.

"I don't mean only wounded, sir. He's all black and burnt. Seems as if
the blow-up had sent him ever so far away, and he's lying yonder amongst
the stripped trees."

"Eh? What's that?" said the Major excitedly. "Not one of my lads?"

"No, sir. As far as I can make out by what's left of his clothes, he's
one of the enemy."

"One of the enemy!" cried the Major. "Why, we are coming to the truth,
then. No one of the enemy could have been there--unless--"

"Look here," said the Doctor in his busy way, "you said wounded man, my
lad?"

"Yes, sir; he's alive, for he moved when we touched him, and groaned.
But he's got it badly."

"Well," said the Doctor sharply, "a wounded man, whether he's one of
ourselves or an enemy, is all one to me;" and he walked with the rest,
after a glance or two in the direction of the silent forest, from which
the attack had come, towards the still blazing fire, where a little
group of the spade party was standing round a dark object lying at some
distance on the other side of the ruins of the magazine.

The party drew back a little to make way for their officers, and Archie
shuddered as he caught sight of the horribly blackened object before
them.

"A litter here," said the Doctor shortly. "I will have him up into
hospital, but I'm afraid it's a hopeless case."

As the Doctor rose from one knee, something bright caught Archie's eye
and somehow brought to mind the gold bracelet he had seen the French
Count wear. Then thought after thought flashed through his mind, as he
heard a deep, muttering groan, and the man who had brought the tidings
whispered to his young officer:

"That's the same as he did before, sir--just cried `Lo-lo-lo!' or
something like that."

"Why, Doctor," said Archie excitedly, "did you hear the rest--`_De
l'eau_'? He was asking for water."

"Yes--for the love of Heaven! what does this mean? He can't be a
Malay."

"No," said Archie excitedly. "It's impossible to recognise him for
certain now, but I feel sure it's the Rajah's French friend."

"What!" said the Major excitedly. "What could he have been doing here?"

"What could he have been doing here, sir, that night when Captain Down
and I were startled by hearing some one outside the veranda--some one
who must have been listening to you and Sir Charles when you were
talking together?"

"Here, I don't understand," said the Major petulantly. "What could the
Rajah's friend have been doing here l