s in this foreign land," she told
them, "for I, too, am American-born. My profession is that of a trained
nurse. A wealthy patient I brought abroad died in Antwerp; and as the
war had broken out I determined to offer my services to the Government,
so that I was immediately given a position of trust and responsibility.
We are short-handed with men, you can see. I happen to know what Boy
Scouts over in America have to learn about taking care of wounded
persons. It is a terrible thing to ask, but this is a case of necessity.
Would you be willing to help us out; and do you think you could stand
the awful sights and sounds of the battlefield?"

Rob and Merritt exchanged glances; while their flushed faces told the
nurse what their answer would be, even before they spoke a single word.

"We were just wondering whether you would let us join you," Rob said
quickly, "for we want to do something to help those poor fellows over
there. Yes, if you can make room for us aboard your ambulance we'll
gladly go along."

Poor Tubby had lost all his color. He was as white as a ghost; but with
tightly shut teeth he pushed up, to allow the nurse to fasten a bit of
muslin, stamped with a vivid red cross, upon his left arm, and then he
climbed into the ambulance.

CHAPTER XVIII.

AFTER THE FIGHTING WAS OVER.

The horses had been urged on at considerable speed, in order to arrive
upon the scene of action, for the animals began to show evidences of
exhaustion long before they reached a position back of the Belgian
trenches. That may have been one of the reasons why they were halted
temporarily, at the time the head nurse talked with the three Boy
Scouts.

As they approached the battle line Rob and his friends became intensely
interested. They saw the heads of the defenders of the trenches thrust
up to observe their coming, and heard the hearty ringing cheers with
which the Red Cross nurses were greeted.

Men sprang out to assist them, so that apparently it would be no hard
task to find plenty of recruits to handle the stretchers upon which the
wounded could be carried to the hastily constructed field hospital in
the rear, where the surgeons would soon be busily employed.

Tubby was still looking very white, but he had made up his mind that he
would go through with this wonderful experience even if he fainted dead
away. All that was stubborn in his nature had come to the surface; and
Rob, after noticing this, made up his mind Tu