AUNT JANE'S NIECES IN THE RED CROSS by EDITH VAN DYNE Author of "Aunt Jane's Nieces Series, ""Flying Girl Series, " etc. The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago 1915 [Illustration] FOREWORD This is the story of how three brave American girls sacrificed thecomforts and luxuries of home to go abroad and nurse the woundedsoldiers of a foreign war. I wish I might have depicted more gently the scenes in hospital and onbattlefield, but it is well that my girl readers should realizesomething of the horrors of war, that they may unite with heart and soulin earnest appeal for universal, lasting Peace and the future abolitionof all deadly strife. Except to locate the scenes of my heroines' labors, no attempt has beenmade to describe technically or historically any phase of the greatEuropean war. The character of Doctor Gys is not greatly exaggerated but had itscounterpart in real life. As for the little Belgian who had no room forscruples in his active brain, his story was related to me by an Americanwar correspondent who vouched for its truth. The other persona in thestory are known to those who have followed their adventures in otherbooks of the "Aunt Jane's Nieces" series. EDITH VAN DYNE CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE ARRIVAL OF THE BOY 9 II THE ARRIVAL OF THE GIRL 25 III THE DECISION OF DOCTOR GYS 37 IV THE HOSPITAL SHIP 48 V NEARING THE FRAY 58 VI LITTLE MAURIE 75 VII ON THE FIRING LINE 86 VIII THE COWARD 96 IX COURAGE, OR PHILOSOPHY? 108 X THE WAR'S VICTIMS 121 XI PATSY IS DEFIANT 135 XII THE OTHER SIDE 146 XIII TARDY JUSTICE 160 XIV FOUND AT LAST 182 XV DR. GYS SURPRISES HIMSELF 189 XVI CLARETTE 197 XVII PERPLEXING PROBLEMS 204 XVIII A QUESTION OF LOYALTY 217 XIX THE CAPTURE 225 XX THE DUNES 244 CHAPTER I THE ARRIVAL OF THE BOY "What's the news, Uncle?" asked Miss Patricia Doyle, as she entered thecosy breakfast room of a suite of apartments in Willing Square. Even asshe spoke she pecked a little kiss on the forehead of the chubby manaddressed as "Uncle"--none other, if you please, than the famous andeccentric multi-millionaire known in Wall Street as John Merrick--andsat down to pour the coffee. There was energy in her method of doing this simple duty, an indicationof suppressed vitality that conveyed the idea that here was a girlaccustomed to action. And she fitted well into the homely scene: shortand somewhat "squatty" of form, red-haired, freckle-faced andpug-nosed. Wholesome rather than beautiful was Patsy Doyle, but if youcaught a glimpse of her dancing blue eyes you straightway forgot herlesser charms. Quite different was the girl who entered the room a few minutes later. Hers was a dark olive complexion, face of exquisite contour, great browneyes with a wealth of hair to match them and the flush of a rose in herrounded cheeks. The poise of her girlish figure was gracious anddignified as the bearing of a queen. "Morning, Cousin Beth, " said Patsy cheerily. "Good morning, my dear, " and then, with a trace of anxiety in her tone:"What is the news, Uncle John?" The little man had ignored Patsy's first question, but now he answeredabsently, his eyes still fixed upon the newspaper: "Why, they're going to build another huge skyscraper on Broadway, atEleventh, and I see the political pot is beginning to bubble all throughthe Bronx, although--" "Stuff and nonsense, Uncle!" exclaimed Patsy. "Beth asked for news, notfor gossip. " "The news of the war, Uncle John, " added Beth, buttering her toast. "Oh; the war, of course, " he said, turning over the page of the morningpaper. "It ought to be the Allies' day, for the Germans won yesterday. No--by cracky, Beth--the Germans triumph again; they've capturedMaubeuge. What do you think of that?" Patsy gave a little laugh. "Not knowing where Maubeuge is, " she remarked, "my only thought is thatsomething is wrong with the London press bureau. Perhaps the cables gotcrossed--or short circuited or something. They don't usually allow theGermans to win two days in succession. " "Don't interrupt, please, " said Beth, earnestly. "This is too importanta matter to be treated lightly. Read us the article, Uncle. I was afraidMaubeuge would be taken. " Patsy accepted her cousin's rebuke with her accustomed good nature. Indeed, she listened as intently as Beth to the thrilling account of thedestruction of Maubeuge, and her blue eyes became quite as serious asthe brown ones of her cousin when the tale of dead and wounded wasrecounted. "Isn't it dreadful!" cried Beth, clasping her hands togetherimpulsively. "Yes, " nodded her uncle, "the horror of it destroys the interest wenaturally feel in any manly struggle for supremacy. " "This great war is no manly struggle, " observed Patsy with a toss of herhead. "It is merely wholesale murder by a band of selfish diplomats. " "Tut-tut!" warned Mr. Merrick; "we Americans are supposed to be neutral, my dear. We must not criticize. " "That does not prevent our sympathizing with the innocent sufferers, however, " said Beth quietly. "My heart goes out, Uncle, to those poorvictims of the war's cruelty, the wounded and dying. I wish I could dosomething to help them!" Uncle John moved uneasily in his chair. Then he laid down his paper andapplied himself to his breakfast. But his usual merry expression hadfaded into one of thoughtfulness. "The wounded haunt me by day and night, " went on Beth. "There arethousands upon thousands of them, left to suffer terrible pain--perhapsto die--on the spot where they fell, and each one is dear to some poorwoman who is ignorant of her loved one's fate and can do nothing butmoan and pray at home. " "That's the hard part of it, " said Patsy, her cousin. "I think themothers and wives and sweethearts are as much to be pitied as the fallensoldiers. The men _know_ what has happened, but the women don't. Itisn't so bad when they're killed outright; the family gets a medal toindicate that their hero has died for his country. But the wounded arelost sight of and must suffer in silence, with no loving hands to soothetheir agony. " "My dears!" pleaded Uncle John, plaintively, "why do you insist uponflavoring our breakfast with these horrors? I--I--there! take it away; Ican't eat. " The conversation halted abruptly. The girls were likewise unnerved bythe mental pictures evolved by their remarks and it was now too late torestore cheerfulness to the morning meal. They sat in pensive silencefor a while and were glad when Mr. Merrick pushed back his chair androse from the table. As Beth and Patsy followed their uncle into the cosy library where hewas accustomed to smoke his morning cigar, the little man remarked: "Let's see; this is the seventh of September. " "Quite right, Uncle, " said Patsy. "Isn't this the day Maud Stanton is due to arrive?" "No, " replied Beth; "she will come to-morrow morning. It's a good fourdays' trip from California to New York, you know. " "I wonder why she is coming here at this time of year, " said Patsyreflectively, "and I wonder if her Aunt Jane or her sister Flo are withher. " "She did not mention them in her telegram, " answered Beth. "All she saidwas to expect her Wednesday morning. It seems quite mysterious, thattelegram, for I had no idea Maud thought of coming East. " "Well, we will know all about it when she arrives, " observed Uncle John. "I will be glad to see Maud again, for she is one of my especialfavorites. " "She's a very dear girl!" exclaimed Patsy, with emphasis. "It will besimply glorious to--" The doorbell rang sharply. There was a moment's questioning pause, forit was too early for visitors. The pattering feet of the little maid, Mary, approached the door and next moment a boyish voice demanded: "Is Mr. Merrick at home, or the young ladies, or--" "Why, it's Ajo!" shouted Patsy, springing to her feet and making a divefor the hallway. "Jones?" said Mr. Merrick, looking incredulous. "It must be, " declared Beth, for now Patsy's voice was blended with thatof the boy in a rapid interchange of question and answer. Then in shecame, dragging him joyously by the arm. "This is certainly a surprise!" said Mr. Merrick, shaking the tall, slender youth by the hand with evident pleasure. "When did you get to town?" asked Beth, greeting the boy cordially. "And why didn't you let us know you were on the way from far-off LosAngeles?" "Well, " said Jones, seating himself facing them and softly rubbing hislean hands together to indicate his satisfaction at this warm reception, "it's a long, long story and I may as well tell it methodically oryou'll never appreciate the adventurous spirit that led me again to NewYork--the one place I heartily detest. " "Oh, Ajo!" protested Patsy. "Is this the way to retain the friendship ofNew Yorkers?" "Isn't honesty appreciated here?" he wanted to know. "Go ahead with your story, " said Uncle John. "We left you some monthsago at the harbor of Los Angeles, wondering what you were going to dowith that big ship of yours that lay anchored in the Pacific. If Iremember aright, you were considering whether you dared board it toreturn to that mysterious island home of yours at--at--" "Sangoa, " said Patsy. "Thank you for giving me a starting-point, " returned the boy, with asmile. "You may remember that when I landed in your country from SangoaI was a miserable invalid. The voyage had ruined my stomach and wreckedmy constitution. I crossed the continent to New York and consulted thebest specialists--and they nearly put an end to me. I returned to thePacific coast to die as near home as possible, and--and there I metyou. " "And Patsy saved your life, " added Beth. "She did. First, however, Maud Stanton saved me from drowning. ThenPatsy Doyle doctored me and made me well and strong. And now--" "And now you look like a modern Hercules, " asserted Patsy, gazing withsome pride at the bronzed cheeks and clear eyes of the former invalidand ignoring his slight proportions. "Whatever have you been doing withyourself since then?" "Taking a sea voyage, " he affirmed. "Really?" "An absolute fact. For months I dared not board the _Arabella_, my seayacht, for fear of a return of my old malady; but after you deserted meand came to this--this artificial, dreary, bewildering--" "Never mind insulting my birthplace, sir!" "Oh! were you born here, Patsy? Then I'll give the town credit. So, after you deserted me at Los Angeles--" "You still had Mrs. Montrose and her nieces, Maud and Flo Stanton. " "I know, and I love them all. But they became so tremendously busy thatI scarcely saw them, and finally I began to feel lonely. Those Stantongirls are chock full of business energy and they hadn't the time todevote to me that you people did. So I stood on the shore and looked atthe _Arabella_ until I mustered up courage to go aboard. Surviving that, I made Captain Carg steam slowly along the coast for a few miles. Nothing dreadful happened. So I made a day's voyage, and still ate mythree squares a day. That was encouraging. " "I knew all the time it wasn't the voyage that wrecked your stomach, "said Patsy confidently. "What was it, then?" "Ptomaine poisoning, or something like that. " "Well, anyhow, I found I could stand ocean travel again, so I determinedon a voyage. The Panama Canal was just opened and I passed through it, came up the Atlantic coast, and--the _Arabella_ is at this moment safelyanchored in the North River!" "And how do you feel?" inquired Uncle John. "Glorious--magnificent! The trip has sealed my recovery for good. " "But why didn't you go home, to your Island of Sangoa?" asked Beth. He looked at her reproachfully. "_You_ were not there, Beth; nor was Patsy, or Uncle John. On the otherhand, there is no one in Sangoa who cares a rap whether I come home ornot. I'm the last of the Joneses of Sangoa, and while it is still myisland and the entire population is in my employ, the life there flowson just as smoothly without me as if I were present. " "But don't they need the ship--the _Arabella_?" questioned Beth. "Not now. I sent a cargo of supplies by Captain Carg when he made hislast voyage to the island, and there will not be enough pearls found inthe fisheries for four or five months to come to warrant my shippingthem to market. Even then, they would keep. So I'm a free lance atpresent and I had an idea that if I once managed to get the boat aroundhere you folks might find a use for it. " "In what way?" inquired Patsy, with interest. "We might all make a trip to Barbadoes, Bermuda and Cuba. Brazil is saidto be an interesting country. I'd prefer Europe, were it not for thewar. " "Oh, Ajo, isn't this war terrible?" "No other word expresses it. Yet it all seems like a fairy tale to me, for I've never been in any other country than the United States since Imade my first voyage here from Sangoa--the island where my eyes firstopened to the world. " "It isn't a fairy tale, " said Beth with a shudder. "It's more like ahorrible nightmare. " "I can't bear to read about it any more, " he returned, musingly. "Infact, I've only been able to catch rumors of the progress of the war inthe various ports at which I've touched, and I came right here from myship. But I've no sympathy with either side. The whole thing annoys me, somehow--the utter uselessness and folly of it all. " "Maubeuge has fallen, " said Beth, and went on to give him the latesttidings. Finding that the war was the absorbing topic in this littlehousehold, the boy developed new interest in it and the morning passedquickly away. Jones stayed to lunch and then Mr. Merrick's automobile took them all tothe river to visit the beautiful yacht _Arabella_, which was already, they found, attracting a good deal of attention in the harbor, wherebeautiful yachts are no rarity. The _Arabella_ was intended by her builders for deep sea transit and asPatsy admiringly declared, "looked like a baby liner. " While she wasyacht-built in all her lines and fittings, she was far from being merelya pleasure craft, but had been designed by the elder Jones, the boy'sfather, to afford communication between the Island of Sangoa, in thelower South Seas, and the continent of America. Sangoa is noted for its remarkable pearl fisheries, which were now ownedand controlled entirely by this youth; but his father, an experiencedman of affairs, had so thoroughly established the business of productionand sale that little remained for his only son and heir to do, more thanto invest the profits that steadily accrued and to care for the greatfortune left him. Whether he was doing this wisely or not no one--noteven his closest friends--could tell. But he was frank and friendlyabout everything else. They went aboard the _Arabella_ and were received by that grim andgrizzled old salt, Captain Carg, with the same wooden indifference healways exhibited. But Patsy detected a slight twinkle in the shrewd grayeyes that made her feel they were welcome. Carg, a seaman of vastexperience, was wholly devoted to his young master. Indeed, the girlssuspected that young Jones was a veritable autocrat in his island, aswell as aboard his ship. Everyone of the Sangoans seemed to accept hisdictation, however imperative it might be, as a matter of course, andthe gray old captain--who had seen much of the world--was not the leastsubservient to his young master. On the other hand, Jones was a gentle and considerate autocrat, unconsciously imitating his lately deceased father in his kindlyinterest in the welfare of all his dependents. These had formerly beenfree-born Americans, for when the Island of Sangoa was purchased it hadno inhabitants. This fortunate--or perhaps unfortunate--youth had never been blessedwith a given name, more than the simple initial "A. " The failure of hismother and father to agree upon a baptismal name for their only childhad resulted in a deadlock; and, as the family claimed a direct descentfrom the famous John Paul Jones, the proud father declared that to be "aJones" was sufficient honor for any boy; hence he should be known merelyas "A. Jones. " The mother called her child by the usual endearing petnames until her death, after which the islanders dubbed the master'sson--then toddling around in his first trousers--"Ajo, " and the name hadstuck to him ever since for want of a better one. With the Bohemian indifference to household routine so characteristic ofNew Yorkers, the party decided to dine at a down-town restaurant beforereturning to Willing Square, and it was during this entertainment thatyoung Jones first learned of the expected arrival of Maud Stanton on thefollowing morning. But he was no wiser than the others as to whatmission could have brought the girl to New York so suddenly that atelegram was required to announce her coming. "You see, I left Los Angeles weeks ago, " the boy explained, "and at thattime Mrs. Montrose and her nieces were busy as bees and much toooccupied to pay attention to a drone like me. There was no hint then oftheir coming East, but of course many things may have happened in themeantime. " The young fellow was so congenial a companion and the girls were so wellaware of his loneliness, through lack of acquaintances, that theycarried him home with them to spend the evening. When he finally leftthem, at a late hour, it was with the promise to be at the station nextmorning to meet Maud Stanton on her arrival. CHAPTER II THE ARRIVAL OF THE GIRL A sweet-faced