ten o'clock in the
evening
I am ready . '' Reverently , Crawford drew the sheet over the face of the corpse , hiding it forever from the eyes of the bereaved granddaughter as it was so soon to be hidden from the eyes of all the living ; and then the doubly-orphaned girl and her new-found friends took their way from the scene of death . She was dressed only in light delaine and had neither shawl nor bonnet ; but the night air was not too cool , and Webster wrapped his Zouave jacket around the slight form , while Crawford supplied her with his handkerchief as a covering for her head They took their way at once from the house , now little more than a heap of darkening coals , -- and struck south-eastward over the spur of the hill and through that portion of the woods least likely to retain any ambushed rebels , towards the quarters on Malvern . The sounds of battle had almost entirely ceased , it being now some ten o'clock in the evening ; and only occasionally the boom of a cannon half a mile away to the south-westward showed that the opposing forces yet remained near each other . The thick smoke which had shrouded all the country during the day , had almost all rolled away , the young moon had disappeared in the west , and the stars looked down as clearly and beautifully as if no such things as war and death could exist in a world gazed upon by such pure eyes . Scarcely a word was spoken by either , during the short walk to the top of Malvern Hill . The young girl leaned upon the uninjured arm of John Crawford , with a touching confidence and trust , an occasional convulsion of grief shaking her frame and on occasional sob breaking from her ; while Bob Webster acted as scout and guide , carrying both rifles , and perhaps not the more on that account prepared to repel any sudden danger .