mistaking it this time
and all the men heard it. It was immediately followed by a burst of
violent machine-gun fire from the German trenches.

"What do you suppose it is?" demanded Leon excitedly.

"It's a bell," said Earl. "I told you that before."

"It's very strange," muttered Dubois. "I cannot understand it."

The men were all alert now, however, and on the watch for any trick
that the Germans might try to play on them. Every one was mystified
and at a complete loss to understand the strange occurrence. A
half-hour passed and the performance was not repeated.

"Where can Armande be I wonder," said Earl.

"It certainly seems as if he ought to be back by this time, doesn't
it?" exclaimed Leon anxiously.

"He's dead," said Dubois shortly.

"What makes you think so?" asked Earl.

"Well he hasn't come back yet, has he?"

"No."

"Then he must be dead and I believe that bell ringing had something to
do with it too."

"In what way?" asked Leon.

"I don't know," said Dubois. "That's what I think though."

Armande was not dead however. A moment later Dubois heard his name
called and the missing soldier slid over the parapet and into the
trench once more. "Slid," expresses what he did exactly, for he shot
forward head-first and fell in a heap on the bottom of the trench. He
lay there moaning.

"Armande," cried Dubois bending over him. "What happened?"

"They got me," said the wounded soldier simply.

"Where? How?"

"In the leg. A machine-gun bullet."

"Where have you been?"

"Over to the German trenches. They shot me about half an hour ago and
it has taken me all this time to get back here."

"Send word to the Red Cross," said Dubois to one of the men. "I wish I
could do something for you," he added to his wounded comrade. "It is
so dark here I cannot see a thing. Are you badly hurt?"

"No; just above the knee. It is painful and it was hard to walk but I
doubt if it is serious."

"I hope not," exclaimed Leon heartily. "How did they happen to see
you?"

"Did you hear a bell?" asked Armande.

"We certainly did," exclaimed Leon. "What was it?"

"It was my finish," said Armande. "It was a clever ruse on the part of
the Boches however and I must give them credit for it."

"What was it?" asked Earl eagerly. "Can you tell us about it?"

"It was like this," said Armande. "I crawled out of the trench here
and began to creep over towards the German positions. It was so very
d