he
stoutly believed that his love for Helen would keep him alive until he
reached her, at least, and after that Zaidos was willing to trust Helen
to do the rest. Zaidos watched his helpless burden with anxiety as
they approached the shelter. When they arrived he gave the word to
Velo and they gently lowered the stretcher to the ground.

"Stay here a minute," he ordered Velo, and slid down into the
underground room. There was a lull in the dug-out as all the men had
for the minute been cared for and sent back to the rear, which always
is done as much as possible in the darkness.

The doctor and his aids, resting on the hard planks that served as
seats, sat upright against the dirt wall, sound asleep. Nurse Helen
stood at the white table cleaning the instruments. Zaidos scarcely
recognized her. She was haggard and worn as a woman old in years.
Color, energy, life itself seemed to have been drained out of her in
the terrible ordeal of the past day. Zaidos hesitated. He was filled
with fears all at once. It seemed so like planning the meeting of a
couple of ghosts. Hazelden, unconscious and at the point of death, and
Helen fagged out, worn, and looking like an old woman.

He went to her, tenderly laying a stained hand on hers.

"Helen," he said, speaking rapidly, "I've no time to break the news to
you. The most impossible sort of a thing has happened. You have got
to hear it all at once, because there is a man almost dying out there
and I've got to hurry. You know the reserves that came in to-day? Now
hang on, Helen! Captain Hazelden was with them. Oh, Helen," as she
wavered and almost fell, "if you go to pieces you will always regret
it!"

"Dead?" she murmured.

"No, but he's outside awfully shot, and he has been keeping himself
alive just to see you. You will have to help, Helen, if you can."

He left her standing beside the table. She could not call the doctor.
She could not speak. They came in with the stretcher, and as she saw
its ghastly burden and gave a quick professional glance at his maimed
body, the tender woman and the trained nurse struggled for the mastery.
The nurse won. Swiftly she prepared the table, called the doctor and
helped to lift him from the stretcher.

Zaidos and Velo left to rescue the man whose weight had kept the
captain from bleeding to death. His scalp wound was serious but not
dangerous, Zaidos decided, and they returned to the First Aid with
lighter hearts.