es."

"I hope so," said John. He was dreaming a little then, and he saw young
Julie sitting at the table with them back in Paris. Truly, her golden
hair was the purest gold he had ever seen, and there was no other blue
like the blue of her blue eyes.

"Now, John," said Lannes, "I'll resume my place on the blankets and in
ten minutes I'll be asleep."

He lay down, closed his eyes and three minutes short of the appointed
time slept soundly. John gazed at him for a moment in wonder and
admiration. The triumph of will over body had been complete. He touched
Lannes' head. It was normally cool. Either the surgeon's skill had been
great or the very strength of his resolve had been so immense that he
had kept nerves and blood too quiet for fever to rise.

John left the tent, feeling for the time a personal detachment from
everything. He had no position in this army, and no orders had been
given to him by anybody. But he knew that he was among friends, and
while he stood looking about in uncertainty Captain de Rougemont
appeared.

"How is young Lannes?" he asked.

"Sleeping and free from fever. He will move with the army, or rather he
will be hovering over it in his aeroplane. I never before saw such
extraordinary power of will."

"He's a wonderful fellow. Of course, most of us have heard of him
through his marvelous flying exploits, but it's the first time that I've
ever seen him. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I seem to be left high and dry for the present, at least.
My company is with one of the armies, but where that army is now is more
than I can tell."

"Nor do I know either. We're all in the dark here, but any young strong
man can certainly get a chance to fight in this war. I'm on the staff of
General Vaugirard, a brigade commander, and he needs active young
officers. You speak good French, and the fact that you came with Lannes
will be a great recommendation, I'll provide you with a horse and all
else necessary."

John thanked him with great sincerity. The offer was in truth most
welcome. He knew that Lannes would willingly take him in the _Arrow_,
but he felt that he would be in the way there and, as he had said to his
friend, the rolling earth rather than the air around it was his true
field of action. His first enrollment in the French army had been
hurried and without due forms, but war had made it good.

"I'll not come back for you until afternoon," said de Rougemont,
"because we're alrea