among a cruel
and relentless foe. It was a terrible moment.

I can still see the white and anxious faces round the candle, and Tish's
insistence that a search be organized at once to find her. Mr. Burton
went out immediately, and returned soon after to say that she was not
in sight, and that the retiring Germans were sending up signal rockets
and were probably going to rush the town at once.

We held a short council of war then, but there was nothing to do but to
retire, having accomplished our purpose. Even Tish felt this, and said
that it was a rule of war that the many should not suffer for the few;
also that she didn't propose losing a night's sleep to rescue Charlie
Sands and then have him retaken again, as might happen any minute.

We put out the candle and left the church, and not a moment too soon,
for a shell dropped through the roof behind us, and more followed it at
once. I was very uneasy, especially as I was quite sure that between
explosions I could hear Aggie's voice far away calling Tish.

We retired slowly, taking our prisoner with us, and turning round to
fire toward the enemy now and then. We also called Aggie by name at
intervals, but she did not appear. And when we reached the very edge of
the town the Germans were at the opposite end of it, and we were obliged
to accelerate our pace until lost in the Stygian darkness of the wood.

It was there that I felt Tish's hand on my arm.

"I'm going back," she said in a low tone. "Driveling idiot that she is,
I cannot think of her hiding somewhere and sneezing herself into
captivity. I am going back, Lizzie."

"Then I go too," I said firmly. "I guess if she's your responsibility
she's mine too."

Well, she didn't want me any more than she wanted the measles, but the
time was coming when she could thank her lucky stars I was there.
However, she said nothing, but I heard her suggesting that we separate,
every man for himself, except the prisoner, and work back, to our own
side the best way we could.

With her customary thoughtfulness, however, she held a short
conversation with Mr. Burton first. I have not mentioned Captain Weber,
I believe, since our first entrance into the church, but he was with us,
and I had observed Mr. Burton eying him with unfriendly eyes. Indeed, I
am quite convinced that the accident of our leaving the church without
the captain, and finding him left behind and bolted in, was no accident
at all.

Tish merely told Mr. Burt