girl, very attractive but with a sad and anxiousexpression, descended from the Pullman and brightened as she found herfriends standing with outstretched arms to greet her. "Oh, Maud!" cried Patsy, usurping the first hug, "how glad I am to seeyou again!" Beth looked in Maud Stanton's face and forbore to speak as she embracedher friend. Then Jones shook both hands of the new arrival and UncleJohn kissed her with the same tenderness he showed his own nieces. This reception seemed to cheer Maud Stanton immensely. She even smiledduring the drive to Willing Square--a winning, gracious smile that wouldhave caused her to be instantly recognized in almost any community ofour vast country; for this beautiful young girl was a famous motionpicture actress, possessing qualities that had endeared her to everypatron of the better class photo-dramas. At first she had been forced to adopt this occupation by the sternnecessity of earning a livelihood, and under the careful guidance of heraunt--Mrs. Jane Montrose, a widow who had at one time been a favorite inNew York social circles--Maud and her sister Florence had appliedthemselves so intelligently to their art that their compensation hadbecome liberal enough to enable them to save a modest competence. One cause of surprise at Maud's sudden journey east was the fact thather services were in eager demand by the managers of the best producingcompanies on the Pacific Coast, where nearly all the American picturesare now made. Another cause for surprise was that she came alone, leaving her Aunt Jane and her sister Flo--usually her inseparablecompanion--in Los Angeles. But they did not question her until the cosy home at Willing Square wasreached, luncheon served and Maud installed in the "Guest Room. " Thenthe three girls had "a good, long talk" and presently came troopinginto the library to enlighten Uncle John and Ajo. "Oh, Uncle! What do you think?" cried Patsy. "Maud is going to the war!" "The war!" echoed Mr. Merrick in a bewildered voice. "What on earthcan--" "She is going to be a nurse, " explained Beth, a soft glow of enthusiasmmantling her pretty face. "Isn't it splendid, Uncle!" "H-m, " said Uncle John, regarding the girl with wonder. "It is certainlya--a--surprising venture. " "But--see here, Maud--it's mighty dangerous, " protested young Jones. "It's a tremendous undertaking, and--what can one girl do in the midstof all those horrors?" Maud seated herself quietly between them. Her face was grave andthoughtful. "I have had to answer many such arguments before now, as you maysuspect, " she began in even tones, "but the fact that I am here, well onmy journey, is proof that I have convinced my aunt, my sister and all mywestern friends that I am at least determined on my mission, whether itbe wise or foolish. I do not think I shall incur danger by caring forthe wounded; the Red Cross is highly respected everywhere, these days. " "The Red Cross?" quoth Uncle John. "Yes; I shall wear the Red Cross, " she continued. "You know that I am atrained nurse; it was part of my education before--before--" "I had not known that until now, " said Mr. Merrick, "but I am glad youhave had that training. Beth began a course at the school here, but Itook her away to Europe before she graduated. However, I wish more girlscould be trained for nursing, as it is a more useful and admirableaccomplishment than most of them now acquire. " "Fox-Trots and Bunny-Hugs, for instance, " said Patricia with finedisdain. "Patsy is a splendid nurse, " declared Ajo, with a grateful look towardthat chubby miss. "But untrained, " she answered laughingly. "It was just common sense thatenabled me to cure your malady, Ajo. I couldn't bandage a cut or abullet wound to save me. " "Fortunately, " said Maud, "I have a diploma which will gain for me theendorsement of the American Red Cross Society. I am counting on that toenable me to get an appointment at the seat of war, where I can be ofmost use. " "Where will you go?" asked the boy. "To Germany, Austria, Russia, Belgium, or--" "I shall go to France, " she replied. "I speak French, but understandlittle of German, although once I studied the language. " "Are you fully resolved upon this course, Maud?" asked Mr. Merrick in atone of regret. "Fully decided, sir. I am going to Washington to-morrow, to get mycredentials, and then I shall take the first steamer to Europe. " There was no use arguing with Maud Stanton when she assumed that tone. It was neither obstinate nor defiant, yet it conveyed a quiet resolvethat was unanswerable. For a time they sat in silence, musing on the many phases of thiscurious project; then Beth came to Mr. Merrick's side and askedpleadingly: "May I go with her, Uncle?" "Great Scott!" he exclaimed, with a nervous jump. "_You_, Beth?" "Yes, Uncle. I so long to be of help to those poor fellows who arebeing so cruelly sacrificed; and I know I can soothe much suffering, ifI have the opportunity. " He stared at her, not knowing what to reply. This quaint little man wasso erratic himself, in his sudden resolves and eccentric actions, thathe could scarcely quarrel with his niece for imitating an example he hadfrequently set. Still, he was shrewd enough to comprehend the recklessdaring of the proposition. "Two unprotected girls in the midst of war and carnage, surrounded byforeigners, inspired to noble sacrifice through ignorance andinexperience, and hardly old enough to travel alone from Hoboken toBrooklyn! Why, the thing's absurd, " he said. "Quite impractical, " added Ajo, nodding wisely. "You're both too pretty, my dears, to undertake such an adventure. Why, the wounded men would allfall in love with their nurses and follow you back to America in aflock; and that might put a stop to the war for lack of men to fightit. " "Don't be silly, Ajo, " said Patsy, severely. "I've decided to go withMaud and Beth, and you know very well that the sight of my freckled facewould certainly chill any romance that might arise. " "That's nonsense, Patsy!" "Then you consider me beautiful, Uncle John?" "I mean it's nonsense about your going with Maud and Beth. I won't allowit. " "Oh, Uncle! You know I can twine you around my little finger, if Ichoose. So don't, for goodness' sake, start a rumpus by trying to setyour will against mine. " "Then side with me, dear. I'm quite right, I assure you. " "You're always right, Nunkie, dear, " she cried, giving him a resoundingsmack of a kiss on his chubby cheek as she sat on the arm of his chair, "but I'm going with the girls, just the same, and you may as well makeup your mind to it. " Uncle John coughed. He left his chair and trotted up and down the room amoment. Then he carefully adjusted his spectacles, took a long look atPatsy's face, and heaved a deep sigh of resignation. "Thank goodness, that's settled, " said Patsy cheerfully. Uncle John turned to the boy, saying dismally: "I've done everything in my power for these girls, and now they defy me. They've declared a thousand times they love me, and yet they'd trot offto bandage a lot of unknown foreigners and leave me alone to worry myheart out. " "Why don't you go along?" asked Jones. "I'm going. " "You!" "Of course. I've a suspicion our girls have the right instinct, sir--thetender, womanly instinct that makes us love them. At any rate, I'm goingto stand by them. It strikes me as the noblest and grandest idea a girlever conceived, and if anything could draw me closer to these threeyoung ladies, who had me pretty well snared before, it is this veryproposition. " "I don't see why, " muttered Uncle John, wavering. "I'll tell you why, sir. For themselves, they have all the good thingsof life at their command. They could bask in luxury to the end of theirdays, if they so desired. Yet their wonderful womanly sympathy goes outto the helpless and suffering--the victims of the cruellest war theworld has ever known--and they promptly propose to sacrifice their easeand brave whatever dangers may befall, that they may relieve to someextent the pain and agony of those wounded and dying fellow creatures. " "Foreigners, " said Uncle John weakly. "Human beings, " said the boy. Patsy marched over to Ajo and gave him a sturdy whack upon the back thatnearly knocked him over. "The spirit of John Paul Jones still goes marching on!" she cried. "Myboy, you're the right stuff, and I'm glad I doctored you. " He smiled, looking from one to another of the three girls questioningly. "Then I'm to go along?" he asked. "We shall be grateful, " answered Maud, after a moment's hesitation. "This is all very sudden to me, for I had planned to go alone. " "That wouldn't do at all, " asserted Uncle John briskly. "I'm astonishedand--and grieved--that my nieces should want to go with you, but perhapsthe trip will prove interesting. Tell me what steamer you want to catch, Maud, and I'll reserve rooms for our entire party. " "No, " said Jones, "don't do it, sir. " "Why not?" "There's the _Arabella_. Let's use her. " "To cross the ocean?" "She has done that before. It will assist our enterprise, I'm sure, tohave our own boat. These are troublous times on the high seas. " Patsy clapped her hands gleefully. "That's it; a hospital ship!" she exclaimed. They regarded her with various expressions: startled, doubtful, admiring, approving. Presently, with added thought on the matter, theapproval became unanimous. "It's an amazing suggestion, " said Maud, her eyes sparkling. "Think how greatly it will extend our usefulness, " said Beth. Uncle John was again trotting up and down the room, this time in astate of barely repressed excitement. "The very thing!" he cried. "Clever, practical, and--eh--eh--tremendously interesting. Now, then, listen carefully--allof you! It's up to you, Jones, to accompany Maud on the night express toWashington. Get the Red Cross Society to back our scheme and supply uswith proper credentials. The _Arabella_ must be rated as a hospital shipand our party endorsed as a distinct private branch of the RedCross--what they call a 'unit. ' I'll give you a letter to our senatorand he will look after our passports and all necessary papers. I--Ihelped elect him, you know. And while you're gone it shall be mybusiness to fit the ship with all the supplies we shall need to promoteour mission of mercy. " "I'll share the expense, " proposed the boy. "No, you won't. You've done enough in furnishing the ship and crew. I'llattend to the rest. " "And Beth and I will be Uncle John's assistants, " said Patsy. "We shallwant heaps of lint and bandages, drugs and liniments and--" "And, above all, a doctor, " advised Ajo. "One of the mates on my yacht, Kelsey by name, is a half-way physician, having studied medicine in hisyouth and practiced it on the crew for the last dozen years; but what wereally need on a hospital ship is a bang-up surgeon. " "This promises to become an expensive undertaking, " remarked Maud, witha sigh. "Perhaps it will be better to let me go alone, as I originallyexpected to do. But, if we take along the hospital ship, do not beextravagant, Mr. Merrick, in equipping it. I feel that I have been theinnocent cause of drawing you all into this venture and I do not want itto prove a hardship to my friends. " "All right, Maud, " returned Uncle John, with a cheerful grin, "I'll tryto economize, now that you've warned me. " Ajo smiled and Patsy Doyle laughed outright. They knew it would notinconvenience the little rich man, in the slightest degree, to fit out adozen hospital ships. CHAPTER III THE DECISION OF DOCTOR GYS Uncle John was up bright and early next morning, and directly afterbreakfast he called upon his old friend and physician, Dr. Barlow. Afterexplaining the undertaking on which he had embarked, Mr. Merrick added: "You see, we need a surgeon with us; a clever, keen chap who understandshis business thoroughly, a sawbones with all the modern scientificdiscoveries saturating him to his finger-tips. Tell me where to gethim. " Dr. Barlow, recovering somewhat from his astonishment, smileddeprecatingly. "The sort of man you describe, " said he, "would cost you a fortune, foryou would oblige him to abandon a large and lucrative practice in orderto accompany you. I doubt, indeed, if any price would tempt him toabandon his patients. " "Isn't there some young fellow with these requirements?" "Mr. Merrick, you need a physician and surgeon combined. Wounds lead tofever and other serious ailments, which need skillful handling. Youmight secure a young man, fresh from his clinics, who would prove a goodsurgeon, but to master the science of medicine, experience and longpractice are absolutely necessary. " "We've got a half-way medicine man on the ship now--a fellow who hasdoctored the crew for years and kept 'em pretty healthy. So I guess asurgeon will about fill our bill. " "H-m, I know these ship's doctors, Mr. Merrick, and I wouldn't care tohave you and your nieces trust your lives to one, in case you becomeill. Believe me, a good physician is as necessary to you as a goodsurgeon. Do you know that disease will kill as many of those soldiers asbullets?" "No. " "It is true; else the history of wars has taught us nothing. We haven'theard much of plagues and epidemics yet, in the carefully censoredreports from London, but it won't be long before disease will devastatewhole armies. " Uncle John frowned. The thing was growing complicated. "Do you consider this a wild goose chase, Doctor?" he asked. "Not with your fortune, your girls and your fine ship to back it. Ithink Miss Stanton's idea of venturing abroad unattended, to nurse thewounded, was Quixotic in the extreme. Some American women are doing it, I know, but I don't approve of it. On the other hand, your present planis worthy of admiration and applause, for it is eminently practical ifproperly handled. " Dr. Barlow drummed upon the table with his fingers, musingly. Then helooked up. "I wonder, " said he, "if Gys would go. If you could win him over, hewould fill the bill. " "Who is Gys?" inquired Uncle John. "An eccentric; a character. But clever and competent. He has justreturned from Yucatan, where he accompanied an expedition of explorationsent out by the Geographical Society--and, by the way, nearly lost hislife in the venture. Before that, he made a trip to the frozen Northwith a rescue party. Between times, he works in the hospitals, or actsas consulting surgeon with men of greater fame than he has won; but Gysis a rolling stone, erratic and whimsical, and with all his talent cannever settle down to a steady practice. " "Seems like the very man I want, " said Uncle John, much interested. "Where can I find him?" "I've no idea. But I'll call up Collins and inquire. " He took up the telephone receiver and got his number. "Collins? Say, I'm anxious to find Gys. Have you any idea--Eh? Sittingwith you now? How lucky. Ask him if he will come to my office at once;it's important. " Uncle John's face was beaming with satisfaction. The doctor waited, thereceiver at his ear. "What's that, Collins?. .. He won't come?. .. Why not?. .. Absurd!. .. I'vea fine proposition for him. .. . Eh? He isn't interested in propositions?What in thunder _is_ he interested in?. .. Pshaw! Hold the phone aminute. " Turning to Mr. Merrick, he said: "Gys wants to go on a fishing trip. He plans to start to-night for theMaine woods. But I've an idea if you could get him face to face youmight convince him. " "See if he'll stay where he is till I can get there. " The doctor turned to the telephone and asked the question. There was along pause. Gys wanted to know who it was that proposed to visit him. John Merrick, the retired millionaire? All right; Gys would wait inCollins' office for twenty minutes. Uncle John lost no time in rushing to his motor car, where he orderedthe driver to hasten to the address Dr. Barlow had given him. The offices of Dr. Collins were impressive. Mr. Merrick entered aluxurious reception room and gave his name to a businesslike young womanwho advanced to meet him. He had called to see Dr. Gys. The young woman smothered a smile that crept to her lips, and led UncleJohn through an examination room and an operating room--both vacantjust now--and so into a laboratory that was calculated to give a wellperson the shivers. Here was but one individual, a man in hisshirt-sleeves who was smoking a corncob pipe and bending over a testtube. Uncle John coughed to announce his presence, for the woman had slippedaway as she closed the door. The man's back was turned partially towardhis visitor. He did not alter his position as he said: "Sit down. There's a chair in the southwest corner. " Uncle John found the chair. He waited patiently a few moments and thenhis choler began to rise. "If you're in such a blamed hurry to go fishing, why don't you get ridof me now?" he asked. The shoulders shook gently and there was a chuckling laugh. The man laiddown his test tube and swung around on his stool. For a moment Mr. Merrick recoiled. The face was seared with livid scars, the nose crushed to one side, the mouth crooked and set in a sneeringgrin. One eye was nearly closed and the other round and wide open. Amore forbidding and ghastly countenance Mr. Merrick had never beheld andin his surprise he muttered a low exclamation. "Exactly, " said Gys, his voice quiet and pleasant. "I don't blame youand I'm not offended. Do you wonder I hesitate to