第3章

Theall-importantmessagewasfastenedinplace。Thecolonelhimselfwenttotheedgeofthetraverse，andwithhisownarmsliftedtheeighty-poundcollietothetop。

Therewastendernessaswellasstrengthintheliftingarms。AshesetBrucedownonthebrink，thecolonelsaid，asifspeakingtoafellow-human：

"Ihatetodoit，oldchap。IHATEto！Thereisn\'tonechanceinthreeofyourgettingallthewayupthehillalive。Buttherewouldn\'tbeonechanceinahundred，foraMAN。Thebocheswillbeonthelookoutforjustthismove。Andtheirbestsharpshooterswillbewaitingforyou——evenifyoudodgetheshrapnelandtherestoftheartillery。I\'msorry！And——good-by。"

Then，tersely，heraspedoutthecommand——

"Bruce！Headquarters！Headquarters！QUICK！"

Atabound，thedogwasgone。

Breastingtheriseofthehill，Brucesetoffatasweepingrun，histawny-and-whitemaneflyinginthewind。

Athousandeyes，fromtheHere-We-Cometrenches，watchedhisflight。AndasmanyeyesfromtheGermanlinessawthehugecollie\'sdashupthecoverlessslope。

ScarcehadBrucegottenfairlyintohisstridewhenthebochebulletsbegantosing——notadesultorylittleflurryofshots，asbefore；butbythescore，andwithamurderousearnestness。Whenhehadappeared，onhiswaytothetrenches，anhourearlier，theGermanshadopenedfireonhim，merelyfortheirownamusement——

uponthesamemerryprinciplewhichalwaysledthemtoshootatanAllywar-dog。Butnowtheyunderstoodhisall-importantmission；andtheystrovewiththeirbestskilltothwartit。

ThecoloneloftheHere-We-Comesdrewhisbreathsharplybetweenhisteeth。Hedidnotregretthesendingofthecollie。Ithadbeenamoveofstarkmilitarynecessity。Andtherewasanoffchancethatitmightmeanthesavingofhiswholecommand。

ButthecolonelwasfondofBruce，anditangeredhimtohearthefranticeffortofthebochemarksmentodownsomagnificentacreature。Thebulletsweresprayingallaboutthegallopingdog，kickinguptinyswirlsofdustathisheelsandinfrontofhimandtoeitherside。

Mahan，watching，withstreamingeyesandblaspheminglips，recalledtheFrenchsergeant\'stheorythatBruceboreacharmedlife。AndheprayedthatViviermightberight。Butinhisprayerwasverylittlefaith。Forundersuchafusilladeitseemedimpossiblethatatleastonehighpowerbulletshouldnotreachthecolliebeforetheslopecouldbetraversed。Afast-runningdogisnotaneasymarkforabullet——especiallyifthedogbeacollie，withatraceofwolf——ancestryinhisgait。Adog，atbest，doesnotgallopstraightaheadasdoesahorse。Thereisalmostalwaysasidewiselilttohisrun。

Brucewasstillfurtheraidedbytheshell-plowedconditionofthehillside。Againandagainhehadtobreakhisstride，toleapsomeshell-hole。Oftenhehadtoencirclesuchholes。Morethanonceheboundedheadlongdownintoagapingcraterandscrambledupitsfarside。Theseerraticmoves，andthenine-hundred-yarddistance（adistancethatwaswideningateverysecond）madethesharpshooters\'taskanythingbutanexactscience。

Mahan\'sgazefollowedthedog\'severystep。Brucehadclearedmorethanthree-fourthsoftheslope。Thetop-sergeantpermittedhimselftheluxuryofabroadgrin。

"I\'llbuyVivierallthered-inkwinehecangargle，nextpay-

day！"hevowed。"Hewasdeadrightaboutthedog。Nobulletwasevermoldedthatcanget——"

Mahanbrokeoffinhisexultation，withanexplosiveoath，asanewnoteinthefiringsmoteuponhistrainedhearing。

"Theswine！"heroared。"Thefilthy，unsportsmanly，dog-eatingPrussianswine！They\'returningMACHINE-GUNSonhim！"

Inplaceoftheintermittentrattleofrifleshotsnowcamethepurringcoughofrapidfireguns。Thebulletshittheupperhillsideinswathes，beginningafewyardsbehindtheflyingcollieandmovingupwardtowardhimlikeasweepingofanunseenscythe。

"That\'sthewind-up！"groanedMahan。"Lord，sendmeanevenbreakagainstoneofthoseHunmachinegunnerssomeday！If——"

AgainMahanfailedtofinishhistrainofthought。Hestaredopen-mouthedupthehill。Almostattheverysummit，withinarodortwoofthepointwherethecrestwouldintervenebetweenhimandhisfoes，Brucewhirledinmid-airandfellprone。

Thefast-followingswathsofmachine-gunbulletshadnotreachedhim。ButanotherGermanenemyhad。Frombehindaheapofoffal，onthecrest，ayellow-graydoghadsprung，andhadlaunchedhimselfbodilyuponBruce\'sflankastheunnoticingcolliehadflashedpasthim。

Theassailantwasanenormousandhyena-likeGermanpolice-dog。

Hewasoneofthemanyofhisbreedthatwereemployed（forworkorfood）intheGermancamps，andwhichusedtosneakawayfromtheirhard-kickingsoldier-ownerstoplyamorecongenialtradeasscavengers，andasseekersforthedead。For，intraitsaswellasinlooks，thepolice-dogoftenemulatestheghoulishhyena。

Seeingtheapproachingcollie（alwaysinveteratefoeofhiskind），thepolice-doghadgaugedthedistanceandhadlaunchedhissurpriseattackwithtrueTeutonsportsmanshipandefficiency。DownwentBruceunderthefierceweightthatcrashedagainsthisshoulder。Butbeforetheothercouldgainhiscovetedthroat-grip，Brucewasupagain。Likeafurrywhirlwindhewasatthepolice-dog，fightingmorelikeawolfthanacivilizedcollie——tearingintohisopponentwithamaniacrage，snapping，slashing；hisglitteringwhitefangsdrivingatadozenvulnerablepointsinasinglesecond。

ItwasasthoughBruceknewhehadnotimetowastefromhislife-and-deathmission。Hecouldnoteludethisenemy，sohemustfinishhimasquicklyaspossible。

"Givemeyourrifle！"sputteredMahantothesoldiernearesthim。

"I\'lltakeonepotshotatthatPrussiancur，beforethemachine-

gunsgetthetwoof\'em。EvenifIhitBrucebymistake，he\'dratherdiebyaChristianYankee-madebulletthan——"

Justthenthescythelikemachine-gunfirereachedthehillcrestcombatants。Andinthesameinstantashellsmotetheground，apparentlybetweenthem。Upwentageyserofsmokeanddirtandrocks。Whenthecloudsettled，therewasadeepgullyinthegroundwhereamomentearlierBruceandthepolice-doghadwagedtheirdeath-battle。

"Thatsettlesit！"mutteredthecolonel。

AndhewenttomakereadyforsuchpunydefenseashismenmighthopetoputupagainsttheGermanrush。

Whilethesefutilepreparationswerestillunderway，terrificartilleryfireburstfromtheAlliedbatteriesbehindthehill，shieldingtheHere-We-CometrencheswithacurtainoffirewhoselowerfoldsdrapedthemselvesrightunlovinglyaroundtheGermanlines。Undercoverofthisbarrage，downthehillswarmedtheAlliedreserves！

