e bewildered. As far as I
can understand, Monsieur Trevor rescued the packet from the well at my
uncle's farm of La Folette, and got wounded in doing so."

"That is quite so," said Smithers.

"But, monsieur, they tell me he was with a party in front of his
trench mending wire. How did he reach the well of La Folette? I don't
comprehend at all."

Smithers turned to Willoughby.

"Yes. How the dickens did he know the exact spot to go for?"

"We had taken over a new sector, and I was getting the topography
right with a map. Trevor was near by doing nothing, and as he's a man
of education, I asked him to help me. There was the site of the farm
marked by name, and the ruined well away over to the left in No Man's
Land. I remember the beggar calling out 'La Folette!' in a startled
voice, and when I asked him what was the matter, he said 'Nothing,
sir!'"

Smithers translated, and continued: "You see, mademoiselle, this is
what happened, as far as I am concerned. I belong to the Lancashire
Fusiliers. Our battalion is in the trenches farther up the line than
our friends. Well, just before dawn yesterday morning a man rolled
over the parapet into our trench, and promptly fainted. He had been
wounded in the leg, and was half dead from loss of blood. Under his
tunic was this package. We identified him and his regiment, and fixed
him up and took him to the dressing-station. But things looked very
suspicious. Here was a man who didn't belong to us with a little
fortune in loot on his person. As soon as he was fit to be
interrogated, the C.O. took him in hand. He told the C.O. about you
and your story. He regarded the nearness of the well as something to
do with Destiny, and resolved to get you back your property--if it was
still there. The opportunity occurred when the wiring party was
alarmed. He crept out to the ruins by the well, fished out the packet,
and a sniper got him. He managed to get back to our lines, having lost
his way a bit, and tumbled into our trench."

"But he was in danger of death all the time," said Jeanne, losing the
steadiness of her voice.

"He was. Every second. It was one of the most dare-devil,
scatter-brained things I've ever heard of. And I've heard of many,
mademoiselle. The only pity is that instead of being rewarded, he will
be punished."

"Punished?" cried Jeanne.

"Not very severely," laughed Smithers. "Captain Willoughby will see to
that. But reflect, mademoiselle. His military duty was