t badly.
Besides, I've had a very pleasant time, pleasant and peaceful."

He strolled round to the far side of the tree and took a look at the men
who lay stretched out. One of the officers, a boy of untiring energy,
complained that he was bored.

"I say, McMahon, can't I get up and go back to the mess? What's the good
of my lying here all the afternoon?"

"You'll lie there," said McMahon severely, "until you get orders to go.
And it may be a long time before you do. In fact, you won't be able to.
stir till the padre comes, and I haven't the least idea where he is, I
doubt if he's out with us at all to-day."

"What the dickens has the padre got to do with it?" said the officer.

"You'll find that out in time. For the present you've nothing to do but
lie still."

"But hang it all---- I say, McMahon, can't you finish off and let me
go?"

"I?" said McMahon. "I've finished with you long ago. There's nothing
more for me to do. The next man to take you in hand is the padre."

The orderly stood at his elbow while he spoke. He seemed a little
nervous and agitated.

"Beg pardon, sir," he said. "The Colonel's just coming, sir. He and the
General. He's drove up in the General's car; and I'm afraid they're both
coming here, sir."

McMahon turned. What the orderly said was perfectly true. The Colonel,
and with him the General, and the two umpires in the fight, were
skirting the oats and making for the little grove of trees where the
casualties were.

McMahon went to meet them.

"Ah, McMahon," said the Colonel, "I've come to see how you've treated
the wounded. I've brought the General with me. Casualties rather heavy,
eh? Had a busy afternoon?"

The Colonel grinned. McMahon saluted respectfully.

"Got your list made out?" said the Colonel, "and your report on each
case? Just hand them over to me, will you? The General would like to see
them."

"I beg your pardon, sir," said McMahon, "but have you given orders for
the padre to report here?"

"Padre?" said the Colonel. "What do you want the padre for?"

"The padre and a burying party, sir," said McMahon. "The fact is, sir,
that the wounded all died, every one of them, on the way down from the
firing line. Arrived here stone dead. I couldn't do anything for them,
sir. Dead before they got to me. I've had them laid out, if you'd like
to see them, sir. It's all I could do for the poor fellows. It's the
padre's job now. I understand that he keeps a register of burial