-comers would arrive at dawn.
She slept a little; awoke with a start as day began to break; dressed
swiftly, and went downstairs to wait. And then her ear caught the
rumble and the tramp of the approaching battalion. Presently transport
rolled by, and squads of men, haggard in the grey light, bending
double under their packs, staggered along to their billets. And then
came a rusty crew, among whom she recognized McPhail's tall gaunt
figure. She stood by the gateway, bareheaded, in her black dress and
blue apron, defying the sharp morning air, and watched them pass
through. She saw Mo Shendish, his eyes on the heels of the man in
front. She recognized nearly all. But the man she looked for was not
there.

He could not have passed without her seeing him; but as soon as the
gateway was clear, she ran into the courtyard and fled across it to
cut off the men. There was no Doggie. Blank disappointment was
succeeded by sudden terror.

Phineas saw her coming. He stumbled up to her, dropped his pack at her
feet, and spread out both his hands. She lost sight of the horde of
weary clay-covered men around her. She cried:

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"He is dead?"

"No one knows."

"But you must know, you!" cried Jeanne, with a new fear in her eyes
which Phineas could not bear to meet. "You promised to bring him
back."

"It was not my fault," said Phineas. "He was out last night--no, the
night before, this is morning--repairing barbed wire. I was not with
him."

"_Mais, mon Dieu_, why not?"

"Because the duties of soldiers are arranged for them by their
officers, mademoiselle."

"It is true. Pardon. But continue."

"A party went out to repair wire. It was quite dark. Suddenly a German
rifle-shot gave the alarm. The enemy threw up star-shells and the
front trenches on each side opened fire. The wiring party, of course,
lay flat on the ground. One of them was wounded. When it was all
over--it didn't last long--our men got back, bringing the wounded
man."

"He is severely wounded? Speak," cried Jeanne.

"The wounded man was not Doggie. Doggie went out with the party, but
he did not come back. That's why I said no one knows where he is."

She stiffened. "He is lying out there. He is dead."

"Shendish and I and Corporal Wilson over there, who was with the
party, got permission to go out and search. We searched all round
where the repair had been going on. But we could not find him."

"_Merci!_ I ought not t