meet strangers?" "I--I was not--prepared, " stammered Uncle John. "That was Barlow's fault. He knows me and should have told you. And nowI'll tell you why I consented to see you. No! never mind your ownproposition, whatever it is. Listen to mine first. I want to go fishing, and I haven't the money. None of my brother physicians will lend meanother sou, for I owe them all. You are John Merrick, to whom money isof little consequence. May I venture to ask you for an advance of acouple of hundred for a few weeks? When I return I'll take up yourproposition, whatever it may be, and recompense you in services. " He refilled and relighted the corncob while Mr. Merrick stared at himin thoughtful silence. As a matter of fact, Uncle John was pleased withthe fellow. A whimsical, irrational, unconventional appeal of this sortwent straight to his heart, for the queer little man hated thecommonplace most cordially. "I'll give you the money on one condition, " he said. "I object to the condition, " said Gys firmly. "Conditions aredangerous. " "My proposition, " went on Uncle John, "won't wait for weeks. When youhear it, if you are not anxious to take it up, I don't want you. Indeed, I'm not sure I want you, anyhow. " "Ah; you're frightened by my features. Most people with propositionsare. I'm an unlucky dog, sir. They say it's good luck to touch ahunchback; to touch me is the reverse. Way up North in a frozen sea apoor fellow went overboard. I didn't get him and he drowned; but I gotcaught between two cakes of floating ice that jammed my nose out of itsformer perfect contour. In Yucatan I tumbled into a hedge of poisonedcactus and had to operate on myself--quickly, too--to save my life. Wild with pain, I slashed my face to get the poisoned tips of thorn outof the flesh. Parts of my body are like my face, but fortunately I cancover them. It was bad surgery. On another I could have operated withoutleaving a scar, but I was frantic with pain. Don't stare at that bigeye, sir; it's glass. I lost that optic in Pernambuco and couldn't finda glass substitute to fit my face. Indeed, this was the only one intown, made for a fat Spanish lady who turned it down because it was notexactly the right color. " "You certainly have been--eh--unfortunate, " murmured Uncle John. "See here, " said Gys, taking a leather book from an inside pocket of thecoat that hung on a peg beside him, and proceeding to open it. "Here isa photograph of me, taken before I embarked upon my adventures. " Uncle John put on his glasses and examined the photograph curiously. Itwas a fine face, clean-cut, manly and expressive. The eyes wereespecially frank and winning. "How old were you then?" he asked. "Twenty-four. " "And now?" "Thirty-eight. A good deal happened in that fourteen years, as you mayguess. And now, " reaching for the photograph and putting it carefullyback in the book, "state your proposition and I'll listen to it, becauseyou have listened so patiently to me. " Mr. Merrick in simple words explained the plan to take a hospital shipto Europe, relating the incidents that led up to the enterprise andurging the need of prompt action. His voice dwelt tenderly on his girlsand the loyal support of young Jones. Dr. Gys smoked and listened silently. Then he picked up the telephoneand called a number. "Tell Hawkins I've abandoned that fishing trip, " he said. "I've gotanother job. " Then he faced Mr. Merrick. His smile was not pretty, butit was a smile. "That's my answer, sir. " "But we haven't talked salary yet. " "Bother the salary. I'm not mercenary. " "And I'm not sure--" "Yes, you are. I'm going with you. Do you know why?" "It's a novel project, very appealing from a humanitarian standpointand--" "I hadn't thought of that. I'm going because you're headed for thebiggest war the world has ever known; because I foresee danger ahead, for all of us; but mainly because--" "Well?" "Because I'm a coward--a natural born coward--and I can have a lot offun forcing myself to face the shell and shrapnel. That's the truth; I'mnot a liar. And for a long time I've been wondering--wondering--" Hisvoice died away in a murmur. "Well, sir?" Dr. Gys roused himself. "Oh; do you want a full confession? For a long time, then, I've beenwondering what's the easiest way for a man to die. No, I'm not morbid. I'm simply ruined, physically, for the practice of a profession I love, a profession I have fully mastered, and--I'll be happier when I canshake off this horrible envelope of disfigurement. " CHAPTER IV THE HOSPITAL SHIP The energy of Doctor Gys was marvelous. He knew exactly what supplieswould be needed to fit the _Arabella_ thoroughly for her importantmission, and with unlimited funds at his command to foot the bills, hequickly converted the handsome yacht into a model hospital ship. Gysfrom the first developed a liking for Kelsey, the mate, whom he found avaluable assistant, and the two came to understand each other perfectly. Kelsey was a quiet man, more thoughtful than experienced in medicalmatters, but his common sense often guided him aright when his technicalknowledge was at fault. Captain Carg accepted the novel conditions thrust upon him, without aword of protest. He might secretly resent the uses to which his ship wasbeing put, but his young master's commands were law and his duty was toobey. The same feeling prevailed among the other members of the crew, all of whom were Sangoans. In three days Jones and Maud Stanton returned from Washington. They werejubilant over their success. "We've secured everything we wanted, " the boy told Uncle John, Beth andPatsy, with evident enthusiasm. "Not only have we the full sanction ofthe American Red Cross Society, but I have letters to the differentbranches in the war zone, asking for us every consideration. Not onlythat, but your senator proved himself a brick. What do you think? Here'sa letter from our secretary of state--another from the French charged'affairs--half a dozen from prominent ambassadors of other countries!We've a free field in all Europe, practically, that will enable us towork to the best advantage. " "It's wonderful!" cried Patsy. "Mr. Merrick is so well known as a philanthropist that his name was amagic talisman for us, " said Maud. "Moreover, our enterprise commandsthe sympathy of everyone. We had numerous offers of financialassistance, too. " "I hope you didn't accept them, " said Uncle John nervously. "No, " answered the boy, "I claimed this expedition to be our private andindividual property. We can now do as we please, being under noobligations to any but ourselves. " "That's right, " said Uncle John. "We don't want to be hampered by thenecessity of advising with others. " "By the way, have you found a doctor?" "Yes. " "A good one?" asked Maud quickly. "Highly recommended, but homely as a rail fence, " continued Patsy, asher uncle hesitated. "That's nothing, " said Ajo lightly. "Nothing, eh? Well, wait till you see him, " she replied. "You'll neverlook Doctor Gys in the face more than once, I assure you. After that, you'll be glad to keep your eyes on his vest buttons. " "I like him immensely, though, " said Beth. "He is clever, honest andearnest. The poor man can't help his mutilations, which are the resultof many unfortunate adventures. " "Sounds like just the man we wanted, " declared Ajo, and afterward he hadno reason to recall that assertion. A week is a small time in which to equip a big ship, but money andenergy can accomplish much and the news from the seat of war was soeventful that they felt every moment to be precious and so they workedwith feverish haste. The tide of German success had turned and theirgreat army, from Paris to Vitry, was now in full retreat, fighting everyinch of the way and leaving thousands of dead and wounded in its wake. "How long will it take us to reach Calais?" they asked Captain Cargeagerly. "Eight or nine days, " said he. "We are not as fast as the big passenger steamers, " explained youngJones, "but with good weather the _Arabella_ may be depended upon tomake the trip in good shape and fair time. " On the nineteenth of September, fully equipped and with her papers inorder, the beautiful yacht left her anchorage and began her voyage. Theweather proved exceptionally favorable. During the voyage the girlsbusied themselves preparing their modest uniforms and pumping Dr. Gysfor all sorts of information, from scratches to amputations. He gavethem much practical and therefore valuable advice to guide them inwhatever emergencies might arise, and this was conveyed in thewhimsical, half humorous manner that seemed characteristic of him. Atfirst Gys had shrunk involuntarily from facing this bevy of young girls, but they had so frankly ignored his physical blemishes and exhibited sotrue a comradeship to all concerned in the expedition, that the doctorsoon felt perfectly at ease in their society. During the evenings he gave them practical demonstrations of theapplication of tourniquets, bandages and the like, while Uncle John andAjo by turns posed as wounded soldiers. Gys was extraordinarily deft inall his manipulations and although Maud Stanton was a graduatenurse--with little experience, however--and Beth De Graf had studied theart for a year or more, it was Patsy Doyle who showed the most dexterityin assisting the doctor on these occasions. "I don't know whether I'll faint at the sight of real blood, " she said, "but I shall know pretty well what to do if I can keep my nerve. " The application of anaesthetics was another thing fully explained byGys, but this could not be demonstrated. Patsy, however, was taught theuse of the hypodermic needle, which Maud and Beth quite understood. "We've a big stock of morphia, in its various forms, " said the doctor, "and I expect it to prove of tremendous value in comforting ourpatients. " "I'm not sure I approve the use of that drug, " remarked Uncle John. "But think of the suffering we can allay by its use, " exclaimed Maud. "If ever morphia is justifiable, it is in war, where it can save many alife by conquering unendurable pain. I believe the discovery of morphinewas the greatest blessing that humanity has ever enjoyed. Don't you, Doctor Gys?" The one good eye of Gys had a queer way of twinkling when he was amused. It twinkled as the girl asked this question. "Morphine, " he replied, "has destroyed more people than it has saved. You play with fire when you feed it to anyone, under any circumstances. Nevertheless, I believe in its value on an expedition of this sort, andthat is why I loaded up on the stuff. Let me advise you never to tell apatient that we are administering morphine. The result is all that he isconcerned with and it is better he should not know what has relievedhim. " On a sunny day when the sea was calm they slung a scaffold over the bowand painted a big red cross on either side of the white ship. Everyoneaboard wore the Red Cross emblem on an arm band, even the sailors beingso decorated. Uncle John was very proud of the insignia and loved towatch his girls moving around the deck in their sober uniforms and whitecaps. Jones endured the voyage splendidly and by this time had convincedhimself that he was not again to be subject to the mal-de-mer of hisfirst ocean trip. As they drew near to their destination an atmosphereof subdued excitement pervaded the _Arabella_, for even the sailors hadcaught the infection of the girls' eagerness and were anxious to getinto action at the earliest moment. It was now that Uncle John began to busy himself with his especialprize, a huge motor ambulance he had purchased in New York and which hadbeen fully equipped for the requirements of war. Indeed, an enterprisingmanufacturer had prepared it with the expectation that some of thebelligerent governments would purchase it, and Mr. Merrick consideredhimself fortunate in securing it. It would accommodate six seriouslywounded, on swinging beds, and twelve others, slightly wounded, whomight be able to sit upon cushioned seats. The motor was very powerfuland the driver was protected from stray bullets by an armored hood. In addition to this splendid machine, Mr. Merrick had secured a smallerambulance that had not the advantage of the swinging beds but could berushed more swiftly to any desired location. Both ambulances weredecorated on all sides with the emblem of the Red Cross and would beinvaluable in bringing the wounded to the _Arabella_. The ship carried acouple of small motor launches for connecting the shore with heranchorage. They had purposely brought no chauffeurs with them, as Uncle Johnbelieved foreign drivers, who were thoroughly acquainted with thecountry, would prove more useful than the American variety, and fromexperience he knew that a French chauffeur is the king of hisprofession. During the last days of the voyage Mr. Merrick busied himself incarefully inspecting every detail of his precious vehicles andexplaining their operation to everyone on board. Even the girls would beable to run an ambulance on occasion, and the boy developed quite amechanical talent in mastering the machines. "I feel, " said young Jones, "that I have had a rather insignificant partin preparing this expedition, for all I have furnished--aside from theboat itself--consists of two lots of luxuries that may or may not beneeded. " "And what may they be?" asked Dr. Gys, who was standing in the groupbeside him. "Thermos flasks and cigarettes. " "Cigarettes!" exclaimed Beth, in horror. The doctor nodded approvingly. "Capital!" said he. "Next to our anodynes and anaesthetics, nothing willprove so comforting to the wounded as cigarettes. They are supplied bynurses in all the hospitals in Europe. How many did you bring?" "Ten cases of about twenty-five thousand each. " "A quarter of a million cigarettes!" gasped Beth. "Too few, " asserted the doctor in a tone of raillery, "but we'll makethem go as far as possible. And the thermos cases are also valuable. Cool water to parched lips means a glimpse of heaven. Hot coffee willsave many from exhaustion. You've done well, my boy. " CHAPTER V NEARING THE FRAY On September twenty-eighth they entered the English Channel and werepromptly signalled by a British warship, so they were obliged to lay towhile a party of officers came aboard. The _Arabella_ was flying theAmerican flag and the Red Cross flag, but the English officercourteously but firmly persisted in searching the ship. What he foundseemed to interest him, as did the papers and credentials presented forhis perusal. "And which side have you come to assist?" he asked. "No side at all, sir, " replied Jones, as master of the _Arabella_. "Thewounded, the sick and helpless, whatever uniform they chance to wear, will receive our best attention. But we are bound for Calais and intendto follow the French army. " The officer nodded gravely. "Of course, " said he, "you are aware that the channel is full of minesand that progress is dangerous unless you have our maps to guide you. Iwill furnish your pilot with a diagram, provided you agree to keep oursecret and deliver the diagram to the English officer you will meet atCalais. " They agreed to this and after the formalities were concluded the officerprepared to depart. "I must congratulate you, " he remarked on leaving, "on having the bestequipped hospital ship it has been my fortune to see. There are many inthe service, as you know, but the boats are often mere tubs and thefittings of the simplest description. The wounded who come under yourcare will indeed be fortunate. It is wonderful to realize that you havecome all the way from America, and at so great an expense, to help thevictims of this sad war. For the Allies I thank you, and--good-bye!" They remembered this kindly officer long afterward, for he proved moregenerous than many of the English they met. Captain Carg now steamed ahead, watching his chart carefully to avoidthe fields of mines, but within two hours he was again hailed, thistime by an armored cruiser. The first officer having vised the ship'spapers, they were spared the delay of another search and after a briefexamination were allowed to proceed. They found the channel wellpatrolled by war craft and no sooner had they lost sight of one, thananother quickly appeared. At Cherbourg a French dreadnaught halted them and an officer came aboardto give them a new chart of the mine fields between there and Calais andfull instructions how to proceed safely. This officer, who spokeexcellent English, asked a thousand questions and seemed grateful fortheir charitable assistance to his countrymen. "You have chosen a dangerous post, " said he, "but the Red Cross isrespected everywhere--even by the Germans. Have you heard the latestnews? We have driven them back to the Aisne and are holding the enemywell in check. Antwerp is under siege, to be sure, but it can hold outindefinitely. The fighting will be all in Belgium soon, and then inGermany. Our watchword is 'On to Berlin!'" "Perhaps we ought to proceed directly to Ostend, " said Uncle John. "The Germans still hold it, monsieur. In a few days, perhaps, whenBelgium is free of the invaders, you will find work enough to occupy youat Ostend; but I advise you not to attempt to go there now. " In spite of the friendly attitude of this officer and of the authoritiesat Cherbourg, they were detained at this port for several days beforefinally