ook at
that, Bob--there's devotion for you! Those two fellows are the greatest
toughs in the regiment, and they're inseparables."

They saw the little Cockney private fling himself down on his knees
beside a fallen man, tear with both hands at the front of his tunic, and
then fling his arms up above his head with a tragic gesture of despair.
Then he slung his rifle, and, stooping again, dragged the figure up,
hoisted him across his shoulder, and came staggering back under the
heavy load, the heroic group telling blackly out against the
searchlights' white glare.

A shell burst thirty feet way, but the little Cockney came doggedly on,
and they waited for him, even retracing their steps to meet him.

"What's up, Hawke?" shouted Dennis; "do you want us to give you a hand?"
And he was about to add something else, but the look of piteous entreaty
in Hawke's eyes checked the words.

"I'd rather take him in myself, sir," he said hoarsely; "it's true what
they says in the papers abart making a man a new face in the 'orspitals,
ain't it? They'll be able to patch 'im up, don't you think, sir?"

Dennis and Bob exchanged a look, for the savage earnestness hit them
both hard from its very hopelessness.

Tiddler's visage was nothing but a hideous pulp.

And they knew in a moment that poor Tiddler had already passed beyond
all human aid; Major Dashwood made another mental note, to be placed
upon official record later on--if he himself should be spared!

At the mouth of a communication Hawke paused to readjust his burden. The
limp figure was somehow slipping from his grasp, and, seeing at last, he
realised that his errand had been in vain.

As he stood looking down at the crumpled thing that a few minutes before
had been a living, moving part of the great war machine, Dennis laid a
hand on his shoulder.

"He was a good plucked 'un, Hawke, and you did your best for him," said
Dennis; "now you've got to keep a stiff upper lip."

"Yus, I know, sir," was the husky reply, as something rolled glistening
down the dirty cheek. "'Im and me 'listed the same day, and Tiddler was
the only pal I ever 'ad."

He turned a fierce and flashing eye towards the enemy barrage; an eye
that positively flamed vengeance to come, and then he pointed with his
hand.

"See that, sir?" he cried hoarsely, "ain't that Mr. Wetherby?"

A long way out across the wet slope, where the raging Reedshires had
taken heavy toll of the flying foe before the Ger