isoners. He seems to be a guardian angel of yours. He's a great
man, too, there's no doubt about that. Ah, here's the M.O. coming!'

The doctor and I were good friends, and when he had examined me, and
pronounced me a fraud for being in bed, I eagerly questioned him, and
the sub. who still remained, as to how we were doing.

'Very well indeed, below Thiepval,' was his reply, 'but up here badly.'

'Have we taken Thiepval?'

He shook his head gloomily. 'That'll need a bit of doing. It's a
regular fortress, man! Of course we shall get it in time. Our new
guns are tremendous; but we ought to have done better up this way.
We've thrown away our chances, too.'

'I don't understand,' I said. 'When we were relieved, we had
practically won the key to the position we set out to get.'

'That's the mischief of the whole thing,' he replied moodily. He used
language which I will not set down here; it was too strong for polite
ears.

'What's the matter?' I asked.

'Oh, we're supposed to say nothing, but----'

'But what? Come, let us know. We hadn't been relieved long, when we
were called back again, and we found the Boches in the very place we
had taken.'

'Still, we are doing well south of the Ancre, and that's what the
dispatches will be jubilant about, and that's what the people at home
will know of. If we'd taken G----, we should have had the key of the
whole position here, too. But there, I must be off. Cheer up, and
look perky, my boy. There'll be no obituary notices about you this
time. Yes, you can dress and get up when you want to, although I don't
think you _will_ want to. You will be fit for duty in two or three
days.'

'By the way, do you know how Edgecumbe is?'

'He's all right. Wonderful chap! I hear he's to be recommended for
all sorts of things.'

'He deserves them,' I said; 'he ought to have a commission.'

'I hear that's coming, too. Good-bye, old man.'

The next day I came across Edgecumbe. His face looked more like
parchment than ever, but the wonderful look still remained in his eyes.

'You are better, sir. You are all right!' he exclaimed eagerly.

'Oh, yes, I am all right,' I replied. 'Now let us hear about the great
things you have to tell me of. Your memory's come back, hasn't it?'

He laughed gaily. 'Better than that,' he cried, 'better than that, a
thousand times! I have no past, Sir, but I have a future!'

I looked at him wonderingly. A doubt even crossed m