receiving permission to proceed. The delay was galling but hadto be endured until the infinite maze of red tape was at an end. Theyreached Calais in the early evening and just managed to secure ananchorage among the fleet of warships in the harbor. Again they were obliged to show their papers and passports, now vised byrepresentatives of both the English and French navies, but thisformality being over they were given a cordial welcome. Uncle John and Ajo decided to go ashore for the latest news and arrivedin the city between nine and ten o'clock that same evening. They foundCalais in a state of intense excitement. The streets were filled withBritish and French soldiery, with whom were mingled groups of citizens, all eagerly discussing the war and casting uneasy glances at the blacksky overhead for signs of the dreaded German Zeppelins. "How about Antwerp?" Jones asked an Englishman they found in the lobbyof one of the overcrowded hotels. The man turned to stare at him; he looked his questioner up and downwith such insolence that the boy's fists involuntarily doubled; then heturned his back and walked away. A bystander laughed with amusement. Healso was an Englishman, but wore the uniform of a subaltern. "What can you expect, without a formal introduction?" he asked youngJones. "But I'll answer your question, sir; Antwerp is doomed. " "Oh; do you really think so?" inquired Uncle John uneasily. "It's a certainty, although I hate to admit it. We at the rear are notvery well posted on what is taking place over in Belgium, but it's saidthe bombardment of Antwerp began yesterday and it's impossible for theplace to hold out for long. Perhaps even now the city has fallen underthe terrific bombardment. " There was something thrilling in the suggestion. "And then?" asked Jones, almost breathlessly. The man gave a typical British shrug. "Then we fellows will find work to do, " he replied. "But it is better tofight than to eat our hearts out by watching and waiting. We're thereserves, you know, and we've hardly smelled powder yet. " After conversing with several of the soldiers and civilians--the latterbeing mostly too unnerved to talk coherently--the Americans made theirway back to the quay with heavy hearts. They threaded lanes filled withsobbing women, many of whom had frightened children clinging to theirskirts, passed groups of old men and boys who were visibly tremblingwith trepidation and stood aside for ranks of brisk soldiery who marchedwith an alertness that was in strong contrast with the terrifiedattitude of the citizens. There was war in the air--fierce, relentlesswar in every word and action they encountered--and it had the effect ofdepressing the newcomers. That night an earnest conference was held aboard the _Arabella_. "As I understand it, here is the gist of the situation, " began Ajo. "Theline of battle along the Aisne is stationary--for the present, at least. Both sides are firmly entrenched and it's going to be a long, hardfight. Antwerp is being bombarded, and although it's a powerfulfortress, the general opinion is that it can't hold out for long. If itfalls, there will be a rush of Germans down this coast, first to captureDunkirk, a few miles above here, and then Calais itself. " "In other words, " continued Uncle John, "this is likely to be the mostimportant battleground for the next few weeks. Now, the question todecide is this: Shall we disembark our ambulances and run them across toArras, beginning our work behind the French trenches, or go on toDunkirk, where we are likely to plunge into the thickest of the war?We're not fighters, you know, but noncombatants, bent on an errand ofmercy. There are wounded everywhere. " They considered this for a long time without reaching a decision, forthere were some in the party to argue on either side of the question. Uncle John continued to favor the trenches, as the safest position forhis girls to work; but the girls themselves, realizing little of thedangers to be encountered, preferred to follow the fortunes of theBelgians. "They've been so brave and noble, these people of Belgium, " said Beth, "that I would take more pleasure in helping them than any other branchof the allied armies. " "But, my dear, there's a mere handful of them left, " protested heruncle. "I'm told that at Dunkirk there is still a remnant of the Belgianarmy--very badly equipped--but most of the remaining force is with KingAlbert in Antwerp. If the place falls they will either be made prisonersby the Germans or they may escape into Holland, where their fightingdays will be ended for the rest of the war. However, there is no need todecide this important question to-night. To-morrow I am to see theFrench commandant and I will get his advice. " The interview with the French commandant of Calais, which was readilyaccorded the Americans, proved very unsatisfactory. The general had justreceived reports that Antwerp was in flames and the greater part of thecity already demolished by the huge forty-two-centimetre guns of theGermans. The fate of King Albert's army was worrying him exceedingly andhe was therefore in little mood for conversation. The American consul could do little to assist them. After the matter wasexplained to him, he said: "I advise you to wait a few days for your decision. Perhaps a day--anhour--will change the whole angle of the war. Strange portents are inthe air; no one knows what will happen next. Come to me, from time totime, and I will give you all the information I secure. " Dr. Gys had accompanied Jones and Mr. Merrick into Calais to-day, andwhile he had little to say during the various interviews hisobservations were shrewd and comprehensive. When they returned to thedeck of the _Arabella_, Gys said to the girls: "There is nothing worth while for us to do here. The only wounded I sawwere a few Frenchmen parading their bandaged heads and hands for theadmiration of the women. The hospitals are well organized and quitefull, it is true, but I'm told that no more wounded are being sent here. The Sisters of Mercy and the regular French Red Cross force seem verycompetent to handle the situation, and there are two government hospitalships already anchored in this port. We would only be butting in tooffer our services. But down the line, from Arras south, there is realwar in the trenches and many are falling every day. Arras is less thanfifty miles from here--a two or three hours' run for our ambulances--andwe could bring the wounded here and care for them as we originallyintended. " "Fifty miles is a long distance for a wounded man to travel, " objectedMaud. "True, " said the doctor, "but the roads are excellent. " "Remember those swinging cots, " said Ajo. "We might try it, " said Patsy, anxious to be doing something. "Couldn'twe start to-morrow for Arras, Uncle?" "It occurs to me that we must first find a chauffeur, " answered Mr. Merrick, "and from my impressions of the inhabitants of Calais, thatwill prove a difficult task. " "Why?" "Every man jack of 'em is scared stiff, " said Ajo, with a laugh. "But wemight ask the commandant to recommend someone. The old boy seemsfriendly enough. " The next day, however, brought important news from Antwerp. The city hadsurrendered, the Belgian army had made good its escape and was nowretreating toward Ostend, closely followed by the enemy. This news was related by a young orderly who met them as they enteredthe Hotel de Ville. They were also told that the commandant was verybusy but would try to see them presently. This young Frenchman spokeEnglish perfectly and was much excited by the morning's dispatches. "This means that the war is headed our way at last!" he criedenthusiastically. "The Germans will make a dash to capture both Dunkirkand Calais, and already large bodies of reinforcements are on the way todefend these cities. " "English, or French?" asked Uncle John. "This is French territory, " was the embarrassed reply, "but we are gladto have our allies, the English, to support us. Their General French isnow at Dunkirk, and it is probable the English will join the French andBelgians at that point. " "They didn't do much good at Antwerp, it seems, " remarked Ajo. "Ah, they were naval reserves, monsieur, and not much could be expectedof them. But do not misunderstand me; I admire the English private--thefighting man--exceedingly. Were the officers as clever as their soldiersare brave, the English would be irresistible. " As this seemed a difficult subject to discuss, Uncle John asked theorderly if he knew of a good chauffeur to drive their ambulance--anable, careful man who might be depended upon in emergencies. The orderly reflected. "We have already impressed the best drivers, " he said, "but it may bethe general will consent to spare you one of them. Your work is soimportant that we must take good care of you. " But when they were admitted to the general they found him in a moreimpatient mood than before. He really could not undertake to direct RedCross workers or advise them. They were needed everywhere; everywherethey would be welcome. And now, he regretted to state that he was verybusy; if they had other business with the department, Captain Merouxwould act as its representative. Before accepting this dismissal Uncle John ventured to ask about achauffeur. Rather brusquely the general stated that they could illafford to spare one from the service. A desperate situation now facedthe Allies in Flanders. Captain Meroux must take care of the Americans;doubtless he could find a driver for their ambulance--perhaps a Belgian. But in the outer office the orderly smiled doubtfully. A driver? To be sure; but such as he could furnish would not be of theslightest use to them. All the good chauffeurs had been impressed andthe general was not disposed to let them have one. "He mentioned a Belgian, " suggested Uncle John. "I know; but the Belgians in Calais are all fugitives, terror-strickenand unmanned. " He grew thoughtful a moment and then continued: "Myadvice would be to take your ship to Dunkirk. It is only a little way, through a good channel, and you will be as safe there as at Calais. For, if Dunkirk falls, Calais will fall with it. From there, moreover, theroads are better to Arras and Peronne, and it is there you stand thebest chance of getting a clever Belgian chauffeur. If you wish--" hehesitated, looking at them keenly. "Well, sir?" "If you are really anxious to get to the firing line and do the mostgood, Dunkirk is your logical station. If you are merely seeking thenotoriety of being charitably inclined, remain here. " They left the young man, reflecting upon his advice and gravelyconsidering its value. They next visited one of the hospitals, where anoverworked but friendly English surgeon volunteered a similarsuggestion. Dunkirk, he declared, would give them better opportunitiesthan Calais. The remainder of the day they spent in getting whatever news hadfiltered into the city and vainly seeking a competent man for chauffeur. On the morning of October eleventh they left Calais and proceeded slowlyalong the buoyed channel that is the only means of approaching the portof Dunkirk by water. The coast line is too shallow to allow ships toenter from the open sea. On their arrival at the Flemish city--twelve miles nearer the front thanCalais--they found an entirely different atmosphere. No excitement, noterror was visible anywhere. The people quietly pursued their accustomedavocations and the city was as orderly as in normal times. The town was full of Belgians, however, both soldiers and civilians, while French and British troops were arriving hourly in regiments andbattalions. General French, the English commander in chief, had locatedhis headquarters at a prominent hotel, and a brisk and businesslike airpervaded the place, with an entire lack of confusion. Most of theBelgians were reservists who were waiting to secure uniforms and arms. They crowded all the hotels, cafés and inns and seemed as merry andlight-hearted as if no news of their king's defeat and precipitateretreat had arrived. Not until questioned would they discuss the war atall, yet every man was on the _qui vive_, expecting hourly to hear theroar of guns announcing the arrival of the fragment of the Belgian armythat had escaped from Antwerp. To-day the girls came ashore with the men of their party, all threewearing their Red Cross uniforms and caps, and it was almost pathetic tonote the deference with which all those warriors--both bronzed andfair--removed their caps until the "angels of mercy" had passed them by. They made the rounds of the hospitals, which were already crowded withwounded, and Gys stopped at one long enough to assist the French doctorin a delicate operation. Patsy stood by to watch this surgery, her facewhite and drawn, for this was her first experience of the sort; but Maudand Beth volunteered their services and were so calm and deft thatDoctor Gys was well pleased with them. CHAPTER VI LITTLE MAURIE It was nearly evening when the Americans finally returned to the quay, close to which the _Arabella_ was moored. As they neared the place agreat military automobile came tearing along, scattering pedestriansright and left, made a sudden swerve, caught a man who was not agileenough to escape and sent him spinning along the dock until he fellheadlong, a crumpled heap. "Ah, here is work for us!" exclaimed Doctor Gys, running forward toraise the man and examine his condition. The military car had not pausedin its career and was well out of sight, but a throng of indignantcivilians gathered around. "There are no severe injuries, but he seems unconscious, " reported Gys. "Let us get him aboard the ship. " The launch was waiting for them, and with the assistance of Jones, thedoctor placed the injured man in the boat and he was taken to the shipand placed in one of the hospital berths. "Our first patient is not a soldier, after all, " remarked Patsy, alittle disappointed. "I shall let Beth and Maud look after him. " "Well, he is wounded, all right, " answered Ajo, "and without your kindpermission Beth and Maud are already below, looking after him. I'mafraid he won't require their services long, poor fellow. " "Why didn't he get out of the way?" inquired Patsy with a shudder. "Can't say. Preoccupied, perhaps. There wasn't much time to jump, anyhow. I suppose that car carried a messenger with important news, forit isn't like those officers to be reckless of the lives of citizens. " "No; they seem in perfect sympathy with the people, " she returned. "Iwonder what the news can be, Ajo. " For answer a wild whistling sounded overhead; a cry came from thoseashore and the next instant there was a loud explosion. Everyone rushedto the side, where Captain Carg was standing, staring at the sky. "What was it, Captain?" gasped Patsy. Carg stroked his grizzled beard. "A German bomb, Miss Patsy; but I think it did no damage. " "A bomb! Then the Germans are on us?" "Not exactly. An aeroplane dropped the thing. " "Oh. Where is it?" "The aeroplane? Pretty high up, I reckon, " answered the captain. "I hada glimpse of it, for a moment; then it disappeared in the clouds. " "We must get our ambulances ashore, " said Jones. "No hurry, sir; plenty of time, " asserted the captain. "I think I sawthe airship floating north, so it isn't likely to bother us again justnow. " "What place is north of us?" inquired the girl, trembling a little inspite of her efforts at control. "I think it is Nieuport--or perhaps Dixmude, " answered Carg. "I visitedBelgium once, when I was a young man, but I cannot remember it verywell. We're pretty close to the Belgian border, at Dunkirk. " "There's another!" cried Ajo, as a second whistling shriek sounded abovethem. This time the bomb fell into the sea and raised a smallwater-spout, some half mile distant. They could now see plainly a secondhuge aircraft circling above them; but this also took flight toward thenorth and presently disappeared. Uncle John came hurrying on deck with an anxious face and together thegroup of Americans listened for more bombs; but that was all that cametheir way that night. "Well, " said Patsy, when she had recovered her equanimity, "we're at thefront at last, Uncle. How do you like it?" "I hadn't thought of bombs, " he replied. "But we're in for it, and Isuppose we'll have to take whatever comes. " Now came the doctor, supporting the injured man on one side while MaudStanton held his opposite arm. Gys was smiling broadly--a rather ghastlyexpression. "No bones broken, sir, " he reported to Mr. Merrick. "Only a goodshake-up and plenty of bruises. He can't be induced to stay in bed. " "Bed, when the Germans come?" exclaimed the invalid, scornfully, speaking in fair English. "It is absurd! We can sleep when we havedriven them back to their dirty Faderland--we can sleep, then, and rest. Now, it is a crime to rest. " They looked at him curiously. He was a small man--almost a tinyman--lean and sinewy and with cheeks the color of bronze and eyes thehue of the sky. His head was quite bald at the top; his face wrinkled;he had a bushy mustache and a half-grown beard. His clothing was soiled, torn and neglected; but perhaps his accident accounted for much of itscondition. His age might be anywhere from thirty to forty years. Helooked alert and shrewd. "You are Belgian?" said Uncle