e shot while I was carrying them. How I lived God knows. It
was cold hell. My clothes were torn to rags. As I was going for the
seventh, the knob of my life-preserver was shot away and my wrist
nearly broken. I wore it with a strap, you know. The infernal thing had
been a kind of mascot. When I realised it was gone I just stood still
and shivered in a sudden, helpless funk. The seventh man was crawling
up to me. He had a bloody face and one dragging leg. That's my last
picture of God's earth. Before I could do anything--I must have been
standing sideways on--a bullet got me across the bridge of the nose and
night came down like a black curtain. Then I ran like a hare. Sometimes
I tripped over a man, dead or wounded, and fell on my head. I don't
remember much about this part of it. They told me afterwards. At last I
stumbled on to the parapet and some plucky fellow got me into the
trench. It was the regulation V.C. business," he added, "and so they
gave it to me."

"Specially," said I.

"Consolation prize, I suppose, for losing my sight. They had just time
to get me away behind when the Germans counter attacked. If I hadn't
brought the six men in, they wouldn't have had a dog's chance. I did
save their lives. That's something to the credit side of the infernal
balance."

"There can be no balance now, my dear chap," said I. "God knows you've
paid in full."

He lifted his hand and dropped it with a despairing gesture.

"There's only one payment in full. That was denied me. God, or whoever
was responsible, had my eyes knocked out, and made it impossible for
ever. He or somebody must be enjoying the farce."

"That's all very well," said I. "A man can do no more than his
utmost--as you've done. He must be content to leave the rest in the
hands of the Almighty."

"The Almighty has got a down on me," he replied. "And I don't blame
Him. Of course, from your point of view, you're right. You're a normal,
honourable soldier and gentleman. Anything you've got to reproach
yourself with is of very little importance. But I'm an accursed freak.
I told you all about it when you held me up over the South African
affair. There were other affairs after that. Others again in this war.
Haven't I just told you I let my regiment down?"

"Don't, my dear man, don't!" I cried, in great pain, for it was
horrible to hear a man talk like this. "Can't you see you've wiped out
everything?"

"There's one thing at any rate I can't ever wipe o