"Howdidyougetword？"demandedtheastonishedcoloneloftheHere-We-Comes，laterintheday。

"Fromyournote，ofcourse，"repliedthegeneralhehadquestioned。"Thecollie——oldBruce。"

"Bruce？"babbledthecolonelfoolishly。

"Ofcourse，"answeredthegeneral。"Whoelse？ButI\'mafraidit\'sthelastmessagehe\'lleverdeliver。Hecamerollingandstaggeringuptoheadquarters——onemassofblood，andthreeinchesthickwithcakeddirt。Hisrightsidewastornopenfromashell-wound，andhehadtwomachine-gunbulletsinhisshoulder。

He\'sdeafasapost，too，fromshell-shock。Hetumbledoverinaheaponthestepsofheadquarters。ButheGOTthere。That\'sBruce，allover。That\'sthebesttypeofcollie，allover。Someofuswereforputtinghimoutofhismiserywithashotthroughthehead。We\'dhavedoneit，too，ifithadbeenanyotherdog。

Butthesurgeon-generalwadedinandtookahandinthegame——

carriedBrucetohisownquarters。Welefthimworkingoverthedoghimself。AndheswearsBrucewillpullthrough！"

CHAPTERIV。WhenEyesWereNoUse"Yes，it\'saneasyenoughtradetopickup，"lecturedTop-

SergeantMahan，formerlyoftheregulararmy。"You\'vejustgottorememberafewthings。Butyou\'vegottokeeponrememberingthosefew，allthetime。Ifyouforgetoneof\'em，it\'sthelastbitofforgettingyou\'reeverlikelytodo。"

Top-SergeantMahan，ofthemixedFrench-and-Americanregimentknownas"Here-We-Come，"wassquattingateaseonthetrenchfiring——step。Fromthatprofessorialseathewasdispensingusefulknowledgetoagroupoffellow-countrymen-newlyarrivedfromthebase，topadthe"Here-We-Come"ranks，whichhadbeenthinnedattheRacheattack。

"Whatsortofthingshavewegottoremember，Sergeant？"jauntilyaskedalankyMissourian。"We\'vegotthedrillprettypat；andthetrenchinstructionsand——"

"Gee！"ejaculatedMahan。"Ihadnoideaofthat！Thenwhydon\'tyouwalkstraightaheadintoBerlin？Ifyouknowallyousayyoudo，aboutwar，there\'snothingmoreforyoutolearn。I\'lldropalinetoGeneralFochandsuggesttohimthatyourookiesbedetailedtoteachthegametousoldsters。"

"Ididn\'tmeantobefresh，"apologizedthejauntyone。"Won\'tyougoaheadandtellusthethingsweneedtoremember？"

"Well，"exhortedMahan，appeasedbythenewcomer\'shumility，"therearen\'tsomanyofthem，afterall。Learntoduck，whenyouhearaMinniegruntorawhizzbangcutloose；orafive-ninebegintowhimper。Learnnottobothertoduckwhentheriflesgettojabbering——foryou\'llneverhearthebulletthatgetsyou。

Studythenocturnalhabitsofmachine-gunsandthewaysofsnipersandtherighttimenottoplaythefool。Andkeepsayingtoyourself：\'Thebulletain\'tmoldedthatcangetME！\'Meanitwhenyousayit。Whenyou\'velearnedthosefewthings，therestofthewar-gameisdeadeasy。"

"Except，"timidlyamendedoldSergeantVivier，thegraylittleFrenchman，"exceptwheneyesare——arewhatyoucallit，nouse。"

"That\'sright，"assentedMahan。"Inthetimeswheneyesarenouse，allrulesfail。AndthentheonlythingyoucandoistotrusttoyourYankeeluck。Iremember——"

"\'Wheneyesarenouse\'？"repeatedtherecruit。"Ifyoumeanafterdark，atnight——haven\'twegotthesearchlightsandthestarshellsandallthat？"

"Son，"repliedMahan，"wehave。ThoughIdon\'tseehowyoueverguessedsuchanimportantsecret。Butsinceyouknoweverything，maybeyou\'lljustkindlytelluswhatgoodallthelightsintheworldaregoingtodouswhenthefilthyyellow-grayfogbeginstooozeupoutofthemudandtheshell-holes，andthefilthygraymistoozesdownfromthecloudstomeetit。Fogistheonethingthatallthewar——sciencewon\'tovercome。Afogpenetratorhasn\'tbeeninventedyet。Ifithadbeen，there\'dbemanyahuskyladlivingtoday，whohasgoneWest，thispastfewyears，onaccountofthefogs。Fogistheboche\'spet。ItgivesFritzyalovelychancetocreepupor，us。It——"

"ItisthehelperofUS，too，"suggestedoldVivier。"Morethanonetime，ithaskeptmesafewhenIwasonpatrol。AnddiditnothelptosaveusatRache，when——"

"Thefogmayhavehelpedus，onepercent，atRache，"admittedMahan。"ButBrucedidninety-ninepercentofthesaving。"

"AScotchgeneral？"askedtherecruit，asViviernoddedcordialaffirmationofMahan\'swords，andasothersoftheold-timersmutteredapproval。

"No，"contradictedMahan。"AScotchcollie。Ifyouweredrybehindtheears，inthislife，youwouldn\'thavetoaskwhoBruceis。"

"Idon\'tunderstand，"falteredtherookie，suspiciousofapossiblejoke。

"Youwillsoon，"Mahantoldhim。"Brucewillbehereto-day。I

heardtheK。O。sayingthebigdogisgoingtobesentdownwithsomedispatchesorsomething，fromheadquarters。It\'shisfirsttripsincehewascutupso。"

"Iamsavinghim——this！"proclaimedVivier，disgorgingfromtheflotsamofhispocketalumpofonce-whitesugar。"Mywife，shesmugglethreeofthesetomeinherlastpaquet。OneIeatinmycafenoir；oneIpresenttomonchervieux，cebonMahan；oneI

keepforthegranddogwhatsaveusallthatday。"

"What\'stheidea？"queriedthemystifiedrookie。"Idon\'t——"

"WewerestuckinthefrontlineoftheRachesalient，"explainedMahan，eagertorecounthisdog-friend\'sprowess。"Onbothsidesoursupportsgotwordtofallback。Wecouldn\'tgettheword，becauseourtelephoneconnectionwasknockedgalley-west。Therewewere，waitingforaHunattacktowipeusout。Wecouldn\'tfallback，fortheywerepepperingthehillslopebehindus。Wewereatthebottom。They\'dhavecutustoribbonsifwe\'dshownourcarcassesintheopen。Brucewashere，withamessagehe\'dbrought。TheK。O。senthimbacktoheadquartersforthereserves。

Thebocheheaviesandsnipersandmachine-gunsallcutloosetostophimashescootedupthehill。AndameaslygiantofaGermanpolicedogtriedtokillhim，too。Brucegotthroughthelotofthem；andhereachedheadquarterswiththeSOScallthatsavedus。Thepoorchapwascutandgougedandtornbybulletsandshell-scraps，andhewasnearlydeadfromshell-shock，too。

Butthesurgeongeneralworkedoverhim，himself，andpulledhimbacktolife。He——"

"HeisalovedpetofamanandawomaninyourAmerica，Ihaveheardonesay，"chimedinVivier。"Andhishome，there，wasinthequietcountry。Hewaslenttothecause，asapatrioticoffering，cebrave！Andofacertainty，hehasearnedhiswelcome。"