John. He leaned against the rail, shaking off the doctor's support, as hereplied: "Yes, monsieur. Belgian born and American trained. " There was a touch ofpride in his voice. "It was in America that I made my fortune. " "Indeed. " "It is true. I was waiter in a New York restaurant for five years. ThenI retired. I came back to Belgium. I married my wife. I bought land. Itis near Ghent. I am, as you have guessed, a person of great importance. " "Ah; an officer, perhaps. Civil, or military?" inquired Ajo with mockdeference. "Of better rank than either. I am a citizen. " "Now, I like that spirit, " said Uncle John approvingly. "What is yourname, my good man?" "Maurie, monsieur; Jakob Maurie. Perhaps you have met me--in New York. " "I do not remember it. But if you live in Ghent, why are you inDunkirk?" He cast an indignant glance at his questioner, but Uncle John's sereneexpression disarmed him. "Monsieur is not here long?" "We have just arrived. " "You cannot see Belgium from here. If you are there--in my country--youwill find that the German is everywhere. I have my home at Brusselscrushed by a shell which killed my baby girl. My land is devastate--mycrop is taken to feed German horse and German thief. There is no homeleft. So my wife and my boy and girl I take away; I take them to Ostend, where I hope to get ship to England. At Ostend I am arrested by Germans. Not my wife and children; only myself. I am put in prison. For threeweeks they keep me, and then I am put out. They push me into the street. No one apologize. I ask for my family. They laugh and turn away. Isearch everywhere for my wife. A friend whom I meet thinks she has goneto Ypres, for now no Belgian can take ship from Ostend to England. So Igo to Ypres. The wandering people have all been sent to Nieuport andDunkirk. Still I search. My wife is not in Nieuport. I come here, threedays ago; I cannot find her in Dunkirk; she has vanished. Perhaps--but Iwill not trouble you with that. This is my story, ladies and gentlemen. Behold in me--a wealthy landowner of Liege--the outcast from home andcountry!" "It is dreadful!" cried Patsy. "It is fierce, " said the man. "Only an American can understand thehorror of that word. " "Your fate is surely a cruel one, Maurie, " declared Mr. Merrick. "Perhaps, " ventured Beth, "we may help you to find your wife andchildren. " The Belgian seemed pleased with these expressions of sympathy. Hestraightened up, threw out his chest and bowed very low. "That is my story, " he repeated; "but you must know it is also the storyof thousands of Belgians. Always I meet men searching for wives. AlwaysI meet wives searching for husbands. Well! it is our fate--the fate ofconquered Belgium. " Maud brought him a deck chair and made him sit down. "You will stay here to-night, " she said. "That's right, " said Dr. Gys. "He can't resume his search until morning, that's certain. Such a tumble as he had would have killed an ordinaryman; but the fellow seems made of iron. " "To be a waiter--a good waiter--develops the muscles, " said Maurie. Ajo gave him a cigarette, which he accepted eagerly. After a few puffshe said: "I heard the German bombs. That means the enemy grows insolent. Firstthey try to frighten us with bombs, then they attack. " "How far away do you think the Germans are?" asked Beth. "Nieuport les Bains. But they will get no nearer. " "No?" "Surely not, mamselle. Our soldiers are there, awaiting them. Oursoldiers, and the French. " "And you think the enemy cannot capture Dunkirk?" inquired Jones. "Dunkirk! The Germans capture Dunkirk? It is impossible. " "Why impossible?" "Dunkirk is fortified; it is the entrance to Calais, to Dover andLondon. Look you, m'sieur; we cannot afford to lose this place. Wecannot afford to lose even Nieuport, which is our last stand on Belgiansoil. Therefore, the Germans cannot take it, for there are still toomany of us to kill before Kitchener comes to save us. " He spokethoughtfully, between puffs of his cigarette, and added: "But of course, if the great English army does not come, and they kill us all, then itwill not matter in the least what becomes of our country. " Maurie's assertion did not wholly reassure them. The little Belgian wastoo bombastic to win their confidence in his judgment. Yet Jonesdeclared that Maurie doubtless knew the country better than anyone theyhad yet met and the doctor likewise defended his patient. Indeed, Gysseemed to have taken quite a fancy to the little man and long after theothers had retired for the night he sat on deck talking with the Belgianand getting his views of the war. "You say you had land at Ghent?" he once asked. "It is true, Doctor. " "But afterward you said Brussels. " Maurie was not at all confused. "Ah; I may have done so. You see, I traded my property. " "And, if I am not mistaken, you spoke of a home at Liege. " Maurie looked at him reproachfully. "Is there not much land in Belgium?" he demanded; "and is a rich manconfined to one home? Liege was my summer home; in the winter I removedto Antwerp. " "You said Ghent. " "Ghent it was, Doctor. Misfortune has dulled my brain. I am not the manI was, " he added with a sigh. "Nevertheless, " said Gys, "you still possess the qualities of a goodwaiter. Whatever happens here, Maurie, you can always go back toAmerica. " CHAPTER VII ON THE FIRING LINE Next morning they were all wakened at an early hour by the roar ofartillery, dimly heard in the distance. The party aboard the _Arabella_quickly assembled on deck, where little Maurie was found leaning overthe rail. "They're at it, " he remarked, wagging his head. "The Germans are atNieuport, now, and some of them are over against Pervyse. I hear soundsfrom Dixmude, too; the rattle of machine guns. It will be a grandbattle, this! I wonder if our Albert is there. " "Who is he?" asked Patsy. "The king. They told me yesterday he had escaped. " "We must get the ambulances out at once, " said Beth. "I'll attend to that, " replied Uncle John, partaking of the generalexcitement. "Warp up to the dock, Captain Carg, and I'll get some ofthose men to help us swing the cars over the side. " "How about a chauffeur?" asked Dr. Gys, who was already bringing outbandages and supplies for the ambulances. "If we can't find a man, I'll drive you myself, " declared Ajo. "But you don't know the country. " Gys turned to the little Belgian. "Can't you find us a driver?" he asked. "We want a steady, competent manto run our ambulance. " "Where are you going?" asked Maurie. "To the firing line. " "Good. I will drive you myself. " "You? Do you understand a car?" "I am an expert, monsieur. " "A waiter in a restaurant?" "Pah! That was five years ago. I will show you. I can drive any car evermade--and I know every inch of the way. " "Then you're our man, " exclaimed Mr. Merrick, much relieved. As the yacht swung slowly alongside the dock the Belgian said: "While you get ready, I will go ashore for news. When I come back--veryquick--then I will know everything. " Before he ran down the ladder Patsy clasped around his arm a bandbearing the insignia of the Red Cross. He watched her approvingly, withlittle amused chuckles, and then quickly disappeared in the direction ofthe town. "He doesn't seem injured in the least by his accident, " said the girl, looking after him as he darted along. "No, " returned Gys; "he is one of those fellows who must be ripped topieces before they can feel anything. But let us thank heaven he candrive a car. " Mr. Merrick had no difficulty in getting all the assistance required tolower the two ambulances to the dock. They had already been set up andput in order, so the moment they were landed they were ready for use. A few surgical supplies were added by Dr. Gys and then they lookedaround for the Belgian. Although scarce an hour had elapsed since hedeparted, he came running back just as he was needed, puffing a littlethrough haste, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Albert is there!" he cried. "The king and his army are at Nieuport. They will open the dykes and flood all the country but the main road, and then we can hold the enemy in check. They will fight, those Germans, but they cannot advance, for we will defend the road and the sanddunes. " "Aren't they fighting now?" asked Jones. "Oh, yes, some of the big guns are spitting, but what is that? A fewwill fall, but we have yet thousands to face the German horde. " "Let us start at once, " pleaded Maud. Maurie began to examine the big ambulance. He was spry as a cat. In tenminutes he knew all that was under the hood, had tested the levers, looked at the oil and gasoline supply and started the motor. "I'll sit beside you to help in case of emergency, " said Ajo, taking hisplace. Dr. Gys, Dr. Kelsey and the three girls sat inside. Patsy hadimplored Uncle John not to go on this preliminary expedition and he hadhesitated until the last moment; but the temptation was too strong toresist and even as the wheels started to revolve he sprang in and closedthe door behind him. "You are my girls, " he said, "and wherever you go, I'll tag along. " Maurie drove straight into the city and to the north gate, Jonesclanging the bell as they swept along. Every vehicle gave them the rightof way and now and then a cheer greeted the glittering new Red Crossambulance, which bore above its radiator a tiny, fluttering Americanflag. They were not stopped at the gate, for although strict orders had beenissued to allow no one to leave Dunkirk, the officer in charge realizedthe sacred mission of the Americans and merely doffed his cap insalutation as the car flashed by. The road to Furnes was fairly clear, but as they entered that town theyfound the streets cluttered with troops, military automobiles, supplywagons, artillery, ammunition trucks and bicycles. The boy clanged hisbell continuously and as if by magic the way opened before the Red Crossand cheers followed them on their way. The eyes of the little Belgian were sparkling like jewels; his hands onthe steering wheel were steady as a rock; he drove with skill andjudgment. Just now the road demanded skill, for a stream of refugees wascoming toward them from Nieuport and a stream of military motors, bicycles and wagons, with now and then a horseman, flowed toward thefront. A mile or two beyond Furnes they came upon a wounded soldier, oneleg bandaged and stained with blood while he hobbled along leaning uponthe shoulder of a comrade whose left arm hung helpless. Maurie drew up sharply and Beth sprang out and approached the soldiers. "Get inside, " she said in French. "No, " replied one, smiling; "we are doing nicely, thank you. Hurryforward, for they need you there. " "Who dressed your wounds?" she inquired. "The Red Cross. There are many there, hard at work; but more are needed. Hurry forward, for some of our boys did not get off as lightly as we. " She jumped into the ambulance and away it dashed, but progress becameslower presently. The road was broad and high; great hillocks ofsand--the Dunes--lay between it and the ocean; on the other side thewater from the opened dykes was already turning the fields into aninland sea. In some places it lapped the edges of the embankment thatformed the roadway. Approaching Nieuport, they discovered the Dunes to be full of soldiers, who had dug pits behind the sandy hillocks for protection, and in themplanted the dog-artillery and one or two large machine guns. These weretrained on the distant line of Germans, who were also entrenchingthemselves. All along the edge of the village the big guns were inaction and there was a constant interchange of shot and shell from bothsides. As Maurie dodged among the houses with the big car a shell descendedsome two hundred yards to the left of them, exploded with a crash andsent a shower of brick and splinters high into the air. A little wayfarther on the ruins of a house completely blocked the street and theywere obliged to turn back and seek another passage. Thus partiallyskirting the town they at last left the houses behind them andapproached the firing line, halting scarcely a quarter of a mile distantfrom the actual conflict. As far as the eye could reach, from Nieuport to the sea at the left, andon toward Ypres at the right of them, the line of Belgians, French andBritish steadily faced the foe. Close to where they halted the ambulancestood a detachment that had lately retired from the line, their placeshaving been taken by reserves. One of the officers told Mr. Merrick thatthey had been facing bullets since daybreak and the men seemed almostexhausted. Their faces were blackened by dust and powder and theiruniforms torn and disordered; many stood without caps or coats despitethe chill in the air. And yet these fellows were laughing together andchatting as pleasantly as children just released from school. Even thosewho had wounds made light of their hurts. Clouds of smoke hovered low inthe air; the firing was incessant. Our girls were thrilled by this spectacle as they had never beenthrilled before--perhaps never might be again. While they still kepttheir seats, Maurie started with a sudden jerk, made a sharp turn andran the ambulance across a ridge of solid earth that seemed to be theonly one of such character amongst all that waste of sand. It broughtthem somewhat closer to the line but their driver drew up behind a greatdune that afforded them considerable protection. Fifty yards away was another ambulance with its wheels buried to thehubs in the loose sand. Red Cross nurses and men wearing the emblem ontheir arms and caps were passing here and there, assisting the injuredwith "first aid, " temporarily bandaging heads, arms and legs or carryingto the rear upon a stretcher a more seriously injured man. Most of thiscorps were French; a few were English; some were Belgian. Our friendswere the only Americans on the field. Uncle John's face was very grave as he alighted in the wake of hisgirls, who paid no attention to the fighting but at once ran to assistsome of the wounded who came staggering toward the ambulance, some evencreeping painfully on hands and knees. In all Mr. Merrick's conceptionsof the important mission they had undertaken, nothing like the natureof this desperate conflict had even dawned upon him. He had known thatthe Red Cross was respected by all belligerents, and that knowledge hadled him to feel that his girls would be fairly safe; but never had hecounted on spent bullets, stray shells or the mad rush of a charge. "Very good!" cried Maurie briskly. "Here we see what no one else cansee. The Red Cross is a fine passport to the grand stand of war. " "Come with me--quick!" shouted Ajo, his voice sounding shrill throughthe din. "I saw a fellow knocked out--there--over yonder!" As he spoke he grabbed a stretcher and ran forward, Maurie following athis heels. Uncle John saw the smoke swallow them up, saw Beth and Maudeach busy with lint, plasters and bandages, saw Patsy supporting a tall, grizzled warrior who came limping toward the car. Then he turned and sawDoctor Gys, crouching low against the protecting sand, his disfiguredface working convulsively and every limb trembling as with an ague. CHAPTER VIII THE COWARD "Great heavens!" gasped Mr. Merrick, running toward the doctor. "Are youhit?" Gys looked up at him appealingly and nodded. "Where did it strike you? Was it a bullet--or what?" The doctor wrung his hands, moaning pitifully. Uncle John bent over him. "Tell me, " he said. "Tell me, Gys!" "I--I'm scared, sir--s-s-scared stiff. It's that yellow s-s-s-streak inme; I--I--can't help it, sir. " Then he collapsed, crouching lifelesslyclose to the sand. Uncle John was amazed. He drew back with such an expression of scornthat Gys, lying with face upward, rolled over to hide his own featuresin the sand. But his form continued to twist and shake convulsively. Patsy came up with her soldier, whose gaudy uniform proclaimed him anofficer. He had a rugged, worn face, gray hair and mustache, stern eyes. His left side was torn and bleeding where a piece of shell had raked himfrom shoulder to knee. No moan did he utter as Mr. Merrick and the girlassisted him to one of the swinging beds, and then Patsy, with white, set face but steady hands, began at once to cut away the clothing andget at the wound. This was her first practical experience and she meantto prove her mettle or perish in the attempt. Uncle John skipped over to the sand bank and clutched Gys savagely bythe collar. "Get up!" he commanded. "Here's a man desperately wounded, who needsyour best skill--and at once. " Gys pulled himself free and sat up, seeming dazed for the moment. Thenhe rubbed his head briskly with both hands, collected his nerve andslowly rose to his feet. He cast fearful glances at the firing line, butthe demand for his surgical skill was a talisman that for a time enabledhim to conquer his terror. With frightened backward glances he ran tothe ambulance and made a dive into it as if a pack of wolves was at hisheels. Safely inside, one glance at the wounded man caused Gys to stiffensuddenly. He became steady and alert and noting that Patsy had now bareda portion of the gaping wound the doctor seized a thermos flask of hotwater and in a moment was removing the clotted blood in a deft andintelligent manner. Now came Jones and Maurie bearing the man they had picked up. As theyset