s more scared than hurt, and
I quickly picked myself up and clapped an anxious hand to my throbbing
shoulder. The ball, by the feel of it, had done nothing worse than skim
through the fleshy part of my arm, and I was in no wise incapacitated. I
thanked my lucky stars that I was whole and entire, save for a spoonful
or so of unwanted blood, for I rather guessed that I had heavy work
ahead of me before I went to sleep that night.

Just as my mind was clearing again I became aware that someone was
striking matches. I distinctly heard the scrape of one along the top of
the box, and I fancied I saw a tiny phosphorescent glow such as a match
makes when it misfires, but in that I may have been mistaken. As I
watched for another flash it dawned on me that the artillery had ceased
fire, and, for aught I knew to the contrary, I was probably the last
bird topped off that night. Therefore the person with the matches could
only be one of the victorious side, and was just as obviously counting
up the casualties.

There came another little interlude of scraping, a match spluttered
undecidedly for a moment and then glowed brightly. After the Stygian
darkness the light came as a queer physical shock, and for the space of
a heart-beat I blinked like an owl in broad daylight. I think the other
person must have been just as much dazzled as I was, for the light died
out and the glowing tip of the match fell to the ground without a
movement from either of us. But it was followed almost instantly by
another match, less damp than its fellow, for it splashed into light
right away. And there in the little circle of radiance I caught sight of
the one face on earth that I ever wished to see again.

"Moira!" I gasped and glided to her side.

She dropped the match in the surprise of the moment, and I heard her
breath come and go before she answered, "You, Jim! Oh, I'm so glad! I
thought perhaps...."

"They didn't," I said grimly, cutting across her thoughts. "It was the
other way about."

"Mr. Cumshaw, Jim? Have you seen him anywhere?"

"No," I said truthfully enough. I hadn't seen him; it had been too dark,
and I dared not strike a match.

"Oh, I'm afraid he's been shot. We got separated in the darkness, and I
don't know what happened to him."

"How did you get separated?" I queried quickly.

"We were making for the cave and I lost him in the dark. After that they
started firing, and I just fired back, more to keep up my courage than
a