WhenBruce，anhourlater，trottedintothetrenches，onthewaytothe"Here-We-Come"colonel\'squarters，hewasreceivedlikeavisitingpotentate。Dozensofmenhailedhimeagerlybynameashemadehiswaytohisdestinationwiththemessageaffixedtohiscollar。

Manyofthesemenwerehiswell-rememberedfriendsandcomrades。

MahanandVivier，andoneortwomore，hehadgrowntolike——aswellashecouldlikeanyoneinthatlandofhorrors，threethousandmilesawayfromThePlace，wherehewasborn，andfromtheMistressandtheMaster，whowerehisloyallyworshipedgods。

Moreover，beingonlymortalandafflictedwithaheartyappetite，Brucelovedthefoodandotherdelicaciesthemenwereforeverofferinghimasavariationonthestodgyfaredishedouttohimandhisfellowwar-dogs。

Asmuchtoamuseandinterestthesoldierswhoseherohewas，asforanyspecialimportanceinthedispatchhecarried，BrucehadbeensentnowtothetrenchesoftheHere-We-Comes。Itwashisfirstvisittotheregimenthehadsaved，sincethedaysoftheRacheassaulttwomonthsearlier。Thankstosupremelycleversurgeryandtotendercare，thedogwaslittletheworseforhiswounds。Hishearinggraduallyhadcomeback。Inoneshoulderhehadaveryslightstiffnesswhichwasnotalimp，andanew-healedfurrowscarredtheleftsideofhistawnycoat。

Otherwisehewasasgoodasnew。

AsBrucetrottedtowardthegroupthatsorecentlyhadbeentalkingofhim，theMissourirecruitwatchedwithinterestforthedog\'sjoyatthisreunionwithhisoldfriends。Bruce\'ssnowychestandblack-stippledcoatwerefluffedoutbymanyrecentbaths。Hissplendidheadhighandhisdarkeyesbright，thecollieadvancedtowardthegroup。

Mahangreetedhimjoyously。Vivierstretchedoutahandwhichdisplayedtemptinglythelong-hoardedlumpofsugar。Athirdmanproduced，fromnowhereinparticular，alargeandmeat-fringedsoup-bone。

"Iwonderwhichofyouhe\'llcometo，first，"saidtheinterestedMissourian。

Thequestionwasansweredatonce，andrighthumiliatingly。ForBrucedidnotfalterinhisswingingstrideashecameabreastofthegroup。NotbysomuchasasecondglancedidhenoticeMahan\'shailandthetemptingfood。

AshepassedwithinsixinchesofthelumpofsugarwhichVivierwasholdingouttohim，thedog\'ssilkenearsquiveredslightly，suresignofhard-repressedemotioninathoroughbredcollie，——

buthegavenoothermanifestationthatheknewanyonewasthere。

"Well，I\'llbeblessed！"snickeredtheMissourianinhighderision，asBrucepassedoutofsightaroundanangleofthetrench。"Sothat\'sthepupwhoissuchapalofyoufellows，ishe？Gee，butitwasatreattoseehowtickledhewastomeetyouagain！"

Totherookie\'samazementnoneofhishearersseemedintheleastchagrinedoverthedogschillingdisregardofthem。Instead，Mahanactuallygruntedapprobation。

"He\'llbeback，"prophesiedtheSergeant。"Don\'tyouworry。He\'llbeback。Weoughttohavehadmoresensethantrytostophimwhenhe\'sonduty。Hehasbetterdisciplinethantherestofus。

That\'soneofveryfirstthingstheyteachacourier-dog——topaynoattentiontoanybody，whenhe\'sondispatchduty。WhenBrucehasdeliveredhismessagetotheK。O。，he\'llhavetherighttohuntuphischums。Andnooneknowsitbetter\'nBrucehimself。"

"Itwasasin——athoughtlessness——ofmetoholdthesugarathim，"saidoldVivier。"Ah，butheisasogoodsoldier，cebraveBruce！Helooknottotheleftnoryettotheright，noryettotheso-desiredsugar-lump。Hekeephisheadatattention！Allbutthefurrytipsofhisears。Themhehasnotyettaughttobegoodsoldiers。Theytremble，whenhesmellthesugarandthegoodsoup-bone。Theyquiverlikethelittleleaf。Buthekeepon。He——

"

Therewasascurryoffast-canteringfeet。AroundtheangleofthetrenchdashedBruce。Headerect，softdarkeyesshiningwithalightofgaymischief，hegallopeduptothegrinningSergeantVivierandstood。Thedog\'sgreatplumeofatailwaswaggingviolently。Histulipearswerecocked。HiswholeinterestinlifewasfixedonthepreciouslumpofsugarwhichVivierheldouttohim。

Frompuppyhood，Brucehadadoredlumpsugar。EvenatThePlace，sugarhadbeenararityforhim，fortheMistressandtheMasterhadknownthedamageitcanwreakuponadog\'steethanddigestion。Yet，onceinawhile，asaspecialluxury，theMistresshadbeenwonttogivehimasolitarylumpofsugar。

SincehisarrivalinFrance，thedoghadneverseennorscentedsuchathinguntilnow。Yethedidnotjumpforthegift。HedidnottrytosnatchitfromVivier。Instead，hewaiteduntiltheoldFrenchmanhelditclosertowardhim，withtheinvitation：

"Takeit，monvieux！Itisforyou。"

ThenandthenonlydidBrucereachdaintilyforwardandgripthegrimybitofsugarbetweenhismightyjaws。Vivierstrokedthecollie\'sheadwhileBrucewaggedhistailandmunchedthesugarandblinkedgratefullyupatthedonor。Mahanlookedon，enviously。"Adog\'sgotforty-twoteeth，insteadofthethirty-

twothatushumanshavetochewon，"observedtheSergeant。"A

vet\'toldmethatonce。Andsugarisbadforallforty-twoof\'em。Maybeyoudidn\'tknowthat，MonsooVivier？Likely，atthisrate，we\'llhavetochipinbeforelongandbuypoorBrucieadoublesetoffalseteeth。Justbecauseyou\'veputhisrealonesoutofbusinesswithlumpsofsugar！"

Vivierlookedgenuinelyconcernedatthisgrimforecast。Brucewanderedacrosstotheplacewherethedonorofthesoup-bonebrandishedhisoffering。Othermen，too，werecrowdingaroundwithgifts。

Betweenpettingandfeeding，thecolliespentabusyhouramonghiscomrades-at-arms。Hewastostaywiththe"Here-We-Comes"

untilthefollowingday，andthencarrybacktoheadquartersareconnaissancereport。

Atfouro\'clockthatafternoontheskywassoftlyblueandtheairwasunwontedlyclear。Byfiveo\'clockagentleIndia-summerhazeblurredtheworld\'ssharperoutlines。Bysixablanket-fogrolledin，andtheairwaswetlyunbreatheable。Thefoglaysothickoverthesoggyearththatobjectstenfeetawaywereinvisible。

"This，"commentedSergeantMahan，"isoneofthetimesIwastalkingaboutthismorning——wheneyesarenouse。Thisissurethecountryforfogs，inwar-time。ThecockneystellmetheLondonfogsaren\'tapatchon\'em。"

