nary, and his intelligence and quickness of
perception had more than once been remarked upon; indeed he had been
mentioned in the dispatches as one who had rendered valuable service to
the British Army; and now for an accusation like this to come fairly
staggered the well-meaning faithful officer.

The whole affair had been so sudden too. Only a couple of minutes
before, he had been discussing plans with Waterman, who had urged him
to be more than ordinarily careful in carrying out the instructions
from Headquarters, and yet here he was accused of communicating with
the enemy, and seen by a trustworthy soldier to throw a missile towards
the enemy's lines.

"Where is Pollard?" asked Major Blundell, for Tom had disappeared.

"He's gone to secure the paper he saw Captain Waterman throw," was
Penrose's reply.

A second later Major Blundell was leaning over the sand-bags, looking
across the "No-man's-Land" towards the enemy's trenches.

By this time a number of other men had gathered; as if by magic the
news had flown, and for a moment even discipline was in abeyance.

As will be easily seen, Tom's work was not easy, and the space of
ground between the English and the German lines was dangerous in the
highest degree. Any one seen there was a target for both English and
German rifles. But Tom did not think of this, indeed the thought of
danger was at that time utterly absent from him. Just as at times the
mind has subconscious powers, so there are times when the body is so
much under the influence of excitement that ordinary laws do not seem
to operate. At that time Tom seemed to be living hours in seconds,
because he instinctively felt that great issues depended upon what he
wanted to do. If he were right in his conclusions, as he felt sure he
was, Waterman, who was naturally in the confidence of his superior
officers, would have valuable information to impart. It came upon him
too, like a flash of lightning, that Waterman had uttered a peculiar
cry as he threw the missile across the intervening space. That was
doubtless a prearranged signal between him and the Germans. If they
had heard it, as was more than probable, one of their men would
naturally be sent to find the paper. In that case the plans and
arrangements which the English officers had made would be in the hands
of the Germans.

Tom had noted the spot on which Waterman had stood when he threw his
missile, and had also noticed the direction in whi