"Notwithstanding the untiring work of the Sani-
tary Corps, numbers of these poor wretches still lay
uncared for, either benumbed and half-unconscious,
or calling upon all who passed to shoot or stab
them to put an end to their misery. Swarms of
carrion crows settled on the boughs of the trees,
croaking their satisfaction at the approaching
meal. Starved dogs from the villages licked the
wounds. A few of the human hyenas still stealthily
plied their trade. And then after all this came the
great burial."

" Who does that, the Sanitary Corps? "

"How could they undertake such a gigantic
task? They have enough to do to care for the
wounded?"

"Details of soldiers?"

" No; whoever can be picked up, generally camp
followers or laborers from the farms around about.
But they manage it easily enough. They some-
times dig long trenches and throw the bodies in
head over heels, just as it happens; or they make
a mound of corpses and throw about two feet of
earth over them. In a few days a heavy rain will
come and wash the earth all away; but what do
these fellows care. They were a cheerful set, I
can tell you; they sang and whistled at their work,
and made all manner of bad puns. They did not
trouble themselves to examine very carefully
whether there was still any life in these bodies.