The"Here-We-Comes"wereencamped，forthewhile，attheedgeofasectorfromwhenceallmilitaryimportancehadrecentlybeenremovedbyaconvulsivetwistofahundred-milebattle-front。Inthisdullhole-in-a-cornerthenew-arrivedrivetswereinprocessofweldingintothemoreveteranstructureofthemixedregiment。

Notaquarter-mileaway——acrossNoMan\'sLandandathwarttwobarriersofbarbedwire——layaseriesofGermantrenches。Now，inallprobability，andfromalloutwardsigns，theoccupantsofthisbochepositionconsistedonlyofaregimentortwowhichhadbeensobadlycutup，inafoileddrive，astoneedamonthofnon-excitingroutinebeforegoingbackintomoreperilousservice。

Yetthecommanderofthedivisiontowhichthe"Here-We-Comes"

wereattacheddidnottrusttoprobabilitiesnortooutwardsigns。Hehadbeenatthefrontlongenoughtorealizethattheonlythinglikelytohappenwasthethingwhichseemedunlikeliest。AndhefeltamorbidcuriositytolearnmoreaboutthepersonnelofthosedormantGermantrenches。

Whereforehehadsentanorderthatahandfulofthe"Here-We-

Comes"goforthintoNoMan\'sLand，onthefirstfavorablenight，andtrytopickupabocheprisonerortwoforquestioning-

purposes。Ascouringofthedoublywiredareabetweenthehostilelinesmightreadilyharvestsomesolitarysentinelorsomeothermanonspecialduty，oreventheoccupantsofalistening-post。

Andthedivisioncommanderearnestlydesiredtoquestionsuchprisonerorprisoners。Thefogfurnishedanidealnightforsuchanexpedition。

ThusitwasthataveryyounglieutenantandSergeantMahanandtenprivates——thelankyMissourianamongthem——weredetailedfortheprisoner-seekingjob。Ateleveno\'clock，theycreptoverthetop，singlefile。

Itwasanightwhereinahundredsearchlightsandamillionstar——

flareswouldnothavemademoreimpressiononthedensityofthefogthanwouldthestrikingofasafetymatch。YetthetwelvereconnoitererswereinstructedtoproceedinthecautiousmannercustomarytosuchnocturnalexpeditionsintoNoMan\'sLand。Theymovedforwardatthelieutenant\'sorder，tiptoeingabreast，sometwentyfeetapartfromoneanother，andadvancinginthree-footstrides。Ateverythirtystepstheentirelinewasrequiredtohaltandtoreestablishcontact——inotherwords，to"dress"onthelieutenant，whowasattheextremeright。

Thismaneuverwasmoretime-wastingandlesssimplethanitsrecitalwouldimply。Forinthedark，unaccustomedlegsareliabletomiscalculationinthematteroflengthofstride，evenwhenshell-holesandotherinequalitiesofgrounddonotcomplicatethecalculationsstillfurther。Anditishardtomaintainaperfectlystraightlinewhenmovingforwardthroughchokingfogandoverscoresofobstacles。

Thehaltsforrealignmentconsumedmuchtimeandcausednolittleconfusion。NervousnessbegantoencompasstheMissourirecruit。

Hewasasbraveasthenextman。Butthereissomethingcreepyaboutwalkingwithmeasuredtreadthroughaninvisiblespace，withnosoundbutthestealthypad-pad-padofequallyhesitantfootstepstwentyfeetawayoneitherside。TheMissourianwasgratefulfortheintervalsthatbroughtthemenintomutualcontact，astheeeriemarchcontinued。

Thefirstlineofbarbedwirewascutandpassed。ThenfollowedanendlessgropingprogressacrossNoMan\'sLand，andseveraldelays，asonemanoranotherhadtroubleinfindingcontactwithhisneighbor。

AtlastthepartycametotheGermanwires。Thelieutenanthaddrawnonarubberglove。Inhisglovedhandhegraspedastripofsteelwhichheheldinfrontofhim，likeawand，fanningtheairwithit。

Ashecametotheentanglement，heprobedthebarbedwirecarefullywithhiswand，watchingforanensuingspark。FortheGermansmorethanoncehadbeenknowntoelectrifytheirwires，withfatalresultstolucklessprowlers。

Thesewires，to-night，werenotcharged。And，withpliers，thelieutenantandMahanstartedtocutapassagewaythroughthem。

Astheveryfirststrandpartedunderhispressure，Mahanlaidonehandwarninglyonthelieutenant\'ssleeve，andthenpassedthesameprearrangedwarningdownthelinetotheleft。

Silence——moveless，tense，sharplylisteningsilence——followedhismotion。ThentherestofthepartyheardthesoundwhichMahan\'skeenerearshadcaughtamomentearlier——thethudofmanymarchingfeet。Herewasnofurtivecreeping，aswhenthetwelveYankeeshadmovedalong。Ratherwasittherhythmicbeatofatleastahundredpairsofshapelessarmyboots——perhapsofmore。

Theunseenmarchersweremovingwordlessly，butwithnoeffortatmufflingtheeventreadoftheirmultiplefeet。

"They\'recomingthisway！"breathedSergeantMahanalmostwithoutsound，hislipsclosetotheexcitedyounglieutenant\'sear。"Andthey\'renotfiftypacesoff。Thatmeansthey\'reboches。SoneartheGermanwire，ourmenwouldeitherbecrawlingorelsecharging，notmarching！It\'sacompany——maybeabattalion——comingbackfromareconnaissance，andmakingforagapintheirownwiresomewherenearhere。Ifwelaylowthere\'sanoffchancetheymaypassusby。"

Withoutawaitingthelieutenant\'sorder，Mahanpassedalongthesignalforeverymantodroptoearthandliethere。Heallbutforcedtheeagerlygesticulatinglieutenanttotheground。

OncametheswingingtreadoftheGermans。Mahan，listeningbreathlessly，triedtogaugethedistanceandthedirection。Hefigured，presently，thatthebreaktheGermanshadmadeintheirwirecouldbeonlyafewyardsbelowthespotwhereheandthelieutenanthadbeenatworkwiththepliers。Thustheintruders，fromtheirpresentcourse，mustinevitablypassveryclosetotheprostrateAmericans——soclose，perhaps，astobrushagainstthenearestofthem，oreventostepononeormoreofthecrouchingfigures。

Mahanwhisperedtothemanonhisimmediateleft，therookiefromMissouri：

"Edgeclosertothewire——closeasyoucanwiggle，andlieflat。

Passontheword。"

TheMissourianobeyed。Beforewrithinghislongbodyforwardagainstthebristlymassofwirehepassedtheinstructionsontothemanathisownleft。

Buthisnerveswereatbreaking-point。

Ithadbeenbadenoughtocrawlthroughtheblindfog，withtheghostlystepsofhiscomradespatteringsoftlyateithersideofhim。Butitwasathousandtimeshardertoliehelplesshere，inthechokingfogandonthesoakedground，whilecountlessenemieswerebearingdown，unseen，uponhim，ononeside，andanimpenetrablewirecutoffhisretreatontheother。

TheMissourianhadlethisimaginationbegintowork；alwaysamistakeinaprivatesoldier。HewasvisualizingthemomentwhenthistrampingGermanforceshouldbecomeawareofthepresenceoftheirpunyfoesandshouldslaughterthemagainstthemercilesswires。Itwouldnotbeafairstand-upfight，thismurder-rushofhundredsofmenagainsttwelvewhowerepennedinandcouldnotmaneuvernorescape。Andthethoughtofitwasdoingqueerthingstotherookie\'soverwroughtnerves。

