idos looked uncomfortable.

"Oh, I suppose so," he said. "Why, yes, to be honest with you, he
would gain a lot. But I can't--Oh, he wouldn't be such a sneak!
Perhaps I had better tell you all about everything, now you have sort
of adopted me."

"Not if you think best not to," said Helen; "but of course I would love
to know all about you."

"And I had better tell you," said Zaidos. "You see, I have no
relatives at all except Velo, and we aren't too sure of him yet, are
we?"

He rapidly recounted the happenings of the past from the time the
telegram reached him in far America. Several times Helen interrupted
with a keen question.

When Zaidos finished, she sighed.

"Well, John," she said, "as far as I can see, there is not a thing you
can take as a real clue. But it all looks queer, just the same.
Sometimes everything _will_ happen so things look black. That is why
circumstantial evidence is always so dangerous. But all the same, I
worry over you."

"Don't do that," said Zaidos. "I ought to be old enough to look out
for myself."

"What are you going to do when your leg heals?" asked Helen.

"I'm going to join the Red Cross," said Zaidos.

"How perfectly fine!" exclaimed Helen. "We will be posted together for
awhile if you do, because the field hospitals at the front where I am
going are very short handed. Don't you suppose we could persuade Velo
that his duty lies in some other sphere of action?"

"I don't believe so," said Zaidos.

"No, I know we couldn't," said Helen. "He has repeatedly told me that
he would never leave you. Here he comes now. Let's try it!"

She smiled as Velo approached and drew himself up. Nurse Helen was
undeniably beautiful, even in her severe uniform.

No, Velo had _no_ intention of deserting his dear cousin. If Zaidos
joined the Red Cross, so would Velo. It made no difference to him at
all. If Zaidos was stationed in the trench hospitals at the front,
that was where _he_ would be found.

And two weeks later he actually did find himself there. It was in one
of the lulls between engagements, and they arrived with no more
excitement or danger than might attend any summer trip.

But there they were, actually in the trenches.

CHAPTER VI

A LETTER HOME

Zaidos, who was still on sick list and walked with a cane, was
nevertheless put to work, in order to familiarize him with the position
of the trenches. For two weeks the English had been expecting an