ek."

"I hope to return well before that, sir!" said Dennis, and Sir Douglas
smiled.

"I know what is in your mind, Mr. Dashwood, but that will rest entirely
with yourself," said the Commander-in-Chief. "So far, from what I am
told, you seem to have surprisingly good luck. Good-bye, the car is
ready for you now."

The frank, handsome face of the distinguished cavalry soldier was still
before Dennis's eyes as the little six-cylinder motor, with the small
Union Jack fluttering from one of the lamp brackets, whirled him away on
a long journey and an important errand.

His driver was a young Frenchman, who enjoyed that mad dash every whit
as much as the English lad.

At Soissons they were told that the Generalissimo had left for Chalons
that morning, and at Chalons opinions were divided as to whether he
would be found at Reims, or Bar-le-Duc, which were in opposite
directions.

"Which shall we try?" said the driver. "Reims means going back."

"Then get ahead," decided Dennis. "We can always return." And opening
out the magnificent little car, they tore along the white ribbon of
road at terrific speed.

"Peste!" cried an officer to whom they made known the object of their
search when they reached Bar. "Only one hour ago Father Joffre passed
through here. How unfortunate! But I can tell you where you will find
him. He has gone to Saint Die to present medals to a battalion of the
'Little Blue Devils' at that place. Lose no time, and you may assist at
the very interesting ceremony."

"Allons!" said the chauffeur, using the stump of his nineteenth
cigarette to light the twentieth. "If we finish up on two wheels we will
reach him." And reach him they did in a small village half a dozen
leagues farther on, where they pulled up, white with dust from head to
foot, after a fine run.

The well-known figure of the famous general paced backwards and forwards
under the shade of a row of lime trees, in earnest conversation with
another officer with three silver stars on his cuffs, and Dennis paused
a moment as he got out of the car.

"I am going to put on two fresh front tyres," said his driver. "But I
shall be ready in half an hour, and if you are going back we have still
two hours of daylight left."

Dennis nodded, and stepped forward, saluting as the two generals turned
towards him, and a genial smile widened Father Joffre's good-humoured
visage.

"At your service, monsieur," he said, unable to distinguish the
office