Havingpassedthewordtocreepclosertothewires，hebegantoexecutetheorderinperson，withnodelayatall。Buthewasafractionofasecondtoolate。TheGermansweremovinginhike-

formationwith"points"thrownoutinadvancetoeitherside——a"point"beingaprivatesoldierwho，forscoutingandotherpurposes，marchesatsomedistancefromthemainbody。

Thepoint，aheadoftheplatoon，hadswervedtoofartotheleft，intheblackness——anerrorthatwouldinfalliblyhavebroughthimupagainstthewires，withconsiderableforce，inanothertwosteps。ButtheMissourianwasbetweenhimandthewires。Andthepoint\'sheavy-shodfootcamedown，heelfirst，onthebackoftherookie\'sout-gropinghand。Suchacrushingimpact，onthehand-back，isoneofthemostagonizingminorinjuriesamancansustain。AndthisfacttheMissouriandiscoveredwithgreatsuddenness。

Histoo-tautnervesforcedfromhisthroatayellthatsplitthedeathlystillnesswithanear-piercingvehemence。Hesprangtohisfeet，forgetfulofordersintentonlyonthrustinghisbayonetthroughtheHunwhohadcausedsuchacutetorturetohishand。Halfwayup，therookie\'sfeetwentoutfromunderhimintheslimymud。Hecaromedagainstthepoint，thenfellheadlong。

TheGerman，doubtlessthinkinghehadstumbleduponasinglestrayAmericanscout，whirledhisownriflealoft，todashoutthebrainsofhislucklessfoe。Butbeforetheupflungbuttcoulddescend，——beforetherookiecouldriseordodge，——thepointaddedhisquotatotherudebreakingofthenight\'ssilence。Hescreamedinpanicterror，droppedhisbrandishedgunandreeledbackward，clawingathisownthroat。

Foroutoftheeeriedarkness，somethinghadlauncheditselfathim——somethingsilentandterrible，thathadflowntotheMissourian\'said。DownwithacrashwenttheGerman，onhisback。

HerolledagainsttheMissourian，whopromptlysoughttograpplewithhim。

ButevenasheclawedfortheGerman，therookie\'snerveswrungfromhimasecondyell——thistimelessofragethanofhorror。

"Sufferin\'cats！"hebellowed。"Whydidn\'tanybodyevertellmeGermanswascoveredwithfurinsteadofclothes？"

Thebocheplatoonwasnolongerstridingalonginhike-

formation。Itwasbrokenupintomassesofwildlyrunningmen，allofthembearingdownupontheplacewhenceissuedthisungodlyracketandturmoil。Stumbling，reeling，blindlyfallingandrisingagain，theycameon。

Someoneamongthemloosedarifle-shotinthegeneraldirectionoftheyelling。AsecondandathirdGermanriflemanfollowedtheexampleofthefirst。FromthedistantAmericantrenches，oneortwosnipersbegantopepperawaytowardtheenemylines，thoughthefogwastoothickforthem，toseetheGermanrifle-flashes。

Thebochesfarthesttotheleft，intheblindrush，fouledwiththewires。Germansnipers，frombehindtheHunparapets，openedfire。Aminuteearlierthenighthadbeenstillasthegrave。Nowitfairlyvibratedwithclangor。Allbecauseonerookie\'snerveshadbeenlessstaunchthanhiscourage，andbecausethatsamerookiehadnotonlyhadhishandsteppedoninthedark，buthadencounteredsomethingswirlingandhairywhenhegrabbedforthesoldierwhohadsteppedonhim！

TheAmericanlieutenant，attheonsetoftheclamor，sprangtohisfeet，whippingouthispistol；hisdrylipspartedinacommandtocharge——acommandwhich，naturally，wouldhavereducedhiselevenmenandhimselftotwelvecorpsesortoanequalnumberofmishandledprisonerswithinthenextfewseconds。Butabighandwasclappedunceremoniouslyacrosstheyoungofficer\'smouth，silencingthehalf-spokensuicidalorder。

SergeantMahan\'scareerintheregulararmyhadgivenhimanalmostuncannypowerofsizinguphisfellowmen。Andhehadlongagodecidedthatthiswasthesortofthinghisuntriedlieutenantwouldbelikelytodo，injustsuchanemergency。

Whereforehisflagrantbreachofdisciplineinshovinghispalmacrossthemouthofhissuperiorofficer。

Andashewascommittingthisbreachofdiscipline，heheardtheMissourian\'sstrangledgaspof：

"Whydidn\'tanybodyevertellmeGermanswascoveredwithfur？"

InaflashMahanunderstood。Wheeling，hestoopedlowandflungoutbotharmsinawide-sweepingcircle。Luckilyhisrighthand\'sfingertips，astheycompletedthecircle，touchedsomethingfast-movingandfurry。

"Bruce！"hewhisperedfiercely，tighteninghisprecariousgriponthewispoffurhisfingershadtouched。"Bruce！Standstill，boy！It\'sYOUwho\'sgottogetusclearofthis！Nobodyelse，shortofthegoodLord，candoit！"

Brucehadhadapleasantlylazydaywithhisfriendsinthefirst-linetrenches。Therehadbeenmuchgoodfoodandmorepetting。Andatlast，comfortablytiredofitall，hehadgonetosleep。Hehadawakenedinamostfriendlymood，andalittlehungry。Whereforehehadsalliedforthinsearchofhumancompanionship。Hefoundplentyofsoldierswhoweremorethanwillingtotalktohimandmakemuchofhim。But，alittlefartherahead，hesawhisgoodfriend，SergeantMahan，andothersofhisacquaintances，startingovertheparapetonwhatpromisedtobeajollyeveningstroll。

Alldogsfindithardtoresistthemysteriouslureofawalkinhumancompanionship。True，thenightwasnotanidealoneforaramble，andthefoghadawayofcongealingwetlyonBruce\'sshaggycoat。Still，adampcoatwasnotenoughofadiscomforttooffsetthejoyofastrollwithhisfriends。SoBrucehadfollowedthetwelvemenquietlyintoNoMan\'sLand，fallingdecorouslyintostepbehindMahan。

Ithadnotbeenmuchofawalk，forspeedorforfun。Forthehumanswentridiculouslyslowly，andhadaneccentricwayofbunchingtogether，everynowandagain，andthenofstringingoutintoashamblingline。Still，itwasawalk，andthereforebetterthanloafingbehindinthetrenches。AndBrucehadkepthisnoiselessplaceattheSergeant\'sheels。

Then——longbeforeMahanheardtheapproachingtrampoffeet——

BrucecaughtnotonlythesoundbutthescentoftheGermanplatoon。Thescentatoncetoldhimthatthestrangerswerenotofhisownarmy。AGermansoldierandanAmericansoldier——

becauseoftheirdifferenceindietaswellasforcertainotherandmorecogentreasons——havebynomeansthesameodor，toacollie\'strainedscent，nortothatofotherbreedsofwar-dogs。

Officialrecordsofdog-sentinelsprovethat。

AlienswerenearingBruce\'sfriends。Andthedog\'sruffbegantostandup。ButMahanandtherestseemedinnowayconcernedinspiritthereby——though，tothedog\'sunderstanding，theymustsurelybeawareoftheapproach。SoBrucegavenofurthersignofdispleasure。Hewasoutforawalk，asaguest。Hewasnotonsentry-duty。

