"but you
will have to let me tell the story in my own way. Not to change the
subject at all, but I'd like to ask after my partner."

"Your partner?" was von Liebknecht's surprised question.

"Yes, the lad who came with me. Did you see anything of him?"

"Oh, you mean the Boy Scout. He is somewhere about. He was not quite
so fortunate as you. He is being cared for."

"Where?" was Jimmie's startled query. "Let me see him."

"All in good time. He is over there," replied von Liebknecht, pointing
to a little group of officers and men not far away.

"Excuse me; I'll be back in a minute," stated Jimmie, darting in the
direction indicated. "This is rotten luck!" he added as he approached
the group. "I hope that kid isn't hurt badly."

Much to Jimmie's relief he saw the other boy rise to his feet as he
approached. In another instant he was by the other's side.

"Are you hurt badly?" he inquired solicitously.

"Not hurt a bit!" declared Dave, drawing himself to his full height and
stretching one arm after the other to prove his statement.

"But you're pretty thoroughly shaken up, though!" declared the
red-headed lad. "You must have fallen harder than I did."

"Well, I'll admit that last statement," laughed Dave. "I guess the
breath was jolly well knocked out of me, don't you know."

"Not quite Johnnie Bull enough to be English," mused Jimmie aloud, "but
still too much Johnnie Bull to be strictly United States. Say, Scout,
where are you from, and what is your name, and where are you going?" he
went on, gazing earnestly at the stranger.

Dave laughed at Jimmie's broadside of questions and answered by
introducing himself. He received in turn a statement of Jimmie's name
and rank, together with the name of his patrol.

"What were you trying to do?" asked Jimmie as he noted that Dave was
able to stand alone and even to walk a few steps.

"Why, we were trying to give you a chance to get out of this mess,"
replied Dave. "If it hadn't been for the rotten luck that German
marksman had in cutting the line by which we hung, we'd have made it,
too!"

"And then the German army would surely have been defeated," put in
Jimmie with a broad smile, "for without this valuable addition to his
fighting forces the Kaiser would never be able to conduct this war at
all properly. They need me here in the army, it seems."

"It begins to look to me as if they'll be needing me, too," added Dave.
"I'll wager a pretty penny