," said Jimmy, tacking on the "sir" in
an almost certain opinion that the man was an officer. "We had some
of our own rations, and we were eating when the Huns sent a big shell
over that spilled the beans."

"I see. Well, then, rest here until I can get you some water.
Fortunately the Boches can't blow up a stream. The water is sure to
remain somewhere. It won't take long to get it, I'll be back in a
moment."

He hurried off between two little hillocks, away from the burning mill
and in the direction of the stream.

"Who in the world is he?" asked Bob.

"It's a puzzle," said Jimmy. "We'll ask when we thank him for saving
our lives."

"Here you are, boys," said the officer, as he came up the slope with a
canteen which gurgled most musically with water. "Drink this and then
we'll discuss what's best to be done."

"Are we safe here?" asked Jimmy. "Safe from the Germans, I mean?
They're all about here, you know."

"Yes, I know," said the officer, and there seemed to be more in his
remark than the mere words indicated. "But you're safe for the time
being. They have destroyed the mill, so it is no longer a menace, they
fancy. Their guns are directed elsewhere now."

The sound of distant firing could be plainly heard, but the boys could
no longer observe the gray ranks of the Huns on the distant hill. One
reason for this was because of the smoke from the burning mill, which
swirled about in all directions, and the other reason was that there
was a lot of smoke caused by the guns of the Germans, and this, or
perhaps a smoke screen which they started, concealed them.

"Feel better?" asked the officer, when the lads had emptied the
canteen.

"Much," answered Jimmy. "And now, sir, may we have the pleasure of
knowing to whom we owe our escape? We're from the 509th Infantry," he
went on. "We were in the battle, and got cut off. Our lieutenant had
ordered us to take the mill where some Germans had two machine-guns.
We five are all that are left of the sixteen that started. And we
wouldn't be alive but for you. So if we could know whom to thank--"

The officer stopped him with an imperious gesture. He looked rather
stern, and then, as though conscious that this was not the attitude to
take, he smiled.

"I'm glad I was able to serve you," he said. "I happened to be in the
neighborhood. I heard your cries after the mill collapsed and began to
burn, and I hastened up. I had no time to summon help--in fact, your
friends a