ood
nuns provided, and then borrowing a cloak to serve as a protection
against the drizzling rain which had again set in, I sallied forth.

When I reached the Heights it was puzzlingly dark, though the hour
was early, and I had the utmost difficulty in finding my way.
Corpses of men and horses hindered me, more than once the wounded
appealed to me for help, but I went on unheeding, trying to determine
my exact whereabouts, in order to begin my task. I had approached
near enough the town to see the lights, and could even catch sounds
from the no doubt terrified population, but paid no attention to
anything save my object in hand.

Suddenly a voice shouted in the darkness, "Halte la!" to which I
promptly replied:

"Etat-major, aide de M. de Levis."

"Damn your Etat-major!" was the astonishing reply. "Why don't you
say 'Mistaire Maxwelle'?" in an undescribable attempt at an English
pronunciation of my name.

"Come, come, Sarennes," I said, for I recognised the tall Canadian,
"have you not got over your ill-humour yet? You nearly insulted me
to-day in the field."

"I intended to. Do you wish me to repeat my words, or do you not
know when you are insulted, unless you are struck?"

"Are you mad, or only drunk, Sarennes? Get back to camp, man, and
sleep off your fit. We cannot afford to quarrel after such a day
as this."

"No! you cannot afford to fight at any time. Do you think I am a
woman like her whom you deceived, to be tricked by your lying
tongue?"

"Stop, sir!" I commanded. "I am on duty, but my duty must wait
until I have read you a lesson, which, I regret, you will not live
to profit by."

We could hardly see each other, and it was utterly impossible to
follow the sword-play save by feel; it was not a duel at all; it
was death, sure and swift, for one or perhaps both of us in the
dark.

Sure and swift it was. I lost touch of his blade, and as he lunged
desperately, I avoided his stroke by dropping on my left hand, and
straightening my sword-arm _en seconde_, ran him clean through the
body as he came forward, his blade passing harmlessly over me. It
was a desperate chance to take, but the stakes were high.

I knelt beside the fallen man and spake to him, but he could not
answer, and in common humanity I rose and hurried off to find some
help.

I had not gone fifty yards before I almost ran up against a man
cautiously making his way over the field. To my astonishment, I
saw he was an officer of Fra