n hour. Top-sergeant will tell you."

"But we _must_ go forward," urged the major, rather vexed.

"Don't worry," advised the American. "General orders takes the 'must'
out of mustard even, and don't you forget it. If you were a soldier,
you'd learn _that_," and he chuckled. "Come on over to the dyke and
sit down--you and the lady," and he favored Ruth with an admiring
glance.

The American girl did not speak, and it was evident that the sentinel
thought her French like her companion. The three strolled along to the
grassy bank behind the trees and directly before the half-ruined house.

Shell fire had destroyed one end of it. But the other end wall was
complete. On the second floor was a window. The lower sash was
removed, but in the upper sash there were several small, unbroken panes
of glass.

There was the smell of smoke in the air, and the two newcomers spied a
little handful of fire blazing on a rock under the dyke. Here the
sentinel had made his little camp, and it was evident that he had
boiled coffee and toasted meat within the hour.

"Great housekeeping," he said, grinning. "When I get back home I guess
my mother'll make me do all the kitchen work. Ain't war what General
Sherman said it was--and then some?"

"But we wish to hurry on, Monsieur," said the major quietly.

"Nothing doing!" responded the sentinel. "I got particular orders not
to let anybody pass--not even with the word. Just stick around a
little while, you and the lady. Toppy'll be along soon."

Ruth wondered that the French officer did not reveal his identity. But
she remained silent herself, knowing that Major Marchand must have good
reason for not wishing his rank known.

"We got to watch this old ranch," continued the talkative sentinel,
nodding toward the half-ruined dwelling. "Somebody thinks there's
something besides cooties in it. Yep," as the major started and looked
at him questioningly. "Spies. Those Dutchmen are mighty smart, they
do say. I'm told they flash signals from that window up yonder clear
across the swamps to the German lines. Now, when it gets dark----"

He nodded and pursed his lips. The major nodded in return. Ruth
remained silent, but she was becoming nervous. While they were in
action and going forward the suspense was not so hard to bear. But now
she began to wonder how she was ever going to cross that morass the
major had told her about. And half a hundred other difficulties
parade