e first-aid treatment. She had a bottle of antiseptic and clean
surgical gauze.

As she wound the bandage, wishing she had taken the trouble to learn the
art more skilfully, Sally announced:

"You must see a physician about your arm as soon as possible. You never
have explained to me why you are hiding here. But in any case you cannot
remain when you are ill and hungry and cold and require a great deal of
attention. You must go into one of the villages to a hospital. While you
were away I have been thinking what to do. You look to me too ill to
walk very far and, as I am living not more than half a mile away, I will
go back to our farm and tell my friends about you. Later I think I can
arrange to come back for you in a motor and then we will drive you to
one of the hospitals. I don't know as much about the French hospitals as
my friends do, but of course everybody is anxious to do whatever is
possible for the Allied soldiers."

Sally placed a certain amount of stress on the expression "Allied
soldiers," but never for an instant believing in the possibility that
her patient could belong to an enemy nationality.

"If you tell anyone you have discovered me here in hiding, it will be
the last of me," the soldier declared.

By this time Sally was beginning to be troubled. Why did the young man
look and speak so strangely? He seemed confused and worried and either
unable to explain his actions, or else unwilling. Yet somehow one had
the impression that he was a gentleman and there need be no fear of any
lack of personal courtesy.

It was possible from his appearance to believe that he might be
suffering from a mental breakdown. Sally recalled that many of the
soldiers were affected in this way from shell shock or the long strain
of battle.

"I suppose I must tell you something. In any case, I have to trust my
fate in your hands and I know there is not one person in a thousand who
would spare me. I was a prisoner and escaped from my captors. I don't
know how I discovered this old house. I don't know how long I have been
wandering about the country before I came here, only that I hid myself
in the daytime and stumbled around seeking a place of refuge at night.
If you report me I suppose I will not be allowed even a soldier's death.
I shall probably be hung."

Suddenly the soldier laughed, such an unhappy, curious laugh that Sally
had but one desire and that was to escape from the chateau and her
strange companion at o