."

"Yes, it may, and it may not. I hope it will, though."

Jerry, thanks to the nature of his wounds and to his healthy
constitution, made a remarkably quick recovery, and though he was not
ready to go back to the front-line trenches when his chums had to
report for duty, it was probable that after their next rest period he
would join them.

It was hard for Ned and Bob to say good-bye to their chum. They might
never meet again, and they knew it. But it was the fortune of war, and
had to be borne.

Fate, however, was kind to them, and Ned and Bob were sent to a quiet
sector. After some slight skirmishes, which, however, were hard enough
on those engaged, they were again sent to the rear to recuperate.
There they found Jerry chafing against being kept out of the
fighting.

"Feel all right?" asked Ned.

"Sure! Never better. I want to get at the Huns again."

"Didn't hear from Professor Snodgrass, did you?" inquired Bob.

"No. But I wrote to him again. Schmouder has been sent back to the
rear to work with other prisoners, but I have his camp location so the
professor can interview him if he thinks it needful. And say, a rather
queer thing happened while you were away."

"What?" asked Ned.

"Well, Noddy Nixon came to see me."

"He did!" cried Bob. "Well, the nerve of that shrimp! After he took
our wood!"

"What did he want?" asked Ned.

"Oh, nothing in particular, as far as I could make out. Just seemed to
want to be friendly. Asked me a lot of questions about how I was
treated in the hospital and whether I got enough to eat."

"You did, didn't you?" asked Bob.

"Sure. But I don't quite see what Noddy was aiming at. However, I
didn't trouble my head much about it until yesterday."

"Why yesterday?" Bob demanded.

"Well, the surgeon who patched me up came and inquired if Noddy was a
particular friend of mine."

"Of course you told him he was!" laughed Ned.

"Like fun I did! No, I said I hadn't any use for him, but I didn't go
into particulars. After all, Noddy is fighting on our side."

"You mean he's making a bluff at it!" growled Bob. "But go on. Where
does the queer part come in?"

"Here," answered Jerry. "The surgeon told me Noddy took him to one
side and asked very particularly whether a wound in the hand or one in
the foot hurt the most. That's what he wanted to know."

"He did!" cried Ned. "Well, what's queer about that?"

"Don't you see," resumed Jerry, "it looks as though----"

But J