on the floor, and the ceremony of retiring occupied about one
minute or less.

A half-muffled shriek woke me from a sound sleep and brought me bolt
upright in the bunk. In the blackness I could just discern the outline
of a man standing in the middle of the dugout and gulping as if trying
to catch his breath. I jumped up and went to him. It was Billy. "What is
it, Billy? What's the trouble?"

"Oh, Reg," he gasped, "I have had the most horrible dream!" He was
shaking like an aspen. I put my arm around him and drew him over to my
bunk. "Come, lie down with me, old man, and you will be as right as the
rain in a minute." He laid down alongside of me and, still shivering, he
recounted his dream to me.

"Do you remember that night I was telling you about when I was out
observing?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Where we lost Thompson and the others when the flare went up? Well, you
know that big Prussian I told you about, that came so near getting me?
Do you know that fellow's face has never been out of my thoughts since I
killed him, and I dreamed we were out there on that same spot again, and
again the flare went up and we were rushed, and who should come at me
but this man I had killed. I shrieked: 'You're dead! I killed you once.
Get to hell out of here!' But he only gave a ghoulish grin and came at
me. I dodged his blow and ran my bayonet through him, as I thought, but
there he was coming at me again. Again I dodged and plunged into him,
and again he was coming. Suddenly all power left me; my hands, arms and
legs became nerveless, and I stood rooted; he clubbed his rifle, and as
it crashed on my skull I awoke, and that must have been the time I cried
out. And, Reg, just as sure as I am lying here, my number is up. I am as
good as dead, I tell you."

"Now, don't talk such utter damn nonsense, Billy," I said, doing my
utmost to comfort him.

"No damn nonsense about it. You know yourself we started out yesterday
with thirteen men and Lawrence got it, and here tonight every letter we
got was postmarked the thirteenth, and I just can't get it out of my
nut, and I am not going to try any further."

"Billy, don't you want to live to get back home? Don't you know what it
will mean to your mother and your father if anything happens to you?
Well, what's the use of tempting fate? If it will come, it will come,
and nothing you or I can do will prevent it; but there is something
that helps a man--call it luck, or fate, or providenc