the stretcher down, Uncle John came over. "Shall we put him inside?" asked Mr. Merrick. "No use, I think, " panted the Belgian. "Where's the doctor?" asked Ajo. Kelsey, who had been busy elsewhere, now approached and looked at thesoldier on the stretcher. "The man is dead, " he said. "He doesn't need us now. " "Off with him, then!" cried Maurie, and they laid the poor fellow uponthe sand and covered him with a cloth. "Come, then, " urged the littlechauffeur, excitedly, "lots more out there are still alive. We get onequick. " They left in a run in one direction while Kelsey, who had come to theambulance for supplies, went another way. Mr. Merrick looked around forthe other two girls. Only Maud Stanton was visible through the smokyhaze. Uncle John approached her just as a shell dropped into the sandnot fifty feet away. It did not explode but plowed a deep furrow andsent a shower of sand in every direction. Maud had just finished dressing a bullet wound in the arm of a youngsoldier who smiled as he watched her. Then, as she finished the work, hebowed low, muttered his thanks, and catching up his gun rushed back intothe fray. It was a flesh wound and until it grew more painful he couldstill fight. "Where are the Germans?" asked Uncle John. "I haven't seen one yet. " As he spoke a great cheer rose from a thousand throats. The line beforethem wavered an instant and then rushed forward and disappeared in thesmoke of battle. "Is it a charge, do you think?" asked Maud, as they stood peering intothe haze. "I--I don't know, " he stammered. "This is so--so bewildering--that itall seems like a dream. Where's Beth?" "I don't know. " "Are you looking for a young lady--a nurse?" asked a voice beside them. "She's over yonder, " he swung one arm toward the distant sand dunes. Theother was in a sling. "She has just given me first aid and sent me tothe rear--God bless her!" Then he trailed on, a British Tommy Atkins, while with one accord Maud and Uncle John moved in the direction he hadindicated. "She mustn't be so reckless, " said Beth's uncle, nervously. "It's badenough back here, but every step nearer the firing line doubles thedanger. " "I do not agree with you, sir, " answered Maud quietly. "A man was killednot two paces from me, a little while ago. " He shuddered and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, but made no reply. They climbed another line of dunes and in the hollowbeyond came upon several fallen soldiers, one of whom was moaning withpain. Maud ran to kneel beside him and in a twinkling had her hypodermicneedle in his arm. "Bear it bravely, " she said in French. "The pain will stop in a fewminutes and then I'll come and look after you. " He nodded gratefully, still moaning, and she hurried to rejoin Mr. Merrick. "Beth must be in the next hollow, " said Uncle John as she overtook him, and his voice betrayed his nervous tension. "I do wish you girls wouldnot be so reckless. " Yes; they found her in the next hollow, where several men were groupedabout her. She was dressing the shattered hand of a soldier, while twoor three others were patiently awaiting her services. Just beside her asweet-faced Sister of Mercy was bending over a dying man, comforting himwith her prayers. Over the ridge of sand could be heard the "ping" ofsmall arms mingled with the hoarse roar of machine guns. Another greatshout--long and enthusiastic--was borne to their ears. "That is good, " said a tall man standing in the group about Beth; "Ithink, from the sound, we have captured their guns. " "I'm sure of it, your Majesty, " replied the one whom Beth was attending. "There; that will do for the present. I thank you. And now, let us getforward. " As they ran toward the firing Uncle John exclaimed: "His Majesty! I wonder who they are?" "That, " said a private soldier, an accent of pride in his voice, "is ourAlbert. " "The king?" "Yes, monsieur; he is the tall one. The other is General Mays. I'm surewe have driven the Germans back, and that is lucky, for before ourcharge they had come too close for comfort. " "The king gave me a ring, " said Beth, displaying it. "He seemed glad Iwas here to help his soldiers, but warned me to keep further away fromthe line. King Albert speaks English perfectly and told me he lovesAmerica better than any other country except his own. " "He has traveled in your country, " explained the soldier. "But then, our Albert has traveled everywhere--before he was king. " Betwixt them Maud and Beth quickly applied first aid to the others inthe group and then Uncle John said: "Let us take the king's advice and get back to the ambulance. We leftonly Patsy and Dr. Gys there and I'm sure you girls will be needed. " On their return they came upon a man sitting in a hollow and calmlyleaning against a bank of sand, smoking a cigarette. He wore a grayuniform. "Ah, a German!" exclaimed Maud. She ran up to him and asked: "Are youhurt?" He glanced at her uniform, nodded, and pointed to his left foot. It hadnearly all been torn away below the ankle. A handkerchief was twistedabout the leg, forming a rude tourniquet just above the wound, and thishad served to stay the flow of blood. "Run quickly for the stretcher, " said Maud to Uncle John. "I will staywith him until your return. " Without a word he hurried away, Beth following. They found, on reachingthe ambulance, that Maurie and Jones had been busy. Five of the swingingbeds were already occupied. "Save the other one, " said Beth. "Maud has found a German. " Then shehurried to assist Patsy, as the two doctors had their hands full. Jones and Maurie started away with the stretcher, Uncle John guidingthem to the dunes where Maud was waiting, and presently they had thewounded German comfortably laid in the last bed. "Now, then, back to the ship, " said Gys. "We have in our care two lives, at least, that can only be saved by prompt operations. " Maurie got into the driver's seat. "Careful, now!" cautioned Jones, beside him. "Of course, " replied the Belgian, starting the motor; "there are manysores inside. But if they get a jolt, now and then, it will serve toremind them that they are suffering for their country. " He began to back up, for the sand ahead was too deep for a turn, and theway he managed the huge car along that narrow ridge aroused theadmiration of Ajo, who alone was able to witness the marvelousperformance. Slowly, with many turns, they backed to the road, whereMaurie swung the ambulance around and then stopped with a jerk that drewseveral groans from the interior of the car. "What's wrong?" asked Mr. Merrick, sticking his head from a window. "We nearly ran over a man, " answered Jones, climbing down from his seat. "Our front wheels are right against him, but Maurie stopped in time. " Lying flat upon his face, diagonally across the roadway, was the form ofa man in the blue-and-red uniform of the Belgian army. Maurie backed theambulance a yard or so as Maud sprang out and knelt beside the prostrateform. The firing, which had lulled for a few minutes, suddenly redoubled infury. There rose a wild, exultant shout, gradually drawing nearer. "Quick!" shouted Gys, trembling and wringing his hands. "The Germans arecharging. Drive on, man--drive on!" But Maurie never moved. "The Germans are charging, sure enough, " he answered, as the line ofretreating Belgians became visible. "But they must stop here, for we'veblocked the road. " All eyes but those of Maud were now turned upon the fray, which waspractically a hand to hand conflict. Nearer and nearer came the confusedmass of warriors and then, scarce a hundred yards away, it halted andthe Belgians stood firm. "He isn't dead, " said Maud, coming to the car. "Help me to put himinside. " "There is no room, " protested Gys. The girl looked at him scornfully. "We will make room, " she replied. A bullet shattered a pane of glass just beside the crouching doctor, butpassed on through an open window without injuring anyone. In fact, bullets were singing around them with a freedom that made others thanDr. Gys nervous. It was chubby little Uncle John who helped Jones carrythe wounded man to the ambulance, where they managed to stretch him uponthe floor. This arrangement sent Patsy to the front seat outside, withMaurie and Ajo, although her uncle strongly protested that she had noright to expose her precious life so wantonly. There was little time for argument, however. Even as the girl wasclimbing to her seat the line of Belgians broke and came pouring towardthem. Maurie was prompt in starting the car and the next moment theambulance was rolling swiftly along the smooth highway in the directionof Dunkirk and the sounds of fray grew faint behind them. CHAPTER IX COURAGE, OR PHILOSOPHY? "I never realized, " said Maud, delightedly, "what a strictly modern, professional hospital ship Uncle John has made of this, until we put itto practical use. I am sure it is better than those makeshifts weobserved at Calais, and more comfortable than those crowded hospitals onland. Every convenience is at our disposal and if our patients do notrecover rapidly it will be because their condition is desperate. " She had just come on deck after a long and trying session in assistingDoctors Gys and Kelsey to care for the injured, a session during whichBeth and Patsy had also stood nobly to their gruesome task. There wereeleven wounded, altogether, in their care, and although some of thesewere in a critical condition the doctors had insisted that the nursesneeded rest. "It is Dr. Gys who deserves credit for fitting the ship, " replied Mr. Merrick, modestly, to Maud's enthusiastic comment, "and Ajo isresponsible for the ship itself, which seems admirably suited to ourpurpose. By the way, how is Gys behaving now? Is he still shaking withfear?" "No, he seems to have recovered his nerve. Isn't it a terribleaffliction?" "Cowardice? Well, my dear, it is certainly an unusual affliction in thiscountry and in these times. I have been amazed to-day at the courage Ihave witnessed. These Belgians are certainly a brave lot. " "But no braver than the German we brought with us, " replied Maudthoughtfully. "One would almost think he had no sensation, yet he mustbe suffering terribly. The doctor will amputate the remnants of his footin an hour or so, but the man positively refuses to take ananaesthetic. " "Does he speak English or French?" "No; only German. But Captain Carg understands German and so he has beenacting as our interpreter. " "How about the Belgian we picked up on the road?" "He hasn't recovered consciousness yet. He is wounded in the back and intrying to get to the rear became insensible from loss of blood. " "From what I saw I wouldn't suppose any Belgian could be wounded in theback, " remarked Uncle John doubtfully. "It was a shell, " she said, "and perhaps exploded behind him. It's a badwound, Dr. Gys says, but if he regains strength he may recover. " During this conversation Patsy Doyle was lying in her stateroom belowand crying bitterly, while her cousin Beth strove to soothe her. Allunused to such horrors as she had witnessed that day, the girl hadmanaged to retain her nerve by sheer force of will until the Red Crossparty had returned to the ship and extended first aid to the wounded;but the moment Dr. Gys dismissed her she broke down completely. Beth was no more accustomed to bloodshed than her cousin, but she hadanticipated such scenes as they had witnessed, inasmuch as her year oftraining as nurse had prepared her for them. She had also been a closestudent of the daily press and from her reading had gleaned a knowledgeof the terrible havoc wrought by this great war. Had Patsy not givenway, perhaps Beth might have done so herself, and really it was MaudStanton who bore the ordeal with the most composure. After a half hour on deck Maud returned to the hospital section quiterefreshed, and proceeded to care for the patients. She alone assistedGys and Kelsey to amputate the German's foot, an operation the man boresplendidly, quite unaware, however, that they had applied localanaesthetics to dull the pain. Dr. Gys was a remarkably skillful surgeonand he gave himself no rest until every one of the eleven had receivedsuch attention as his wounds demanded. Even Kelsey felt the strain bythat time and as Maud expressed her intention of remaining to ministerto the wants of the crippled soldiers, the two doctors went on deck fora smoke and a brief relaxation. By this time Beth had quieted Patsy, mainly by letting her have her cryout, and now brought her on deck to join the others and get the freshair. So quickly had events followed one another on this fateful daythat it was now only four o'clock in the afternoon. None of them hadthought of luncheon, so the ship's steward now brought tea andsandwiches to those congregated on deck. As they sat together in a group, drinking tea and discussing theexciting events of the day, little Maurie came sauntering toward themand removed his cap. "Your pardon, " said he, "but--are the wounded all cared for?" "As well as we are able to care for them at present, " answered Beth. "And let me thank you, Jakob Maurie--let us all thank you--for the noblework you did for us to-day. " "Pah! it was nothing, " said he, shifting from one foot to another. "Ienjoyed it, mamselle. It was such fun to dive into the battle and pullout the wounded. It helped them, you see, and it gave us a grandexcitement. Otherwise, had I not gone with you, I would be as ignorantas all in Dunkirk still are, for the poor people do not yet know whathas happened at the front. " "We hardly know ourselves what has happened, " said Uncle John. "We canhear the boom of guns yet, even at this distance, and we left the battleline flowing back and forth like the waves of the ocean. Have a cup oftea, Maurie?" The man hesitated. "I do not like to disturb anyone, " he said slowly, "but if one of theyoung ladies is disengaged I would be grateful if she looks at my arm. " "Your arm!" exclaimed Beth, regarding him wonderingly as he stood beforeher. Maurie smiled. "It is hardly worth mentioning, mamselle, but a bullet--" "Take off your coat, " she commanded, rising from her seat to assist him. Maurie complied. His shirt was stained with blood. Beth drew out herscissors and cut away the sleeve of his left arm. A bullet had passeddirectly through the flesh, but without harming bone or muscle. "Why didn't you tell us before?" she asked reproachfully. "It amounted to so little, beside the other hurts you had to attend, " heanswered. "I am shamed, mamselle, that I came to you at all. A littlewater and a cloth will make it all right. " Patsy had already gone for the water and in a few minutes Beth wasdeftly cleansing the wound. "How did it happen, Maurie?" asked Jones. "I was with you most of thetime and noticed nothing wrong. Besides, you said nothing about it. " "It was on the road, just as we picked up that fallen soldier with thehole in his back. The fight jumped toward us pretty quick, you remember, and while I sat at the wheel the bullet came. I knew when it hit me, butI also knew I could move my arm, so what did it matter? I told myself towait till we got to the ship. Had we stayed there longer, we might allhave stopped bullets--and some bullets might have stopped us. " Hegrinned, as if the aphorism amused him, and added: "To know when to runis the perfection of courage. " "Does it hurt?" asked Uncle John, as Beth applied the lint and beganwinding the bandage. "It reminds me it is there, monsieur; but I will be ready for anothertrip to-morrow. Thank you, mamselle. Instead of the tea, I would like alittle brandy. " "Give him some in the tea, " suggested Gys, noting that Maurie swayed alittle. "Sit down, man, and be comfortable. That's it. I'd give amillion dollars for your nerve. " "Have you so much money?" asked Maurie. "No. " "Then I cannot see that you lack nerve, " said the little Belgianthoughtfully. "I was watching you to-day, M'sieur Doctor, and I believewhat you lack is courage. " Gys stared so hard at him with the one good eye that even Maurie becameembarrassed and turned away his head. Sipping his tea and brandy hepresently resumed, in a casual tone: "Never have I indulged in work of more interest than this. We go intothe thick of the fight, yet are we safe from harm. We do good to bothsides, because the men who do the fighting are not to blame for the war, at all. The leaders of politics say to the generals: 'We have declaredwar; go and fight. ' The generals say to the soldiers: 'We are told tofight, so come on. We do not know why, but it is our duty, because it isour profession. So go and die, or get shot to pieces, or lose some armsand legs, as it may happen. ' The business of the soldiers is to obey;they must back up the policies of their country, right or wrong. But dothose who send them into danger ever get hurt? Not to the naked eye. " "Why, you're quite a philosopher, Maurie, " said Patsy. "It is true, " agreed the Belgian. "But philosophy is like courage--easyto assume. We strut and talk big; we call the politicians sharks, thesoldiers fools; but does it do any good? The war will go on; the enemywill destroy our homes, separate our families, take away our bread andleave us to starve; but we have the privilege to philosophize, if welike. For myself, I thank them for nothing!" "I suppose you grieve continually for