e had wounds more or
less severe; and the surgeon, with his assistants, had work on his
hands which would take him far into the night.

The instant that they were dismissed from parade, the boys hurried
to their cousin. He was very pale from loss of blood, but was
perfectly sensible. His brother sat on a bench beside him, holding
his head on his knee.

Philippe smiled faintly as the boys came up.

"I am so glad you have escaped," he said, in a low voice.

They clasped his hand.

"Does it hurt you much, Philippe?"

"Not very much; not so much as I should have thought."

"Did the doctor say anything about it, Philippe?"

"Yes, he said that it had just missed the great arteries; and that
he thinks it struck the bone, and has glanced up somewhere; but he
can't say till he probes it, when--"

"Then your leg is not broken?"

"No, he says it is certainly not broken, but it may be splintered."

"Thank God for that, anyhow," the boys said.

"We owe his life to Tim Doyle," Louis said. "I was not next to him;
and did not see him fall, or know he was hit till I saw Tim come
up, with him on his shoulders--and even if I had, I could not have
lifted him, and carried him off. Tim saved his life. There is no
doubt about that."

As it was evident that Philippe was too weak to talk, and would be
better for being quiet awhile, the boys now left him with his
brother.

Looking through the trees towards the village, a dense smoke could
now be seen rising in several places and, in a few minutes, the
whole village was in a blaze. Moved by the sight, the unfortunate
inhabitants came out from their hiding places in the forest;
wringing their hands, crying, and cursing the invaders. In spite of
the advice of Major Tempe, several of the women went off towards
the scene of conflagration, to endeavor to save some little
household treasure from the flames. In a short time one of them
returned to fetch her husband, saying that the enemy had all left
before they reached the village, and were already far down the
hillside. Major Tempe at once sent forward the unwounded men; to
assist the villagers to put out the fire, and to save property.
Their efforts were, however, altogether unavailing; the Germans had
scattered large quantities of petroleum, before leaving, upon the
beds and such other furniture as they could not carry away, or
destroy.

It was a pitiable sight to see the poor homeless people sitting
about, looking at the ruins