ir sick of dodging these Germans."

"'Ear, 'ear!" chimed in the Londoner, whose name was Peck. "Give me a
bit of cover, a packet of cigarettes, and a hundred rounds, and I'll die
happy--eh, Corp?"

"Shut up, Peck, and get a move on," growled Shaw testily. "Did you find
any grub?" he added. "I saw you going through their haversacks."

"Aye, enough to give us all a snack at our next 'alt," replied Peck,
giving a knowing wink and pointing to his own bulging haversack and
those of two pleased-looking Frenchmen close at his heels. "And no need,
I presoom, to mention a matter of a few cigarettes the orfizer had to
dispose of--cheap?" And he displayed the end of a large packet of
cigarettes which he had been careful to take charge of himself.

"Forward--single file," commanded Shaw, and the band resumed its
interrupted march towards the Bastogne railway.

"What d'ye think of 'em, Dale?" asked Max presently, indicating with a
gesture the rest of the miscellaneous band of which they themselves now
formed a part.

"A game lot; we shall see some fun presently," replied Dale in tones of
deepest satisfaction. "They're just about ready for anything, from a
Uhlan patrol to an army corps."

"Ye--es," replied Max with much less assurance. "We shall certainly see
things. What I'm afraid of is that it won't last long. We came to the
Ardennes for a rest--not to commit suicide, you remember."

"I don't feel as though I want any more rest, Max," replied Dale, still
eyeing his new comrades with delighted satisfaction. "Be a sport and
join in the fun, there's a good fellow."

"I'm ready enough to join in," replied Max, smiling. "What I don't
approve of is the reckless way they go about things. This fight with the
Uhlans will bring all the rest of them buzzing about our ears, and then
it will be one last struggle and all over."

Dale shrugged his shoulders. "What could we have done?" he said. "The
Uhlans caught us up, and we had to fight."

"We could have dispersed, and rejoined one another later at a rendezvous
agreed upon. But never mind, we're in with them for the moment, only I
can't forget that we have still some work left to us at Liege, and work
more important than livening up the Uhlans in the Ardennes." Dale made
no reply. Possibly he thought it useless to argue with Max on the
subject of Liege, and for some time they marched along in silence.
Presently the band arrived within about half a mile of the railway line,
and Max