oo well. Just as he picked it up,
the damned thing exploded, and Jimmy Wynter crumpled up like a piece of
paper.

"I was coming along the trench a few minutes later, seeing that our
position was being made as secure as possible before the counter-attack
came, when I found him. He was lying in one of the few dug-outs that had
not been hit, and Allan and another man were doing what they could for
him.

"You could see he was very nearly done for, but, after a few seconds, he
opened his eyes and recognised me.

"'Hullo, Rawlinson,' he whispered; 'some damned fool has hit me. Hurts
like the very devil.'

"I muttered some banal words of comfort, and continued to tie him
up--though God knows it was a pretty hopeless task. I hadn't even any
morphia I could give him to make things better.

"Suddenly he raised his arm and fumbled about in search of something.

"'What do you want?' I asked.

"'Where the deuce is my eyeglass?' And the drawl seemed to catch
horribly in his throat.

"I put the rim of the eyeglass into his hand; the glass itself had gone.

"'Must wear the damned thing,' he murmured, and he tried to raise it to
his face--but his hand suddenly stopped half-way and fell, and he died."

* * * * *

There was silence in the club room for a minute or so, and the ticking
of the clock was oppressively loud. Then Jepson raised his glass.

"Gentlemen," he said. "Here's to the 'Knut,'" and gravely we drank to
the toast.

IX

SHOPPING

As the Captain sat down to breakfast, he turned to speak to me: "I
propose ..." he began, but Lawson interrupted him. "Oh, John dear," he
said, "this is so sudden."

The Captain took no notice of the interruption. "... that you and I go
shopping this afternoon."

"Jane," I called to an imaginary maid, "please tell Parkes to bring the
car round at eleven o'clock; we are going shopping in Bond Street, and
lunching at the Ritz."

"You all seem to think you're deucedly funny this morning," growled the
Captain as he pushed aside a piece of cold bacon with the end of his
knife. "The pure air of the billets seems to have gone to your heads so
that I think a parade would suit you this afternoon."

We sobered down at the threat. "No, seriously," I said, "I'd love to go
if I can get anything to ride."

"You can have the Company's pack horse. I'll order both beasts for two
o'clock."

Now the Captain's horse stands far more hands than any reall