ButwhenthenearestGermanwasalmostuponthem，andalltwelveAmericansdroppedtotheground，thecolliebecameinterestedoncemore。AGermansteppedonthehandofoneofhisnewestfriends。Andthefriendyelledinpain。WhereattheGermanmadeasiftostrikethestepped-onman。

ThiswasquiteenoughforloyalBruce。Withoutsomuchasagrowlofwarning，hejumpedattheoffender。

Dogandmantumbledearthwardtogether。Thenafteraninstantofflurryandnoise，BrucefeltMahan\'sfingersonhisshoulderandheardthestarkappealofMahan\'swhisperedvoice。Instantlythedogwasaprofessionalsoldieroncemore——alertlyobedientandresourceful。

"Catchholdmyleftarm，Lieutenant！"Mahanwasexhorting。"Closeup，there，boys——everyman\'shandgrabbingtighttotheshoulderofthemanonhisleft！Passtheword。Andyou，Missouri，hangontotheLieutenant！Quick，there！Andtreadsoftandtreadfast，anddon\'tletgo，whateverhappens！Notasoundoutofanyone！

I\'mleadingtheway。AndBruceisgoingtoleadme。"

Therewasascurryingscrambleasthemengropedforoneanother。

MahantightenedhisholdonBruce\'smane。

"Bruce！"hesaid，verylow，butwithastrengthofappealthatwasnotlostonthelisteningdog。"Bruce！Camp！BacktoCAMP！

AndkeepQUIET！Backtocamp，boy！CAMP！"

Hehadnoneedtorepeathiscommandsooftenandsostrenuously。

Brucewasatrainedcourier。Theoneword"Camp！"wasquiteenoughtotellhimwhathewastodo。

Turning，hefacedtheAmericanlinesandtriedtobreakintoagallop。Hisscentandhisknowledgeofdirectionwerealltheguidesheneeded。Adogalwaysreliesonhisnosefirstandhiseyeslast。Thefogwasnoobstacleatalltothecollie。HeunderstoodtheSergeant\'sorder，andhesetoutatoncetoobeyit。

Butattheveryfirststep，hewaschecked。Mahandidnotreleasethatfeverishlytightholdonhismane，butmerelyshiftedtohiscollar。

Bruceglancedback，impatientatthedelay。ButMahandidnotletgo。Insteadhesaidoncemore：

"CAMP，boy！"

AndBruceunderstoodhewasexpectedtomakehiswaytocamp，withMahanhangingontohiscollar。

Brucedidnotenjoythismodeoflocomotion。Itwasinconvenient，andthereseemednosenseinit；butthereweremanythingsaboutthisstrenuouswar-tradethatBruceneitherenjoyednorcomprehended，yetwhichheperformedatcommand。

Soagainheturnedcampward，Mahanathiscollarandanannoyinglyhinderingtailofmenstumblingsilentlyonbehindthem。AllaroundweretheGermans——buttingdrunkenlythroughtheblanket-densefog，swingingtheirrifleslikeflails，shoutingconfusedorders，occasionallyfiring。Nowandthentwoormoreofthemwouldcollideandwouldwrestleinblindfury，thinkingtheyhadencounteredanAmerican。

Impededbytheirownsightlesslyswarmingnumbers，asmuchasbytheimpenetrabledarkness，theysoughtthefoe。AndbutforBrucetheymustquicklyhavefoundwhattheysought。Evenincompactform，theAmericanscouldnothavehadthesheerlucktododgeeveryscatteredcontingentofHunswhichstarredtheGermanendofNoMan\'sLand——mostofthembetweenthefugitivesandtheAmericanlines。

ButBrucewasondispatchduty。Itwashisworktoobeycommandsandtogetbacktocampatonce。ItwasbadenoughtobehandicappedbyMahan\'sgrasponhiscollar。Hewasnotmindedtosufferfurtherdelaybyrunningintoanyoftheclumpsofgesticulatingandcabbage-reekingGermansbetweenhimandhisgoal。Sohesteeredclearofsuchgroups，makingseveralwidedetoursinordertodoso。OnceortwicehestoppedshorttoletsomeoftheGermansgropepasthim，notsixfeetaway。Againheveeredsharplytotheleft——increasinghispaceandforcingMahanandtheresttoincreasetheirs——toavoidasquadofthirtymenwhowerequarteringthefieldincloseformation，andwhoallbutjostledthedogastheystrodesightlesslyby。Anoccasionalrifle-shotspatforthitschallenge。Frombothtrench-linesmenwerefiringataventure。Afewofthebulletssangnastilyclosetothetwelvehuddledmenandtheircanineleader。OnceaGerman，notthreeyardsaway，screamedaloudandfellsprawlingandkicking，asonesuchchancebulletfoundhim。Aboveandbehind，soundedtheplopofstar-shellssentupbytheenemyinfutilehopeofpenetratingtheviscidfog。Andeverywherewasheardtheshuffleandstumblingofinnumerableboots。

Atlastthenoiseoffeetbegantodieaway，andtheunevengropingtreadofthetwelveAmericanstosoundmoredistinctlyforthelesseningofthesurroundingturmoil。AndinanotherfewsecondsBrucecametoahalt——nottoanabruptstop，aswhenhehadallowedanenemysquadtopassinfrontofhim，butaleisurelycheckingofspeed，todenotethathecouldgonofartherwiththeloadhewashelpingtohaul。

Mahanputouthisfreehand。ItencounteredtheAmericanwires。

Brucehadstoppedatthespotwherethepartyhadcutanarrowpaththroughtheentanglementontheoutwardjourney。Alone，thedogcouldeasilyhavepassedthroughthegap，buthecouldnotbecertainofpullingMahanwithhim。Whereforethehalt。

***********

Thelastofthetwelvemenscrambleddowntosafety，intheAmericanfirst-linetrench，Bruceamongthem。Thelieutenantwentstraighttohiscommandingofficer，tomakehisreport。SergeantMahanwentstraighttohiscompanycook，whomhewokefromasnorefulsleep。PresentlyMahanranbacktowherethesoldiersweregatheredadmiringlyaroundBruce。

TheSergeantcarriedachunkoffriedbeef，forwhichhehadjustgiventhecookhisentireremainingstockofcigarettes。

"Hereyouare，Bruce！"heexclaimed。"Thebestintheshopisnonetoogoodforthedogthatgotussafeoutofthatfilthymess。Eathearty！"

Brucedidnotsomuchassniffatthe（moreorless）temptingbitofmeat。ColdlyhelookedupatMahan。Then，withsensitiveearslaidflatagainsthissilkenhead，intokenofstrongcontempt，heturnedhisbackontheSergeantandwalkedaway。

WhichwasBruce\'smethodofshowingwhathethoughtofahumanfoolwhowouldgivehimacommandandwhowouldthenholdsotightlytohimthatthedogcouldhardlycarryouttheorder。

CHAPTERVTheDoubleCrossInthebackgroundlayalandscapethathadoncebeenbeautiful。

Inthemiddledistancerottedavillagethathadoncebeenalive。

Intheforegroundstoodanedificethathadoncebeenachurch。

Theonce-beautifullandscapehadthelookofagiganticpockmarkedface，soscoredwasitbyshell-scarandcrater。Itsvegetationwassweptaway。Itstreeswereshatteredstumps。Itsfarmsteadswerecharredpilesofrubble。

