almost been carried to their tents, while
the officer who had been in command turned to the strangers who had so
strangely joined his forces.

"What's the matter, Somerton?" he cried. "You look awfully white. Not
hit, I hope?"

"Oh, I'm all right! It's nothing, thanks!" Jack answered. But his
looks belied his words. He was deadly pale. His head was in a whirl,
and now that all the excitement and danger was over, the power to
control his feelings deserted him. His rifle dropped from his hand, he
staggered forward, and fell senseless at the feet of his astonished
friends.

Guy rushed to his side, and with the help of Rawlings, Mr Hunter, and
Mr Richardson carried him to a field hospital which happened to be
near. There it was found that a bullet had struck the magazine of his
Mauser pistol, and, exploding the ammunition, had shattered the weapon
and torn a deep wound in his side. But, strange to say, Jack had barely
felt it at the time, though on the way back to the camp the pain had
been excruciating. He had received the wound when charging with the
bayonet, and the loss of blood which followed had at last told upon his
strength.

When he recovered consciousness he was lying in a comfortable cot in a
huge marquee, in which were fifteen others. In front of him, calmly
stitching beneath the flap-like awning, was an army nursing sister, one
of that band of noble women who follow our armies everywhere. She was
stitching quietly, and seemed quite unconcerned when shell after shell,
thrown from the Boer guns, fell in the camp.

Jack stirred, and at once gave vent to a sharp cry of pain, for the
slightest movement caused him agony.

"Ah, so you've come to at last!" said the sister in a gentle voice,
jumping up from her seat and coming to the side of his cot. "Now you
must drink this. It is nasty stuff, but will do you good, and
to-morrow, if you are strong enough, I will tell you how my life has
been pestered these last two days by the hundreds of friends who have
called to ask after you."

"Friends!" said Jack feebly. "What friends? I have only a few here."

"You have far more than you imagine," the sister replied with a smile.
"But I am disobeying orders. You are not to talk."

With gentle hands she arranged his pillows and saw that he was
comfortable, and Jack fell into an easy sleep as he was in the act of
thanking her.

But on the following day he was unconscious again, for his wound was
in