gain."

He stepped to the nearest snow and rubbed his temples with it before
resuming his march; but the relief was merely temporary. He went to
Bracy's side, to see that he was sleeping heavily, and an intense
feeling of envy and longing to follow his officer's example and lie down
and sleep for hours nearly mastered him.

"But I won't--I won't sleep," he said, grinding his teeth. "I'll die
first. I'm going to keep awake and do my dooty like a soldier by my
orficer. I'd do it for any orficer in the ridgement, so of course I
would for the gov'nor, poor chap! He's watched over me before now.--
Yes, I'm going to keep on. I shall be better soon. Ten minutes would
set me right, and if there was a mate here to take my post I'd have a
nap; but there ain't a pardner to share it, and I've got to do it on my
head. Wonder whether I should feel better if I did stand on my head for
a minute. Anyhow, I ain't goin' to try."

Gedge spent the next ten minutes in carefully examining his rifle; then
he turned to Bracy, and soon after he took out the latter's glass and
swept the country round, to find more groups of men in motion.

"Why, the place is getting alive with the beggars," he growled. "We
shall be having some of 'em cocking an eye up and seeing us here. Don't
know, though; they couldn't make us out, and even if they did we look
like a couple o' sheep. I've got to look out sharp, though, to see as
we're not surprised. Almost wish three or four would come now, so as I
could have a set-to with 'em. That would wake me up, and no mistake.--
Ah! it's wonderful what one can see with a bit or two o' glass set in a
brown thing like this.--Ah! there it is again."

Gedge lowered the glass and started violently, for the feeling of sleep
was now overmastering.

"Nearly dropped and smashed his glass," he said petulantly, and, laying
down his rifle, he closed the little lorgnette slowly and carefully with
half-numbed fingers, which fumbled about the instrument feebly.

"He'd ha'--he'd ha'--fine--tongue-thrashing when he woke--foun' glass--
smashed."

Gedge sank upon his knees and bent over the sleeper, fumbling for the
strap and case to replace the glass.

"Where ha' you got to?" he muttered. "What yer swinging about half a
mile away for? Ah! that's got yer," he went on, aiming at the case with
a strange fixity of expression. "Now then--the lid--the lid--and the
strap through the buckle, and the buckle--done it--me g