t to Red Zenz, the waiter-girl. She appears to me to be a
plucky sort of person who doesn't lose her head easily. She is not to
give the note to the young baroness, who is the only person here to
whom I owe an explanation, until we have embarked. Make haste, Kohle,
make haste. Meantime I'll be making a bed in the boat."

In five minutes Philip Emanuel came running back again, with Zenz
following close at his heels. She did not speak a word, for Kohle had
enjoined the strictest silence upon her, but her face was as white as
chalk; and when she saw the wounded man she fell on her knees beside
him and groaned aloud.

"Be quiet," commanded the lieutenant; "this is no time for whimpering.
Have you got a piece of linen, girl? We must make a bandage."

Still remaining on her knees, she tore off her white apron and the
kerchief round her neck. It was only when Schnetz had hastily bound up
the shoulder and the wound in the hand, and, with Kohle's aid, had
carefully borne the unconscious form into the boat, that she raised
herself from the ground and followed the men to the shore.

"I am going with you," she said softly, but very decidedly. "I must go
with you. I gave the note to the other waiter-girl; she will see that
it is delivered. For Christ's sake, let me go with you! Who else is
there to take care of him?"

"Nonsense!" growled Schnetz; "he won't need any care on the way over,
and on the other side there is help enough. What are you thinking of,
girl? You can't run away from service in this free-and-easy way."

"Who is to hinder me?" she said, laughing defiantly in the midst of all
her anxiety and wretchedness. "I belong to no one. I tell you I will go
with you, if it were only to hold his head on my lap on the way, so
that he would lie softer. If you won't take me with you--there's an old
dug-out over there--I'll row after you as true as my name is Zenz. I
must hear what the doctor says, and whether he will live."

"Then come along, in the devil's name, you witch; but no shrieking and
bawling. Get into the boat, Kohle; so, lift him carefully now--and you,
girl, take a seat in the middle. It's true, it won't do any harm if he
has something softer under his head than this bundle of sticks."

A few minutes more and the slender boat pushed off from the shore.
Schnetz rowed and Kohle sat at the tiller again; but, instead of the
merry company that had occupied these same seats but a few hours
before, amusing themselves