Crane writes, "The youth gave a shriek as he confronted the thing. He was for moments turned to stone before it. He remained staring into the liquid-looking eyes. The dead man and the living man exchanged a long look" (Crane Ch. 7). He is so frightened by the sight that he quickly runs further through the forest, convinced all the more that he is doing the right thing.

             He then joins a column of soldiers, "In the lane was a blood-stained crowd streaming to the rear. The wounded men were cursing, groaning, and wailing. In the air, always, was a mighty swell of sound that it seemed could sway the earth" (Crane Ch.8). One of the men had a "shoeful of blood.Another had the gray seal of death already upon his face.There was a tattered man, fouled with dust, blood and powder stain from hair to shoes, who trudged quietly at the youth's side" (Crane Ch. 8). .

             He sees a man with a fixed stare, and walking "like one who goes to choose a grave" (Crane Ch.9). He realizes that the man is Jim Conklin. Then, "The tall soldier held out his gory hand. There was a curious red and black combination of new blood and old blood upon it" (Crane Ch.9). Henry tells him that he'll take care of him, but Jim flees into the bushes where Henry and the tattered man witness his death. "He stared into space. To the two watchers there was a curious and profound dignity in the firm lines of his awful face" (Crane Ch.9). .

             Henry and the tattered soldier continue through the woods. The sounds of battle can be heard in the distance. And the wounded soldier keeps asking Henry where he is wounded, until Henry can no longer tolerate it and abandons the man to die alone in the forest. "Turning at a distance," Henry "saw the tattered man wandering about helplessly in the field" (Crane Ch.10). Crane writes, "He now thought that he wished he was dead. He believed he envied those men whose bodies lay strewn over the grass of the fields and on the fallen leaves of the forest" (Crane Ch.