her that Tom has been caught by the Germans."

"Fear not," he urged her. "There is yet hope."

But every now and then Ruth felt her courage melting. It seemed so
impossible for her to do this great thing she had set out to do. She
felt her limitations.

Yet it was not personal fear that troubled her. She would have pressed
forward, even had she been obliged to essay the crossing of No Man's
Land alone.

At last the jouncing ambulance came to a rocking halt.

"As far as I can take you folks in this old fliver, I guess," drawled
Charlie Bragg. "An unhealthy looking place for a picnic."

He twisted around in his seat to look at Ruth. She smiled wanly at
him, while the Major got down quickly and offered her his hand.

"Is it all right, Ruth?" Charlie whispered. "I don't _know_ this
French chap."

"Don't fear for me, Charlie dear," she returned. "He is Major Henri
Marchand. I fancy he is high in the French Army. And I know his
mother--a very lovely lady."

"Oh, all right," responded the boy shortly. "One of the family, as you
might say? Take care of yourself. Haven't heard from Cameron, have
you?"

"That is what I am here for," whispered Ruth. "I hope I shall hear of
him soon."

"Well, best o' luck!" said Charlie Bragg, as Ruth followed the major
out of the rear of the ambulance.

The evening was falling. They stood at the mouth of a wide gully up
which the car could not have traveled. The latter turned in a swirl of
dust and pounded back toward the rear. When it was out of sight and
the noise of it had died away, there did not seem to be any other sound
about them.

"Where are we?" asked Ruth.

"Let us see," returned Major Marchand cheerfully. "I think we shall
find somebody up this way."

They walked up the gully some hundreds of yards until they finally came
out upon a narrow plain at the top. On this mesa was a ruined dwelling
of two stories and some shattered farm buildings.

"Halt!" was the sudden command.

A man in khaki appeared from a clump of trees near the house, advancing
his rifle.

"Friends," said the major quietly.

"Advance one friend with the countersign."

Major Marchand stepped ahead of Ruth and whispered something to the
sentinel.

"Guess it's all right, Boss," said the sentinel, who evidently had no
French. "But you can't proceed in this direction."

"Why not, _mon ami_?"

"New orders. Something doing up front. Wait till my relief comes on
in half a