11 Jim Conklin

CHAPTER 11 Jim Conklin Henry fell to the back of the crowd and stayed out of sight until the tattered soldier was gone. Then he started to walk on with the others. But he was among wounded men. The tattered soldier's question had made him feel that his shame could be seen by everyone. At times he looked at the other men with envy. He wished that he, too, had a wound. A red badge of courage. There was an injured man at the side of the road. The other men were trying to help him,

but he turned them away and told them to leave him alone. His face was gray and his lips tight. He moved stiffly, as if he was trying to protect his wounds. As he walked, he seemed to be looking for a place to stop. He looked like someone choosing a gravesite. Something in the way the man waved the other soldiers away startled Henry. He yelled in horror. He laid a hand on the man's arm and, when he turned, Henry cried, "Jim Conklin!" Jim gave Henry a little smile. "Hello, Henry," he said. "Oh, Jim, oh, Jim, oh, Jim," Henry said. "Where have you been, Henry?" Jim asked, and held out his hand. "I was worried about you." Henry could only say, "Oh, Jim." "You know," Jim said. "I was out there. What a circus! And I got shot—I got shot. It's real bad."

As the two friends marched on, Jim suddenly seemed to be overcome with fear. He grabbed Henry's arm and began to speak in a shaky whisper. Henry could see that his friend was very weak. "I'll tell you what I'm afraid of, Henry. I'm afraid I'll fall down and they'll either leave me here, or one of those artillery wagons will ride right over me." Henry cried out, "I'll take care of you, Jim! I swear I will." Jim hung on Henry's arm. "I was always a good friend to you, wasn't I, Henry?" he asked. "I've always been a good person. And it isn't too much to ask, is it? Just to pull me away from the road? I would do it for you, Henry." Henry couldn't say anything, and Jim walked away from him. Henry followed his friend. Soon he heard a voice at his shoulder. Turning, he saw the

tattered soldier. "You should take him out of the road, partner," the tattered soldier said. "There's a wagon coming and he'll get run over." Henry ran to his friend and tried to pull him off the road. Jim tried to get away for a moment, and then said, "Oh! Into the fields?" Jim started running through the grass, and Henry ran after him. He yelled for Jim to stop, but he kept running. It amazed Henry that his friend still had such strength. "Where are you going, Jim?" Henry asked, with a shaky voice. "What are you thinking about? What are you doing?" Jim turned and said, "Leave me alone, can't you?" "Why, Jim?" Henry asked in a dazed way. "What's the matter with you?" Jim turned and ran forward. Henry and the tattered soldier followed, surprised and afraid. It seemed like part of a religious

ceremony. At last they saw Jim stop and stand still. He seemed to be waiting patiently for something that he had come to meet. There was a silence. Finally, Jim's chest began to heave and he sank to the ground. Henry turned with sudden anger toward the battlefield. He shook his fist and seemed about to yell. Above him, the red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer.