Bracy, sir! I
remember now. Do tell me, sir; are yer all right?"

"Yes, nearly," replied the young officer, with a weary smile. "Twisted
my ankle badly, and I'm faint and sick. I can't talk."

"Course not, sir; but you're all right again now. You want something to
eat. I say, sir, did you finish your rations?"

"No; they're here in my haversack. You can take a part if you want
some."

"Me, sir? I've got plenty. Ain't had nothing since when we had our
feed together. I ain't touched nothing."

"Eat, then; you must want food."

"Yes, I am a bit peckish, sir, I s'pose; but I can't eat 'less you do."

Bracy smiled faintly, and began to open his snow-covered haversack,
taking from it a piece of hard cake, which he began to eat very slowly,
looking hard and strange of manner, a fact which did not escape Gedge's
eyes; but the latter said nothing, opened his canvas bag with trembling
hands, and began to eat in a hurried, excited way, but soon left off.

"Don't feel like eating no more, sir," he said huskily. "Can't for
thinking about how you got on. Don't say nothing till you feel well
enough, sir. I can see that you're reg'lar upset. Ain't got froze,
have you--hands or feet?"

"No, no," said Bracy slowly, speaking like one suffering from some
terrible shock. "I did not feel the cold so much. There, I am coming
round, my lad, and I can't quite grasp yet that I am sitting here alive
in the sunshine. I'm stunned. It is as if I were still in that
horrible dream-like time of being face to face with death. Ha! how good
it is to feel the sun once more!"

"Yes, sir; capital, sir," said Gedge more cheerfully. "Quite puzzling
to think its all ice and snow about us. Shines up quite warm; 'most as
warm as it shines down."

"Ha!" sighed Bracy; "it sends life into me again."

He closed his eyes, and seemed to be drinking in the warm glow, which
was increasing fast, giving colour to the magnificent view around. But
after a few minutes, during which Gedge sat munching slowly and gazing
anxiously in the strangely swollen and discoloured face, the eyes were
reopened, to meet those of Gedge, who pretended to be looking another
way.

The sun's warmth was working wonders, and shortly after Bracy's voice
sounded stronger as he said quietly:

"It would have been hard if I had been carried back by the snow at the
last, Gedge."

"Hard, sir? Horrid."

"It turned you sick afterwards--the narrow escape I had."