ent into a mass of puckers and frowns, and there
was the peculiar sound of one grinding his teeth together, as the man
tramped on behind his officer for a few minutes before speaking again.

"Beg pardon, sir; there's that Bill Gedge. Is he much hurt?"

"Very gravely, I'm afraid. Dr Morton can't tell yet from the hasty
examination he made, but he shook his head."

"Poor lad!" said the Sergeant. "We were always bad friends, sir; he was
so full of his Cockney monkey-tricks, and he hated me, but we couldn't
spare him. What a soldier he would have made!"

"Hah!" ejaculated Roberts; "as full of pluck as a lad could be. Mr
Bracy's been telling me how he carried him through the fire, and
sheltered him with his own body. That's how it was he had his wound."

There was another pause, with the silence only broken by the echoing
tramp, tramp of the men.

"Won't die--will he, sir?" whispered Sergeant Gee.

"I pray Heaven no," said the Captain.

"That sounds bad, sir," said the Sergeant huskily. "I should like to
shake hands with him afore he goes; and if he gets better I won't be so
hard on him again."

"I suppose you have only done your duty by him."

"I hope so, sir."

"Double on to the ambulance, and see how he is. Corporal Green, take
the Sergeant's place."

Roberts halted to let his men pass him, keenly watching every one in his
company, and a man limping caught his eye.

"Here, Bracy, what's the matter?" he said.

"Oh, nothing much, sir. Spent shot glanced off the rock and hit me in
the ankle."

"Give him your arm, Sergeant, and get him on one of the mules."

"Beg pardon, sir; I can walk back."

"You're making your leg worse at every step, sir," cried Roberts
angrily. "Get on and ride."

The words were spoken sharply, the young Captain being in no very
amiable mood, for he was cooling down after tremendous exertion and the
reaction from the wild excitement of the fight. But he spoke in the
man's interest and with the desire to save him from after-suffering.

Then the weary tramp went on almost in silence, but no one flagged, and
at the end of a couple of hours they obtained a glimpse of the flag at
the top of the staff. The silence in the column was broken by a hearty
cheer, the men's spirits rising again after what had been a depressing
march back; and when the gates were reached they were cheered by the men
on the walls, and the hills around softly echoed back the replies to the
hearty wel