lt his antagonist weakening; he knew it by his gurgling breath
and his weakening grasp. He himself was also well-nigh spent, although
he was not quite exhausted. Then, fearing lest the apparent weakness
of his opponent was only a ruse by which he might gain advantage, Tom
determined on an old football trick. A second later the German's
shoulder blade snapped like a match, and Tom, seizing the paper, rushed
back towards the English lines.

He had only fifty yards to cover, but such a fifty yards! His legs
seemed of lead, too, while his head was swimming. No sooner had he
commenced to stagger back, than the Germans opened fire on him; a
hundred bullets whistled by him, while he heard yells of rage coming
from the enemy's trenches.

He felt his strength leaving him, his head was swimming, his breath
came in short, difficult gasps, and he knew he was wounded. He
suffered no great pain, but by the burning sensations in his left arm
and in his right shoulder he knew that the German bullets must have
struck him. More than once he stumbled and fell.

He felt himself going blind; he heard cries from the English trenches
which seemed like cheers, but he could see nothing, and the cries
seemed to be a long, long way off. Still he struggled on. "I must get
in! I must get in!" was the thought which possessed his bewildered
brain. Then he fell heavily; after that all became dark.

When he returned to consciousness it seemed to him as though he saw a
number of ghostly faces around him. He had a sort of feeling that he
was dead, and that those faces belonged to the spirit world; but in a
few seconds they became clearer.

"That's better, Tom, that's better! You are all right. You did it,
lad! You did it!"

"Stand back there, and give him air. Heavens! There hasn't been a
braver thing done by any man in the Army!"

He heard all this, but not clearly. They seemed to be stray sentences,
uttered by many voices. But it didn't matter; only one thing mattered.
Had he done what he had set out to do?

"Have you got it?" he gasped.

"Got it! I should think we have." It was Major Blundell who spoke.
"It's all right, Pollard, you've done the trick."

"Have I, sir?" said Tom. "I--I feel very strange."

"You will soon get over it, you are only pumped!"

"Ay," laughed another, and the voice was as sweet music to Tom, "I've
seen thee worse nor this i' the Brunford Cup Tie match."

"That thee, Nick?" he said, lapsin