e village beyond,
and the long wooded road winding back to camp, they paused to say
good-bye. The cinder path and the woods at its edge made a blot of
greenish black against a brilliant stormy sky. The sun was setting like a
ball of fire behind the trees, and some strange freak of its rays formed
a golden cross resting back against the clouds, its base buried among the
woods, its cross bar rising brilliant against the black of a thunder
cloud.

"Look!" said Ruth, "it is an omen!" They looked and a great wonder and
awe came upon them. The Cross!

Cameron looked back and then down at her and smiled.

"It will lead you safely home," she said softly and laid her hand in his.
He held her fingers close for an instant and his eyes dared some of the
things his lips would never have spoken now even if they two had been
alone.

The Military Police stepped up:

"You don't have to stay out here to say good-bye. You can come into the
station right here and sit down. Or if your friends are going to the
village you may go with them, Comrade. I can trust you to come back right
away."

"I thank you!" Cameron said. "That is the kindest thing that has happened
to me at this camp. I wish I could avail myself of it, but I have barely
time to get back to the barracks within the hour given me. Perhaps--" and
he glanced anxiously across the road toward the village. "Could you just
keep an eye out that my ladies reach the Salvation Army Hut all right?"

"Sure!" said the big soldier heartily, "I'll go myself. I'm just going
off duty and I'll see them safe to the door."

He stepped a little away and gave an order to his men, and so they said
good-bye and watched Cameron go down the road into the sunset with the
golden cross blazing above him as he walked lower and lower down the hill
into the shadow of the dark woods and the thunder cloud. But brightly the
cross shone above him as long as they could see, and just before he
stepped into the darkness where the road turned he paused, waved his hat,
and so passed on out of their sight.

XVI

The first night on the water was one of unspeakable horror to Cameron.
They had scarcely begun to feel the roll of the waves before Captain
Wurtz manifested his true nature. At six o'clock and broad daylight, he
ordered the men below, had them locked in, and all the port holes closed!

The place was packed, the heat was unbearable, the motion increasing all
the time, and the air soon became