ' raound like fury till there come a shell into the midst of us , and in bustin ' knocked a lot of us flat . I did n't know nothin ' for a spell , and when I come-to , the fight was over just there , and I found myself layin ' by a wall of poor Major long-side wuss wounded than I was . My leg was broke , and I had a ball in my shoulder , but he , poor old feller ! was all tore in the side with a piece of that blasted shell . ''
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Silas bustin fust hornet horridness hurricane left rampagin raound waound