Thevillagewasunlikethegenerallandscape，inthatithadneverbeenbeautiful。Inspiteofglobe-trotters\'sentimentalgush，notallvillagesofnorthernFrancewerebeautiful。Manywerebuiltforthriftandforcomfortandforexpediency；notforarchitecturalornaturalloveliness。

ButthisvillageofMeran-en-Layewasnotmerelydeprivedofwhatbeautyitoncemightormightnothavepossessed。Exceptbycourtesyitwasnolongeravillageatall。Itwasadoublerowofsqualidruins，zig-zaggingalongthetwosidesofwhatwasleftofitsmainstreet。Hereandthereacottageortinyshoporshedwasstillhabitable。Therestwasdebris。

Thechurchintheforegroundwasrecognizableassuchbytheshapeandsizeofitsraggedwalls，andbyahalf-smashedimageoftheVirginandChildwhichslantedoutataperilousangleaboveitsfa？ade。

Yet，miserableastheruinedhamletseemedtothecasualeye，itwasatpresentavacation-resort——andadecidedlywelcomeone——tonolessthanthreethousandtiredmen。Thewreckedchurchwasanimpromptuhospitalbeneathwhoseshatteredroofdozensofthesemenlayhelplessonmakeshiftcots。

ForthemixedAmericanandFrenchregimentknownasthe"Here-We-

Comes"wasbilletedatMeran-en-Layeduringarespitefromtherigorsandperilsofthefront-linetrenches。

Therestandthefreedomfromrisks，supposedtobeapartofthe"billeting"system，werenotwhollytheportionofthe"Here-WeComes。"Meran——en——Layewasjustthenasomewhatimportantlittlespeckonthewarmap。

TheGermanshadbeenuptotheirfavoritefieldsportoftryingtosplitinhalftwooftheAlliedarmies，andtorollupeach，independently。Theefforthadbeenafailure；yetithadcomesoneartosuccessthatmanyrailwaycommunicationswerecutoffordeflected。AndMeran-en-Layehadforthemomentgainednewimportance，byvirtueofaspurrailway-linewhichranthroughitsoutskirtsandwhichmadejunctionwithanewsetoftrackstheAmericanengineerswerecompleting。Alongthistransverseofroadsmuchammunitionandfoodandmanyfightingmenweredailyrushed。

Thesafetyofthevillagehadthusbecomeofmuchsignificance。

Whileitwastoofarbehindthelinestobeingravedangerofenemyraids，yetsuchdangerexistedtosomeextent。"Whereforethepresenceofthe"Here-We-Comes"——fortheparadoxicaldoublepurposeof"restingup"andofguardingtherailwayFunction。

Still，itwasbetterthantrench-work；andthe"Here-We-Comes"

enjoyedit——foradayorso。Thentroublehadsetin。

Agroupofsoldierswereloungingonthestoneseatinfrontofthevillageestaminet。Beingoffduty，theywererevelinginthatpopularmartialpastimeknowntotheTommyas"grousing"andtotheYankeedoughboyas"airingagrouch。"

Top-SergeantMahan，formerlyoftheregulararmy，washaranguingtheothers。Somelistenedapprovingly，othersdissentinglyandothersnotatall。

"Itellyou，"Mahandeclaredforthefourthtime，"somebody\'sdouble-crossingusagain。There\'saleak。Andiftheydon\'tfindoutwhereitis，awholelotofgoodmenandamilliondollars\'

worthofsuppliesareliabletospilloutthroughthatsameleak。

It——"

"But，"arguedhiscrony，oldSergeantVivier，inhishard-

learnedEnglish，"butitmayallbeofachance，monvieux。Itmay，notbethedoubledcross，——whateveradoubledcrossmeans，——

butthemerechance。Suchthingsoften——"

"Chance，mygrandmother\'swall-eyedcat！"snortedMahan。"Maybeitmighthavebeenchance——whenthisplacehadn\'tbeenbombedforamonth——forawholeflightofbocheartilleryandairshipgrenadestocutlooseagainstitthedayGeneralPershinghappenedtostophereforanhouronhiswaytoChateau-Thierry。

Maybethatwaschance——thoughIknowblamedwellitwasn\'t。Maybeitwaschancethattheplacewasn\'tbombedagaintilltwodaysago，whenthattroop-trainhadtospendsuchalotoftimegettingshuntedatthejunction。Maybeitwaschancethatthechurch，overacrossthestreet，hadn\'tbeentouchedsincethelastdrive，tillourregiment\'swoundedwereputinit——andthatit\'sbeenhitthreetimessincethen。Maybeanyoneofthosethings——andofadozenotherswaschance。Butit\'sacinchthatALLofthemweren\'tchance。Chancedoesn\'tworkthatway。I——"

"Perhaps，"doubtfullyassentedoldVivier，"perhaps。ButIlittleliketobelieveit。Foritmeansaspy。Andaspyinone\'smidstisliketoasnakeinone\'sblankets。Itisanotpleasingcomrade。Anditstandsinsoreneedofkilling。"

"there\'sspieseverywhere，"averredMahan。"That\'sbeenprovedoftenenough。Sowhynothere？ButIwishtotheLordIcouldlayhandsonhim！Ifthiswasoneofthelittleshelteredvillages，inavalley，hisworkwouldbeharder。Andthebocheairshipsandthelong-rangerswouldn\'tfindussuchasimpletarget。Butuphereonthisridge，allaspyhastodoistoflashasignal，anynight，thatabocheairmancanpickuporthatcanevenbeseenwithgoodglassesfromsomehighpointwhereitcanberelayedtotheGermanlines。Theguywholaidoutthisburgwassurethoughtless。Hemighthaveknownthere\'dbeawarsomeday。Hemightevenhavestrainedhismindandguessedthatwe\'dbestuckhere。Gee！"

Hebrokeoffwithagruntofdisgust；nordidhesomuchaslistentoanotherofthegroupwhosoughttolurehimintoanopinionastowhetherthespymightbeaninhabitantofthevillageoracamp-follower。

Suckingathispipe；theSergeantgloweredmoodilydowntheruinedstreet。Thevillagedrowsedunderthehotmidday。Hereandthereasoldierloungedalongaimlesslyortriedouthisexercise-bookFrenchonsomepuzzled，native。Nowandthenanofficerpassedinoroutofthehalf-unroofedmairiewhichservedasregimentalheadquarters。

Beyond，inthehandkerchief-sizedvillagesquare，aplatoonwasdrilling。AthinFrenchhousewifewashangingsheetsonalinebehindashell-twistedhovel。ARedCrossnursecameoutofthehospital——churchacrossthestreetfromtheestaminetandseatedherselfonthestonestepswithabasketfulofsewing。

Mahan\'shalf-shuteyesrestedcriticallyonthedrillingplatoon——amusedlyonthewomanwhowassocarefullyhangingtheraggedsheets，——andthenapprovinglyupontheRedCrossnurseonthechurchstepsacrosstheway。

Mahan，likemostothersoldiers，honoredandreveredtheRedCrossforitsworkofmercyinthearmy。AndthesightofoneoftheseverallocalnursesoftheOrderwonfromhimaglanceofrealapprobation。

Butpresentlyintohisweather-beatenfacecameanexpressionofgladwelcome。Outofthemairiegateandintothesleepywarmthofthestreetloungedahugedark-brown-and-whitecollie。Thedonstretchedhimselflazily，foreandaft，intruecolliestyle，thenstoodgazingabouthimasifinsearchofsomethingofinteresttooccupyhisboredattention。

