ase,
the roar of cannon gradually died away, and the battle was at an
end.

For an hour he remained, apparently unnoticed, then Captain
Wingratz rode up with another officer.

"I am sorry to have neglected you so long, Lieutenant Drummond; but
you see it was the fault of your own people, who have kept us so
busy. This is Lieutenant Kerr, a compatriot of yours, who will take
special charge of you."

"I am sorry that our meeting cannot take place under more
favourable circumstances," Kerr said, holding out his hand. "It
might well have been the other way.

"Now come with me to my tent. I have no doubt that you are hungry;
I can assure you that I am."

The two walked together for about a quarter of a mile, the Austrian
officer having left as soon as he had introduced them.

"There were three of us here this morning," Kerr said, as they
entered the tent. "The other two are missing. One I know is killed;
the other badly wounded, but whether he is dead or a prisoner I
cannot say.

"By the way, are you not the officer who cut his way through the
squadron of our regiment, and went on and joined your cavalry, who
at once fell back? I was in Lobositz, myself. My squadron was not
ordered out. As I hear that you were found by our cavalry as they
followed the Prussians, it struck me that it might be you; although
from Lobositz we could only see that it was a staff uniform that
the officer wore."

"Yes, it was I. I was carrying an order for the cavalry to retire."

"That was what we supposed, as soon as you were seen coming down
the valley; and as it would have suited us much better for the
Prussian cavalry to have stayed where it was for a little longer,
the general sent out a squadron to intercept you. It was a splendid
thing to do, on your part. Of course, there were a number of us
watching from the earthworks, and I can assure you that there was a
general inclination to cheer as you cut your way through our
fellows. I am sure that if I had known that it was a countryman I
should have done it, though the action was at the expense of my own
regiment.

"Our squadron suffered heavily as they rode back again, for that
battery from the Homolka turned its attention to them, as soon as
you had gone through. They had an officer and nearly thirty men
killed and wounded before they got back into shelter.

"How long have you been out here?"

"Only about two months."

"Really! You are lucky in getting onto Keith's staff."