d by me, to say that you are taking care of a wounded French
officer at my request as--although you wished to send him to the
ambulance--I refused because, in the first place, he could not bear
moving; and in the second, the ambulance was as full as it could
possibly hold. That will clear you, in case any German parties come
along and find him."

It was a week before Ralph opened his eyes with any consciousness
of what he saw. He looked round, with a vague wonderment as to
where he was. In a minute or two, a look of recognition came into
his face. Looking round, he saw that there were changes. A small
piece had been sawn out of the shutter, so as to let in air and
light while it remained closed. A table and a chair were beside his
bed. In a corner of the loft was a small flat stove, with a few
embers glowing upon it, and a saucepan standing upon them. Upon the
opposite side of the loft to that where he was lying was a heap of
hay, similar to his own; with a figure, rolled up in a blanket,
lying on it.

For some time, Ralph thought all this over in the vague, wondering
way peculiar to people recovering from a long illness. Most, he
puzzled over the occupant of the other bed; and at last concluded
that it was some fugitive, like himself. For some time he lay and
watched the figure until, presently, it moved, threw off the
blanket and rose and, to his surprise, he saw that it was his
nurse.

"Thanks to all the saints!" she exclaimed, when she saw him looking
at her. "You are better, at last. I think that I was asleep, too.
But you were sleeping so quiet, that I thought I would take a nap;
for I was so sleepy."

"How long have I been here?" Ralph asked.

"Just a week, from the time the fever took you. The English doctor
came over and saw you, and sent lots of things for you, and said
you were not to be left; so I had the bed made up here, and my
sister came over to take care of Jacques. And now, you must not
talk any more. Drink this broth, and then go off to sleep again."

Ralph complied. He was too tired and weak to ask any more
questions, and it was not until next day that he heard of the
obstinate battles which General Chanzy had fought--on the 7th, 8th,
and 10th--near Beauguency.

"Thank goodness," Ralph said, "we can't have been very badly
beaten, if we were able to fight three drawn battles within about
twenty miles of a first defeat."

For the next two days, Ralph improved in health. Then he had a
relap