ing in my eyes. The man in
gray was there alongside of me, supporting himself on one arm and
looking at me.

"'I am dying,' he said in German.

"That didn't seem very interesting to me. So is everybody else, I
thought; and I didn't answer. Presently he said it again, in English:
'I'm dying.'

"'Really?' said I.

"'Yes,' he answered.

"There was something impersonal in his tone, and he looked eery there in
the moonlight, I can tell you, leaning on one arm and bleeding. Awfully
good-looking chap. Built like a giant. He reminded me of a statue called
the Dying Gaul, or something."

"Oh, yes; I know that statue!"

"Well, he looked like that--with all the fight going out of him.
Suddenly he smiled at me.

"'Did you think you were playing your football when you came down on top
of me that way, eh?'

"I say, I was a bit surprised. Football doesn't seem a very congenial
subject for a dying man; but do you know, we sat there and talked for an
hour at least about all kinds of sports and athletics. You should have
seen the way he kept tossing the hair out of his eyes and saying, 'Fine,
fine!' And then he'd boast, and tell me all about the things he'd done.
I never saw a fellow built as he was. It seems that he was a champion in
most everything. But after a while he seemed to get on to the fact that
he was losing an awful lot of blood, and then he said again, 'Schade.'
That was all. After two or three foolish tries I got up on my feet. The
last I saw of him he was supporting himself on his arm, looking for all
the world like that statue.

"They'd cleared off all the wounded, and only the dead were left. It was
terribly still, and I could hear him choking, a long way off, as I came
back across the lines. The next day I happened to stumble across him. It
was bright sunshine, and he was like marble, and the ground all about
was sticky. He was staring up in the sun with his head thrown back and
his eyes open, and the strangest look! Well, anyway, it made me think of
a chap I saw once make a rippingly clever catch at ball, with the sun
shining straight in his eyes, while the crowds went wild, and he didn't
know what had happened for a minute.--His helmet was still there beside
him, keeping guard, sort of like a dog, and I took it back with me. I
don't know why."

Leonard paused; then he said, suddenly, averting his eyes like a child
caught in a wrong act, "That talk we had was so queer--I mean it was as
if--don't you kno