nd it. I cannot bear that those thirty-nine men should
die for my affairs. I know that their blood would not lie at my
door, but at the door of their unscrupulous judges; yet I cannot
feel that this removes from me all responsibility. No; and I must
yield myself up in their place. Do not grieve for me, old man.
Return to England, and, if you will, take a more direct part in the
war. Leave the Durend affairs alone; they must, for the war, die
with me.

"Good-bye, old man, good-bye! Remember me to all at Hawkesley. Tell
them I lost upon a foul, and not in fair fighting.

"Ever your old comrade,

"MAX."

Dale's voice shook as he read the letter. He was obviously much upset,
and, seeing it, Dubec, in his uncouth but good-hearted way, persuaded
him to return with him to his home for a little while. There Madame
Dubec was called to their aid, and as soon as Dale had recovered himself
a little the situation was anxiously discussed. In his desperation Dale
was for interrupting the execution and compelling the Germans to execute
him by the side of his friend. Such an idea as that was quite foreign to
Madame and Monsieur Dubec, and they refused to entertain it. As the
former said, if Monsieur Dale was determined to die, it would be better
to do so in trying to liberate his friend rather than in attempting to
share his fate.

The reasonableness of this struck even Dale, distraught as he was, and
the three settled down to discuss the possibility of rescue, of
reprieve, or whatever seemed likely to put off the evil hour, if only
for a day.

CHAPTER XIV

Schenk at Work Again

Max did not long allow himself to give way to weak and bitter
reflections. As soon as he properly realized how much he had fallen
below himself, he exerted himself to throw off all weakening thoughts
and to take a better and higher view of his unfortunate position. He was
about to die for his friends and for his country. Well, had he not
oftentimes thought that it would be a grand and good thing so to do? Was
he now going to go back on those cherished ideals, and regret the heavy
blows he had inflicted upon a brutal enemy and the succour he had given
to his friends?

Indignant with himself, Max braced himself to a more wholesome frame of
mind, and tried to prepare himself for the last scene of the drama of
the Durend workshops--a drama in which he had been one of the principal
actors sin