less.

I quickly got him into the room of the cottage where I was billeted,
and then took a second look at him.

'You are ill--wounded, man! You ought not to be here,' I said,
scarcely realizing what I was saying.

'The wound's nothing, sir. I lost a little blood, that's all; and I
got the M.O.'s consent to come and see you. I shall be right as ever
in two or three days.'

'You are sure of that?' I asked eagerly.

'Certain, sir.'

I laughed aloud, I was so much relieved. I need not send my letter to
Lorna Bolivick after-all.

'I've wasted a lot of good sentiment over you, Edgecumbe,' I said.
'I've heard all sorts of things about you.'

'I did have a curious experience,' he replied, 'and at one time I
thought my number was up; still I got out of it.'

'Tell me about it,' I said.

'It's very difficult, sir. As I told you, my memory has been specially
good since the time when----but you know. In these skirmishes,
however, it's difficult to carry anything definite in your mind, things
get mixed up so. You are fighting for your life, and that's all you
know. Two German chaps did get hold of me, and then, I don't know how
it was, but we found ourselves in No Man's Land. The Huns were two
big, strong chaps, too, but I managed to get away from them.'

'How did you do it?'

'You see they were drugged,' he replied.

'Drugged?'

'Yes, drugged with ether, or something of that sort, and although they
fought as though they were possessed with devils, their minds were not
clear, they acted like men dazed. So I watched for my opportunity, and
got it. I spent the whole day in a shell hole,--it wasn't pleasant, I
can tell you. Still, it offered very good cover, and if my arm hadn't
been bleeding, and if I wasn't so beastly faint and hungry, I shouldn't
have minded. However, I tied up my arm as well as I could, and made up
my mind to stay there. I got back under the cover of night, and--here
I am.'

'I saw nothing of the affair,' I said. 'I had a job to do farther
back, and so was out of it. I wish I had been in it.'

'I wish you had, sir.' There was a change in his voice, and he looked
at me almost pathetically.

'What's the matter?'

'Of course I have no right to say anything,' he said. 'Discipline is
discipline, and I am only a private soldier. Are you busy, sir? If
you are, I will go away. But, owing to this scratch, I am at a loose
end, and--and--I'd like a chat with you, sir, if you don'