"Hello！"observedMahan，breakinginonahomilyofVivier\'s。

"There\'sBruce！"

Vivier\'sleatheryfacebrightenedatsoundofthecollie\'sname。

HelookedeagerlyinthedirectionofMahan\'spointingfinger。

"Cebrave！"exclaimedtheFrenchman。"Ididnotknoweventhathewasinthevillage。Itmustbeheisbutnew-arriven。Otherwisehewould，ofanassuredly，havehunteduphisoldfriends。Ohe，Bruce！"hecalledinvitingly。

"Thebigdogmusthavegottenherejustafewminutesago，"saidSergeantMahan。"HewascomingoutofheadquarterswhenIsawhim。Thatmustmeanhe\'sjuststruckthetown，andwithamessagefortheK。O。Healwaysgoeslikegreasedlightningwhenhe\'sondispatchduty，tillhehasdeliveredhismessage。Then，ifhe\'stobeallowedtohangaroundawhilebeforehe\'ssentback，heloafs，lazy-like；thewayyouseehimnow。Ifallthecourier-

dogswerelikehim，everyhumancourierwouldbeoutofajob。"

AtVivier\'shailthegreatcolliehadprickedhisearsandglancedinquiringlyupanddownthestreet。Catchingsightofthegroupseatedinfrontoftheestaminet，hebegantowaghisplumytailandsetofftowardthematatrot。

Tenminutesearlier，BrucehadcanteredintoMeran-en-Layefromtheoppositeendofthestreet，bearinginhiscollaradispatchfromthecorpscommandertothecolonelofthe"Here-We-Comes。"

Thecolonel，atthemairie，hadreadthedispatchandhadpatteditsbearer；thenhadbiddenthedogliedownandrest，ifhechose，afterhislongrun。

Instead，Brucehadpreferredtostrolloutinsearchoffriends。

Top-SergeantMahan，bytheway，wouldhavefelthighlyflatteredhadhechancedtogetaglimpseofthedispatchBrucehadbroughttothecolonel。ForitboreoutMahan\'sowntheoryregardingthepresenceofspiesatornearthevillage，anditbadethe"Here-

We-Come"coloneluseeverymeansfortracingthem。

Itaddedtheinformationthatthreetroop-trainswithnineenginesweretopassthroughthevillagethatnightontheirwaytothetrenches，andthatthetrainsweredueatthejunctionatnineo\'clockorshortlythereafter。Themairiewasontheothersideofthestreetfromtheestaminet。Incidentally，itwasontheshadysideofthestreet——forwhichreasonBruce，——beingwise，andthedaybeinghot，——remainedonthatside，untilheshouldcomeoppositethebenchwherehisfriendsawaitedhim。

Hiscourse，thus，broughthimdirectlypastthechurch。

Ashetrottedbythesteps，theRedCrossnurse，whosatsewingthere，chirpedtimidlyathim。Brucepausedinhisleisurelyprogresstoseewhohadaccostedhimwhetheranoldacquaintance，tobegreetedassuch，ormerelyapleasantlyinclinedstranger。

Hissoftbrowneyesrestedfirstinidleinquiryupontheangularandwhite-robedfigureonthesteps。Then，ontheinstant，thefriendlyinquiringlooklefthiseyesandtheirsoftnesswentwithit——leavingthedog\'sgazecoldandfranklyhostile。

OnecornerofBruce\'slipsslowlylifted，revealingatinyviewoftheterriblewhitefangsbehindthem。Hisgaylyerectheadwaslowered，andinthedepthsofhisfurrythroatagrowlwasborn。

Whenadogbarksandholdshisheadup，thereislittleenoughtofearfromhim。Butwhenhelowershisheadandgrowl——thenlookout。

Mahanknewdogs。InstarkamazementhenownotedBruce\'sstrangeattitudetowardthenurse。Neverbeforehadheseenthedogshowactivehostilitytowardastranger——leastofalltowardastrangerwhohadinnowaymolestedhim。Itwasincrediblethatthewontedlydignifiedandsweet-temperedcolliehadthusreturnedagreeting。Especiallyfromawoman！

MahanhadoftenseenRedCrossnursesstoptocaressBruce。Hehadbeenamusedatthedog\'salmostprotectivecordialitytowardallwomen，whethertheFrenchpeasantsorthewearersofthebrassardofmercy。

Towardmen——exceptthosehehadlearnedtolookonasfriends——

thecolliealwayscomportedhimselfwithacourteousaloofnessButhehadseemedtoregardeverywomanassomethingtobehumoredandguardedandtobetreatedwiththesamecordialfriendlinessthathebestowedontheirchildren——whichisthewayofthebesttypeofcollie。YetBrucehadactuallysnarledatthiswomanwhohadchirpedtohimfromthestepsofthechurch！

Andheshowedeverysignoffollowingupthechallengebystillmoredrasticmeasures。

"Bruce！"calledMahansharply。"BRUCE！Shame！Comeoverhere！

Come，NOW！"

AttheSergeant\'svehementsummonsBruceturnedreluctantlyawayfromthefootofthechurchstepsandcameacrossthestreettowardtheestaminet。Hecameslowly。Midwayhehaltedandlookedbackoverhisshoulderatthenurse，hisfangsglintingoncemoreinasnarl。AtasecondandmoreemphaticcallfromMahanthedogcontinuedhisprogress。

Thenursehadstartedbackinalarmatthecollie\'sangrydemonstration。Now，gatheringupherwork，sheretreatedintothechurch。

"I\'msorry，Miss！"Mahanshoutedafterher。"Ineversawhimthatway，before，whenaladyspoketohim。IfitwasanydogbutoldBruce，I\'dgivehimawhalingforactinglikethattoyou。I\'mdead-surehedidn\'tmeananyharm。"

"Oh，Iwasgoingin，anyway，"repliedthenurse，fromthedoorway。"Itisofnoconsequence。"

Shespokenervously，herrichcontraltovoiceshakenbythedog\'sfierceshowofenmity。Thenshevanishedintothechurch；andMahanandViviertookturnsinlecturingBruceonhisshamefuldearthofcourtesy。

Thebigdogpaidnoheedatalltohisfriends\'discourse。Hewasstaringsullenlyatthedoorwaythroughwhichthenursehadgone。

"That\'soneswellwayforadecentlybreddogtotreatawoman！"

Mahanwastellinghim。"Leastofall，aRedCrossnurse！I\'mcleanashamedofyou！"

Brucedidnotlisten。Inhishearthewasstillangry——andverymuchperplexedaswell。Forheknewwhatthesestupidhumansdidnotseemtoknow。

HEKNEWTHEREDCROSSNURSEWASNOWOMANATALL，BUTAMAN。

Bruceknew，too，thatthenursedidnotbelongtohislovedfriendsoftheRedCross。Forhisuncannypowerofscenttoldhimthegarmentswornbytheimpostorbelongedtosomeoneelse。Tomerehumans，asmallandslenderman，whocanact，andwhodonswoman\'sgarb，isawoman。Toanydog，suchamanisnomorelikeawomanthanahorsewithalambskinsaddle-padisalamb。Heismerelyamanwhoisdifferentlydressedfromothermen——evenasthismanwhohadchirpedtoBruce，fromthechurchsteps，wasnolessamanforthecostumeinwhichhehadswathedhisbody。Anydog，ataglanceandatasniff，wouldhaveknownthat。