ound like iron, and no one to help
the wounded, so that they froze into such shapes as would make you
smile. I too felt that I was freezing, so what did I do? I took my
sword, and I opened my dead horse, so well as I could, and I made space
in him for me to lie, with one little hole for my mouth. _Sapristi!_ It
was warm enough there. But there was not room for the entire of me, so
my feet and part of my legs stuck out. Then in the night, when I slept,
there came the wolves to eat the horse, and they had a little pinch of
me also, as you can see; but after that I was on guard with my pistols,
and they had no more of me. There I lived, very warm and nice, for ten
days."

"Ten days!" I cried. "What did you eat?"

"Why, I ate the horse. It was what you call board and lodging to me.
But of course I have sense to eat the legs, and live in the body. There
were many dead about who had all their water bottles, so I had all I
could wish. And on the eleventh day there came a patrol of light
cavalry, and all was well."

It was by such chance chats as these--hardly worth repeating in
themselves--that there came light upon himself and his past. But the
day was coming when we should know all; and how it came I shall try now
to tell you.

The winter had been a dreary one, but with March came the first signs of
spring, and for a week on end we had sunshine and winds from the south.
On the 7th Jim Horscroft was to come back from Edinburgh; for though the
session ended with the 1st, his examination would take him a week.
Edie and I were out walking on the sea beach on the 6th, and I could
talk of nothing but my old friend--for, indeed, he was the only friend
of my own age that I had at that time. Edie was very silent, which was
a rare thing with her; but she listened smiling to all that I had to
say.

"Poor old Jim!" said she once or twice under her breath. "Poor old
Jim!"

"And if he has passed," said I, "why, then of course he will put up his
plate and have his own house, and we shall be losing our Edie."

I tried to make a jest of it and to speak lightly, but the words still
stuck in my throat.

"Poor old Jim!" said she again, and there were tears in her eyes as she
said it. "And poor old Jock!" she added, slipping her hand into mine as
we walked. "You cared for me a little bit once also, didn't you, Jock?
Oh, is not that a sweet little ship out yonder!"

It was a dainty cutter of about thirty tons, very swif