your wife, " said Patsy. "Not so much that, mamselle, but I know she is grieving for me, " hereplied. "As soon as we find time, " continued the girl, "we intend to search foryour wife and children. I am sure we can find them for you. " Maurie moved uneasily in his chair. "I beg you to take no trouble on my account, " said he. "With the RedCross you have great work to accomplish. What is the despair of one poorWalloon to you?" "It is a great deal to us, Maurie, " returned the girl, earnestly. "Youhave been a friend in need; without you we could not have made our dashto the front to-day. We shall try to repay you by finding your wife. " He was silent, but his troubled look told of busy thoughts. "What does she look like?" inquired Beth. "Have you her photograph?" "No; she would not make a good picture, mamselle, " he answered with asigh. "Clarette is large; she is fat; she has a way of scowling when onedoes not bring in more wood than the fire can eat up; and she is veryreligious. " "With that description I am sure we can find her, " cried Patsyenthusiastically. He seemed disturbed. "If you please, " said he plaintively, "Clarette is quite able to takecare of herself. She has a strong will. " "But if you know she is safe it will relieve your anxiety, " suggestedBeth. "You told us yesterday you had been searching everywhere for her. " "If I said everywhere, I was wrong, for poor Clarette must be somewhere. And since yesterday I have been thinking with more deliberation, and Ihave decided, " he added, his tone becoming confidential, "that it isbetter I do not find Clarette just now. It might destroy my usefulnessto the Red Cross. " "But your children!" protested Patsy. "Surely you cannot rest at easewith your two dear children wandering about, in constant danger. " "To be frank, mamselle, " said he, "they are not my children. I had ababy, but it was killed, as I told you. The boy and girl I havementioned were born when Clarette was the wife of another man--ablacksmith at Dinant--who had a sad habit of beating her. " "But you love the little ones, I am sure. " He shook his head. "They have somewhat the temper of their father, the blacksmith. I tookthem when I took Clarette--just as I took the silver spoons and thecheckered tablespread she brought with her--but now that a cruel fatehas separated me from the children, perhaps it is all for the best. " The doctor gave a snort of disgust, while Ajo smiled. The girls were tooastonished to pursue the conversation, but now realized that Maurie'sprivate affairs did not require their good offices to untangle. UncleJohn was quite amused at the Belgian's confession and was the only oneto reply. "Fate often seems cruel when she is in her happiest mood, " said he. "Perhaps, Maurie, your Clarette will come to you without your seekingher, for all Belgium seems headed toward France just now. What do youthink? Will the Germans capture Dunkirk?" The man brightened visibly at this turn in the conversation. "Not to-day, sir; not for days to come, " he replied. "The French cannotafford to lose Dunkirk, and by to-morrow they will pour an irresistiblehorde against the German invader. If we stay here, we are sure to remainin the rear of the firing line. " CHAPTER X THE WAR'S VICTIMS While the others were conversing on deck Maud Stanton was ministering tothe maimed victims of the war's cruelty, who tossed and moaned below. The main cabin and its accompanying staterooms had been fitted with allthe conveniences of a modern hospital. Twenty-two could easily beaccommodated in the rooms and a dozen more in the cabin, so that theeleven now in their charge were easily cared for. Of these, only threehad been seriously injured. One was the German, who, however, was nowsleeping soundly under the influence of the soothing potion thatfollowed his operation. The man's calmness and iron nerve indicated thathe would make a rapid recovery. Another was the young Belgian soldierpicked up in the roadway near the firing line, who had been shot in theback and had not yet recovered consciousness. Dr. Gys had removedseveral bits of exploded shell and dressed the wound, shaking his headdiscouragingly. But since the young man was still breathing, with afairly regular respiration, no attempt was made to restore him to hissenses. The third seriously injured was a French sergeant whose body wasliterally riddled with shrapnel. A brief examination had convinced Gysthat the case was hopeless. "He may live until morning, " was the doctor's report as he calmly lookeddown upon the moaning sergeant, "but no longer. Meanwhile, we mustprevent his suffering. " This he accomplished by means of powerful drugs. The soldier soon lay ina stupor, awaiting the end, and nothing more could be done for him. Of the others, two Belgians with bandaged heads were playing a quietgame of écarté in a corner of the cabin, while another with a slightwound in his leg was stretched upon a couch, reading a book. A youngFrench officer who had lost three fingers of his hand was cheerfullyconversing with a comrade whose scalp had been torn by a bullet and whodeclared that in two days he would return to the front. The others Maudfound asleep in their berths or lying quietly to ease their pain. It wasremarkable, however, how little suffering was caused these men by fleshwounds, once they were properly dressed and the patients madecomfortable with food and warmth and the assurance of proper care. So it was that Maud found her duties not at all arduous this evening. Indeed, the sympathy she felt for these brave men was so strong that itwearied her more than the actual work of nursing them. A sip of waterhere, a cold compress there, the administration of medicines to keepdown or prevent fever, little attentions of this character were all thatwere required. Speaking French fluently, she was able to converse withall those under her charge and all seemed eager to relate to theirbeautiful nurse their experiences, hopes and griefs. Soon she realizedshe was beginning to learn more of the true nature of war than she hadever gleaned from the correspondents of the newspapers. When dinner was served in the forward cabin Beth relieved Maud and afterthe evening meal Dr. Gys made another inspection of his patients. Allseemed doing well except the young Belgian. The condition of the Frenchsergeant was still unchanged. Some of those with minor injuries wereordered on deck for a breath of fresh air. Patsy relieved Beth at midnight and Maud came on duty again at sixo'clock, having had several hours of refreshing sleep. She found Patsytrembling with nervousness, for the sergeant had passed away an hourprevious and the horror of the event had quite upset the girl. "Oh, it is all so unnecessary!" she wailed as she threw herself intoMaud's arms. "We must steel ourselves to such things, dear, " said Maud, soothing her, "for they will be of frequent occurrence, I fear. And we must begrateful and glad that we were able to relieve the poor man's anguishand secure for him a peaceful end. " "I know, " answered Patsy with a little sob, "but it's so dreadful. Oh, what a cruel, hateful thing war is!" From papers found on the sergeant Uncle John was able to notify hisrelatives of his fate. His home was in a little village not fifty milesaway and during the day a brother arrived to take charge of the remainsand convey them to their last resting place. The following morning Captain Carg was notified by the authorities towithdraw the _Arabella_ to an anchorage farther out in the bay, andthereafter it became necessary to use the two launches for intercoursebetween the ship and the city. Continuous cannonading could be heardfrom the direction of Nieuport, Dixmude and Ypres, and it was evidentthat the battle had doubled in intensity at all points, owing to heavyreinforcements being added to both sides. But, as Maurie had predicted, the Allies were able to hold the foe at bay and keep them from advancinga step farther. Uncle John had not been at all satisfied with that first day'sexperience at the front. He firmly believed it was unwise, to the vergeof rashness, to allow the girls to place themselves in so dangerous aposition. During a serious consultation with Jones, Kelsey, CaptainCarg and Dr. Gys, the men agreed upon a better plan of procedure. "The three nurses have plenty to do in attending to the patients in ourhospital, " said Gys, "and when the ship has its full quota of woundedthey will need assistance or they will break down under the strain. Ouryoung ladies are different from the professional nurses; they are sokeenly sensitive that they suffer from sympathy with every patient thatcomes under their care. " "I do not favor their leaving the ship, " remarked Dr. Kelsey, the mate. "There seems to be plenty of field workers at the front, supplied by thegovernments whose troops are fighting. " "Therefore, " added Jones, "we men must assume the duty of driving theambulances and bringing back the wounded we are able to pick up. AsMaurie is too stiff from his wound to drive to-day, I shall undertakethe job myself. I know the way, now, and am confident I shall get alongnicely. Who will go with me?" "I will, of course, " replied Kelsey quietly. "Doctor Gys will be needed on the ship, " asserted Uncle John. "Yes, it will be best to leave me here, " said Gys. "I'm too great acoward to go near the firing line again. It destroys my usefulness, andKelsey can administer first aid as well as I. " "In that case, I think I shall take the small ambulance to-day, " decidedAjo. "With Dr. Kelsey and one of the sailors we shall manage very well. " A launch took them ashore, where the ambulances stood upon the dock. Maurie had admitted his inability to drive, but asked to be allowed togo into the town. So he left the ship with the others and disappearedfor the day. Ajo took the same route he had covered before, in the direction ofNieuport, but could not get within five miles of the town, which was nowheld by the Germans. From Furnes to the front the roads were packed withreinforcements and wagon trains bearing ammunition and supplies, andfurther progress with the ambulance was impossible. However, a constant stream of wounded flowed to the rear, some withfirst aid bandages covering their injuries, others as yet uncared for. Kelsey chose those whom he considered most in need of surgical care orskillful nursing, and by noon the ambulance was filled to overflowing. It was Jones who advised taking none of the fatally injured, as the armysurgeons paid especial attention to these. The Americans could be ofmost practical use, the boy considered, by taking in charge such as hada chance to recover. So nine more patients were added to the ship'scolony on this occasion, all being delivered to the care of Dr. Gyswithout accident or delay--a fact that rendered Ajo quite proud of hisskillful driving. While the ambulance was away the girls quietly passed from berth toberth, encouraging and caring for their wounded. It was surprising howinterested they became in the personality of these soldiers, for eachman was distinctive either in individuality or the character of hisinjury, and most of them were eager to chat with their nurses andanxious for news of the battle. During the morning the young Belgian who had lain until now in astupor, recovered consciousness. He had moaned once or twice, drawingMaud to his side, but hearing a different sound from him she approachedthe berth where he lay, to find his eyes wide open. Gradually he turnedthem upon his nurse, as if feeling her presence, and after a moment ofobservation he sighed and then smiled wanly. "Still on earth?" he said in French. "I am so glad, " she replied. "You have been in dreamland a long time. " He tried to move and it brought a moan to his lips. "Don't stir, " she counseled warningly; "you are badly wounded. " He was silent for a time, staring at the ceiling. She held some water tohis lips and he drank eagerly. Finally he said in a faint voice: "I remember, now. I had turned to reload and it hit me in the back. Abullet, mademoiselle?" "Part of a shell. " "Ah, I understand. .. . I tried to get to the rear. The pain was terrible. No one seemed to notice me. At last I fell, and--then I slept. Ithought it was the end. " She bathed his forehead, saying: "You must not talk any more at present. Here comes the doctor to seeyou. " Gys, busy in the cabin, had heard their voices and now came to look athis most interesting patient. The soldier seemed about twenty years ofage; he was rather handsome, with expressive eyes and features bearingthe stamp of culture. Already they knew his name, by means of anidentification card found upon him, as well as a small packet of letterscarefully pinned in an inner pocket of his coat. These last were alladdressed in the same handwriting, which was undoubtedly feminine, toAndrew Denton. The card stated that Andrew Denton, private, was formerlyan insurance agent at Antwerp. Doctor Gys had rather impatiently awaited the young man's return toconsciousness that he might complete his examination. He now devoted thenext half hour to a careful diagnosis of Denton's injuries. By this timethe patient was suffering intense pain and a hypodermic injection ofmorphine was required to relieve him. When at last he was quietlydrowsing the doctor called Maud aside to give her instructions. "Watch him carefully, " said he, "and don't let him suffer. Keep up themorphine. " "There is no hope, then?" she asked. "Not the slightest. He may linger for days--even weeks, if we sustainhis strength--but recovery is impossible. That bit of shell tore ahorrible hole in the poor fellow and all we can do is keep himcomfortable until the end. Without the morphine he would not live twelvehours. " "Shall I let him talk?" "If he wishes to. His lungs are not involved, so it can do him no harm. " But Andrew Denton did not care to talk any more that day. He wanted tothink, and lay quietly until Beth came on duty. To her he gave a smileand a word of thanks and again lapsed into thoughtful silence. When Ajo brought the new consignment of wounded to the ship the doctorsand nurses found themselves pretty busy for a time. With wounds to dressand one or two slight operations to perform, the afternoon passedswiftly away. The old patients must not be neglected, either, so CaptainCarg said he would sit with the German and look after him, as he wasable to converse with the patient in his own tongue. The German was resting easily to-day but proved as glum anduncommunicative as ever. That did not worry the captain, who gave theman a cigarette and, when it was nonchalantly accepted, lighted his ownpipe. Together they sat in silence and smoked, the German occupying aneasy chair and resting his leg upon a stool, for he had refused to liein a berth. Through the open window the dull boom of artillery couldconstantly be heard. After an hour or so: "A long fight, " remarked the captain in German. The other merely looked at him, contemplatively. Carg stared for fiveminutes at the bandaged foot. Finally: "Hard luck, " said he. This time the German nodded, looking at the foot also. "In America, " resumed the captain, puffing slowly, "they make fineartificial feet. Walk all right. Look natural. " "Vienna, " said the German. "Yes, I suppose so. " Another pause. "Name?" asked the German, with startling abruptness. But the other neverwinked. "Carg. I'm a sailor. Captain of this ship. Live in Sangoa, when ashore. " "Sangoa?" "Island in South Seas. " The wounded man reached for another cigarette and lighted it. "Carg, " he repeated, musingly. "German?" "Why, my folks were, I believe. I've relations in Germany, yet. Munich. Visited them once, when a boy. Mother's name was Elbl. The Cargs livednext door to the Elbls. But they've lost track of me, and I of them. Nothing in common, you see. " The German finished his cigarette, looking at the captain at timesreflectively. Carg, feeling his biography had not been appreciated, hadlapsed into silence. At length the wounded man began feeling in hisbreast pocket--an awkward operation because the least action disturbedthe swathed limb--and presently drew out a leather card case. With muchdeliberation he abstracted a card and handed it to the captain, who puton his spectacles and read: "Otto Elbl. 12th Uhlans" "Oh, " he said, looking up to examine the German anew. "Otto Elbl ofMunich?" "Yes. " "H-m. Number 121 Friedrichstrasse?" "Yes. " "I didn't see you when I visited your family. They said you were atcollege. Your father was William Elbl, my mother's brother. " The German stretched out his hand and gripped the fist of the captain. "Cousins, " he said. Carg nodded, meditating. "To be sure, " he presently returned; "cousins. Have another cigarette. " CHAPTER XI PATSY IS DEFIANT That evening the captain joined Dr. Gys on deck. "That German, Lieutenant Elbl, " he began. "Oh, is that his name?" asked Gys. "Yes. Will he get well?" "Certainly. What is a foot, to a man like him? But his soldiering daysare past. " "Perhaps that's fortunate, " returned the captain, ruminatively. "When Iwas a boy, his father was burgomaster--mayor--in Munich. People said hewas well-to-do. The Germans are thrifty, so I suppose there's stillmoney in the Elbl family. " "Money will do much to help reconcile the man to the loss of his foot, "declared