ampled out of him by a rush of opposing battalions across his
poor prone body, he felt the dog licking his face, whining and
whimpering in recognition and mad with joy at discovering him.

"Dear old Gelert, you brave, good doggie," he ejaculated feebly, in
panting whispers. "You'll have to try and find a third master now!" and
then, overcome by the effort, which taxed what little strength was left
in him, he swooned away like a dead man--the last distinct impression he
had being that of seeing a bright star twinkle out from the opal sky
above him as he lay on the battlefield, which seemed to be winking and
blinking at him as if beckoning him up to heaven!

His awakening was very different.

On coming to his consciousness again, he felt nice and warm and
comfortable, just as if he were in bed; and, opening his eyes, he saw
the sweet face of a young girl bending over him.

"I must be dreaming," he murmured to himself lazily. He felt so utterly
free from pain and at ease that he did not experience the slightest
anxiety or perplexity to know where he was. He was perfectly satisfied
to take what came. "I must be dreaming, or else I am dead, and this is
one of the angels come to take me away!"

CHAPTER SEVEN.

MADALEINE.

"I am glad you are better," said a soft voice in liquid accents, so
close to his ear that he felt the perfumed breath of the speaker wafted
across his face.

Fritz stared with wide-opened eyes. "I'm glad you're better," repeated
the voice; "you are better, are you not; you feel conscious, don't you,
and in your right senses?"

"Where am I?" at last said Fritz faintly.

"Here," answered the girl, "with friends, who are attending to you. Do
not fear, you shall be watched over with every care until you are quite
well again."

"Where is `here'?" whispered Fritz feebly again, smiling at his own
quaint question.

The girl laughed gently in response to his smile. "You are at Mezieres,
not far from the battlefield where you fell. I discovered you there
early yesterday morning."

"You?" inquired Fritz, his eyes expressing his astonishment.

"Yes, I," said the girl kindly; "and I was only too happy to be the
means of finding you, and getting you removed to a place of safety; for,
I'm afraid that if you had lain there much longer on the damp ground you
would have died."

"Oh!" interrupted Fritz as eagerly as his exhausted condition would
allow; "I remember all now! I was wounded and lay