end i

in his voice at the beginning, it quickly tailed off into a broken qui

of your mouth directly, if I know

, my friend," replied Dennis in French. "But have the goodness no

coundrels you are!" grunted the Alsatian corporal. "What a pity, f

adquarters?" inquired

alk on earth. How beautiful is the song of the lark! The little animals

talions," but the corporal was impervious to the harmless jest, and

d come down and joined them, and the pair marched

fires drifted among the tree-trunks. At the door of a dug-out a group of officers sat round a trestle table t

behind yonder. He speaks German and French and all the

made by a dressmaker, but on the left breast was a little strip of crimson and green ribbon, showing that he had won the Mili

eyeing him keenly from top to toe, through the chalk and dirt that

ion, and Dennis pointed to his torn tunic. "It was destroyed w

ity. What is that in his pocket?" And the commanda

ed two things which he laid on the table by the long loaf f

llet. "You told me your name was Dashwood

who drove me," explained Dennis. "That is the

rman soldier's "small book." "Here you are described as Hans Schrettelmeyer, Priv

lsed the attack last night," said Dennis, drawing himself up a little

my friend," said the commandant with a dry smile. "Is th

the lad hotly, and then he bit his lips as

, it has also gone!" he

"We have had several of your kind prowling about our lines lately-one only last night,

nis hotly in his own language, realising for the

er officers in English. "You are all Boche. I

le and said something in a low voice

o make an observation

plied the commandan

le Général commanding this army corps will convinc

cold voice. "Your wires are not the only ones that suffer, and ours has undergone some damage during the nig

rage! My country and yours are firm friends, and I re

eur le commandant, I should feel inclined-with all due respect I say it-to postpone the execution.

nds you are at liberty to do so. We will endeavour to forward it afterwards. Also, if you care to avail yourself of the good offices of our chaplain they are at you

cross the young lieutenant's

rry for this decision," he said. "I have a fountain

anded him a blank form, at the sam

boy, and, sitting down on a billet o

was probably a successful pork butcher before the war started, declines to communicate with headquarters, and I rather hope you'll rub it into him when you learn all. It s

ding rigidly at his elbow, when he became a

was explaining his mission to the group, whil

hich brought the corporal's grip on to his

gh to tell the commandant the circumstances under which we met

cer. "Enchanted to meet you again! But what

had not arrived," replied Dennis, unable to repress the tri

fortunate thing for you that I came in time. If you had shot this you

d the good-hearted fellows were round him in a moment, clamouring out their apologie

, for the poor man was pathetically apologetic, and trem

ment," laughed the lad. "But it was a string of extrao

not reached your headquarters?

ewhere among the wreckage of the car and

in with your nearest brigades in a raid on the enemy's lines. The Allied artillery is even now lengthening its fuses, and we are on the point of g

will lend me a revolver, I should love to take part with t

icer. "You heap the coals of fire upon

the boy with his own hands; and meanwhile the little group at the wood fires had snatched up their rifles and donned their blue-painte

ept very close to his late prisoner, but there

as he slung his rifle behind his back and festooned himself with rack

ave man should do what he thinks to be his duty, and yo

," replied the corporal, "and uphill al

forward among the trees, and jumped down into the deep excavation w

falling behind the enemy trench, the sandbags of which sh

me with them thus far, and

ly, I may only see the attack launched, but

nd, climbing swiftly over their parapet, the active little

econd line coming over to their support. Again the whistle sounded, the little blue figure

und himself in a bed of stinging nettles close to the ruins of a cottage, with the corporal and the commandant on either side of him, he caught the

lifted his head and saw that his supports had c

giving Dennis's arm a warm squeeze.

g to his feet, the commandant shouted, "

heads wearing flat caps, and the volley from the mause

t the joy of that mad rush with a fight at the end of it banished the thought on the spot, and, scarcely con

r an instant on the top of the parapet and fired into the trench at his feet, he threw up his arms and pitched ba

, clutching at his throat, but the blood w

elt beside him. "We must get him back under cover at on

d the corporal, tossing the racket he hel

rms under the commandant's shoulders, while Dennis lifted his legs, they walke