the doctor. "Will he suffer much pain, while it is getting well?" "Not if I can help it. The fellow bears pain with wonderful fortitude. When I was in Yucatan, and had to slash my face to get out the poisoneddarts of the cactus, I screamed till you could have heard me a mile. AndI had no anaesthetic to soothe me. Your lieutenant never whimpered orcringed with his mangled foot and he refused morphine when I operated onit. But I fooled him. I hate to see a brave man suffer. I stuck a needlejust above the wound when he wasn't looking, and I've doped his medicineever since. " "Thank you, " said Carg; "he's my cousin. " In the small hours of the next morning, while Patsy was on duty in thehospital section, the young Belgian became wakeful and restless. Shepromptly administered a sedative and sat by his bedside. After a littlehis pain was eased and he became quiet, but he lay there with wide openeyes. "Can I do anything more for you?" she asked. "If you would be so kind, " replied Andrew Denton. "Well?" "Please read to me some letters you will find in my pocket. I cannotread them myself, and--they will comfort me. " Patsy found the packet of letters. "The top one first, " he said eagerly. "Read them all!" She opened the letter reluctantly. It was addressed in a dainty, femalehand and the girl had the uncomfortable feeling that she was about topry into personal relations of a delicate character. "Your sweetheart?" she asked gently. "Yes, indeed; my sweetheart and my wife. " "Oh, I see. And have you been married long?" He seemed a mere boy. "Five months, but for the last two I have not seen her. " The letters were dated at Charleroi and each one began: "My darlinghusband. " Patsy read the packet through, from first to last, her eyesfilling with tears at times as she noted the rare devotion andpassionate longing of the poor young wife and realized that the boyishhusband was even now dying, a martyr to his country's cause. Theletters were signed "Elizabeth. " In one was a small photograph of asweet, dark-eyed girl whom she instantly knew to be the bereaved wife. "And does she still live at Charleroi?" Patsy asked. "I hope so, mademoiselle; with her mother. The Germans now occupy thetown, but you will notice the last letter states that all citizens aretreated courteously and with much consideration, so I do not fear forher. " The reading of the letters, in conjunction with the opiate, seemed tocomfort him, for presently he fell asleep. With a heavy heart the girlleft him to attend to her other patients and at three o'clock Ajo camein and joined her, to relieve the tedium of the next three hours. Theboy knew nothing of nursing, but he could help Patsy administer potionsand change compresses and his presence was a distinct relief to her. The girl was supposed to sleep from six o'clock--at which time she wasrelieved from duty--until one in the afternoon, but the next morning ateight she walked into the forward salon, where her friends were atbreakfast, and sat down beside Uncle John. "I could not sleep, " said she, "because I am so worried over AndrewDenton. " "That is foolish, my dear, " answered Mr. Merrick, affectionately pattingthe hand she laid in his. "The doctor says poor Denton cannot recover. If you're going to take to heart all the sad incidents we encounter onthis hospital ship, it will not only ruin your usefulness but destroyyour happiness. " "Exactly so, " agreed Gys, coming into the salon in time to overhear thisremark. "A nurse should be sympathetic, but impersonally so. " "Denton has been married but five months, " said Patsy. "I have seen hiswife's picture--she's a dear little girl!--and her letters to him arefull of love and longing. She doesn't know, of course, of his--hisaccident--or that he--he--" Her voice broke with a sob she could notrepress. "M-m, " purred Uncle John; "where does she live, this young wife?" "At Charleroi. " "Well; the Germans are there. " "Yes, Uncle. But don't you suppose they would let her come to see herdying husband?" "A young girl, unprotected? Would it be--safe?" "The Germans, " remarked Captain Carg from his end of the table, "arevery decent people. " "Ahem!" said Uncle John. "Some of them, I've no doubt, are quite respectable, " observed Ajo; "butfrom all reports the rank and file, in war time, are--rather unpleasantto meet. " "Precisely, " agreed Uncle John. "I think, Patsy dear, it will be best toleave this Belgian girl in ignorance of her husband's fate. " "I, myself, have a wife, " quoth little Maurie, with smug assurance, "butshe is not worrying about me, wherever she may be; nor do I feelespecial anxiety for Clarette. A woman takes what comes--especially ifshe is obliged to. " Patsy regarded him indignantly. "There are many kinds of women, " she began. "Thank heaven!" exclaimed Maurie, and then she realized how futile itwas to argue with him. A little later she walked on deck with Uncle John and pleaded her causeearnestly. It was said by those who knew him well that the kindly littlegentleman was never able to refuse Patsy anything for long, and he washimself so well aware of this weakness that he made a supreme effort toresist her on this occasion. "You and I, " said she, "would have no trouble in passing the Germanlines. We are strictly neutral, you know, we Americans, and ourpassports and the Red Cross will take us anywhere in safety. " "It won't do, my dear, " he replied. "You've already been in dangerenough for one war. I shudder even now as I think of those bullets andshells at Nieuport. " "But we can pass through at some place where they are not fighting. " "Show me such a place!" "And distances are very small in this part of the Continent. We couldget to Charleroi in a day, and return the next day with Mrs. Denton. " "Impossible. " "The doctor says he may live for several days, but it may be only forhours. If you could see his face light up when he speaks of her, youwould realize what a comfort her presence would be to him. " "I understand that, Patsy. But can't you see, my dear, that we're notable to do everything for those poor wounded soldiers? You have twentyin your charge now, and by to-night there may be possibly a dozen more. Many of them have wives at home, but--" "But all are not dying, Uncle--and after only five months of marriedlife, three of which they passed together. Here, at least, is one braveheart we may comfort, one poor woman who will be ever grateful for ourgenerous kindness. " Mr. Merrick coughed. He wiped his eyes and blew his nose on his pinkbordered handkerchief. But he made no promise. Patsy left him and went to Ajo. "See here, " she said; "I'm going to Charleroi in an hour. " "It's a day's journey, Patsy. " "I mean I'm going to start in an hour. Will you go with me?" "What does Uncle John say?" he inquired cautiously. "I don't care what he says. I'm going!" she persisted, her eyes blazingwith determination. The boy whistled softly, studying her face. Then he walked across thedeck to Mr. Merrick. "Patsy is rampant, sir, " said he. "She won't be denied. Go and arguewith her, please. " "I _have_ argued, " returned Uncle John weakly. "Well, argue again. " The little man cast a half frightened, half reproachful glance at hisniece. "Let's go and consult the doctor, " he exclaimed, and together Uncle Johnand Ajo went below. To their surprise, Gys supported Patsy's plea. "He's a fine fellow, this Denton, " said he, "and rather above theaverage soldier. Moreover, his case is a pitiful one. I'll agree to keephim alive until his wife comes. " Uncle John looked appealingly at Ajo. "How on earth can we manage to cross the lines?" he asked. "Take one of our launches, " said the boy. "Skim the coast to Ostend, and you'll avoid danger altogether. " "That's the idea!" exclaimed the doctor approvingly. "Why, it's theeasiest thing in the world, sir. " Uncle John began to feel slightly reassured. "Who will run the launch?" he inquired. "I'll give you the captain and one of the men, " said the boy. "Carg's anold traveler and knows more than he appears to. Besides, he speaksGerman. We can't spare very many, you understand, and the ambulanceswill keep Maurie and me pretty busy. Patsy will be missed, too, from thehospital ward, so you must hurry back. " "Two days ought to accomplish our object, " said Uncle John. "Easily, " agreed Gys. "I've arranged for a couple of girls from the townto come and help us to-day, for I must save the strength of my expertnurses as much as possible, and I'll keep them with us until you return. The French girls are not experienced in nursing, but I'll take MissPatsy's watch myself, so we shall get along all right. " Mr. Merrick and Jones returned to the deck. "Well?" demanded Patsy. "Get ready, " said Uncle John; "we leave in an hour. " "For Charleroi?" "Of course; unless you've changed your mind. " Patsy flew to her stateroom. CHAPTER XII THE OTHER SIDE The launch in which they embarked bore the Red Cross on its sides, andan American flag floated from the bow and a Red Cross flag from thestern. Its four occupants wore the Red Cross uniforms. Yet three milesout of Dunkirk a shot came singing across their prow and they wereobliged to lay to until a British man-of-war could lower a boat toinvestigate their errand. The coast is very shallow in this section, which permits boats of only the lightest draught to navigate in-shore, but the launch was able to skim over the surface at twelve miles anhour. "This is pleasant!" grumbled Uncle John, as they awaited the approach ofthe warship's boat. "Our very appearance ought to insure us safeconduct, but I suppose that in these times every craft is regarded withsuspicion. " The boat came alongside. "Where are you going?" demanded an officer, gruffly. "To Ostend. " "On what business?" "Our own, " replied Mr. Merrick. "Be respectful, sir, or I'll arrest your entire outfit, " warned theofficer. "You'll do nothing of the sort, " declared Mr. Merrick. "You'll examineour papers, apologize for your interference and row back to your ship. We have the authority of the Red Cross to go wherever our duty calls us, and moreover we're American citizens. Permit me to add that we're in ahurry. " The officer turned first white and then red, but he appreciated theforce of the argument. "Your papers!" he commanded. Uncle John produced them and waited patiently for their inspection, which was very deliberate. Finally the officer returned them and gavethe order to his men to row back to the ship. "One moment!" called Uncle John. "You haven't made the apology. " There was no answer. The boat moved swiftly away and at a gesture fromCaptain Carg the sailor started the launch again. "I wonder why it is, " mused Mr. Merrick, "that there is always thisraspy feeling when the English meet Americans. On the surface we'refriendly enough and our governments always express in diplomaticrelations the most cordial good will; but I've always noticed in theEnglish individual an undercurrent of antipathy for Americans thatcannot be disguised. As a race the English hate us, I'm positive, and Iwonder why?" "I believe you're wrong, Uncle, " remarked Patsy. "A few of the Britishmay individually dislike us, but I'm sure the two nations are notantagonistic. Why should they be?" "Yorktown, " muttered the captain. "I don't believe it, " declared the girl. "They're too good sportsmen tobear grudges. " "All the same, " persisted Uncle John, "the English have never favored usas the French have, or even the Russians. " From Dunkirk to Ostend, by the coast line, is only some twenty-fivemiles, yet although they started at a little after eleven o'clock it wasthree in the afternoon before they finally landed at the Belgianseaport. Interruptions were numerous, and although they were treatedcourteously, in the main, it was only after rigid questioning and athorough examination that they were permitted to proceed. A full hourwas consumed at the harbor at Ostend before they could even land. As they stepped upon the wharf a group of German soldiers met them andnow Captain Carg became the spokesman of the party. The young officer incommand removed his helmet to bow deferentially to Patsy and then turnedto ask their business at Ostend. "He says we must go before the military governor, " said Carg, translating. "There, if our papers are regular, permits will be issuedfor us to proceed to Charleroi. " They left the sailor in charge of the launch, which was well provisionedand contained a convertible bunk, and followed the officer into thetown. Ostend is a large city, fortified, and was formerly one of themost important ports on the North Sea, as well as a summer resort ofprominence. The city now being occupied by the Germans, our friendsfound few citizens on the streets of Ostend and these hurried nervouslyon their way. The streets swarmed with German soldiery. Arriving at headquarters they found that the commandant was too busy toattend to the Red Cross Americans. He ordered them taken before ColonelGrau for examination. "But why examine us at all?" protested Mr. Merrick. "Doesn't our sacredmission protect us from such annoying details?" The young officer regretted that it did not. They would find ColonelGrau in one of the upper rooms. It would be a formal examination, ofcourse, and brief. But busy spies had even assumed the insignia of theRed Cross to mask their nefarious work and an examination was thereforenecessary as a protective measure. So they ascended a broad staircaseand proceeded along a corridor to the colonel's office. Grau was at the head of the detective service at Ostend and investedwith the task of ferreting out the numerous spies in the service of theAllies and dealing with them in a summary manner. He was a very stoutman, and not very tall. His eyes were light blue and his grizzledmustache was a poor imitation of that affected by the Kaiser. When Graulooked up, on their entrance, Patsy decided that their appearance hadstartled him, but presently she realized that the odd expression waspermanent. In a chair beside the colonel's desk sat, or rather lounged, anotherofficer, encased in a uniform so brilliant that it arrested the eyebefore one could discover its contents. These were a wizened, weather-beaten man of advanced age, yet rugged as hickory. His eyes hada periodical squint; his brows wore a persistent frown. There was abroad scar on his left cheek and another across his forehead. A warriorwho had seen service, probably, but whose surly physiognomy was somewhatdisconcerting. The two officers had been in earnest conversation, but when Mr. Merrick's party was ushered in, the elder man leaned back in his chair, squinting and scowling, and regarded them silently. "Huh!" exclaimed the colonel, in a brusque growl. "What is it, vonHoltz?" The young officer explained that the party had just arrived from Dunkirkin a launch; the commandant had asked Colonel Grau kindly to examinethem. Uncle John proceeded to state the case, Captain Carg interpreting. They operated a Red Cross hospital ship at Dunkirk, and one of theirpatients, a young Belgian, was dying of his wounds. They had come tofind his young wife and take her back with them to Dunkirk in theirlaunch, that she might comfort the last moments of her husband. TheAmericans asked for safe conduct to Charleroi, and permission to takeMrs. Denton with them to Dunkirk. Then he presented his papers, including the authority of the American Red Cross Society, the letterfrom the secretary of state and the recommendation of the Germanambassador at Washington. The colonel looked them all over. He uttered little gutturalexclamations and tapped the desk with his finger-tips as he read, andall the time his face wore that perplexing expression of surprise. Finally he asked: "Which is Mr. Merrick?" Hearing his name, Uncle John bowed. "Huh! But the description does not fit you. " Captain Carg translated this. "Why not?" demanded Uncle John. "It says you are short, stout, blue-eyed, bald, forty-five years ofage. " "Of course. " "You are not short; I think you are as tall as I am. Your eyes are notblue; they are olive green. You are not bald, for there is still hairover your ears. Huh! How do you explain that?" "It's nonsense, " said Uncle John scornfully. Carg was more cautious in interpreting the remark. He assured thecolonel, in German, that the description of Mr. Merrick was consideredclose enough for all practical purposes. But Grau was not satisfied. Hewent over the papers again and then turned to face the other officer. "What do you think, General?" he asked, hesitatingly. "Suspicious!" was the reply. "I think so, myself, " said the colonel. "Mark you: Here's a man whoclaims to come from Sangoa, a place no one has ever heard of; and theother has endorsements purporting to come from the highest officials inAmerica. Huh! what does it mean?" "Papers may be forged, or stolen from their proper owners, " suggestedthe squinting general. "This excuse of coming here to get the wife of ahurt Belgian seems absurd. If they are really Red Cross workers, theyare not attending to their proper business. " When the captain interpreted this speech Patsy said angrily: "The general is an old fool. " "An idiot, I'll call him, " added Uncle John. "I wish I could tell himso. " "You _have_ told him, " said the general in good English, squinting nowmore rapidly than ever, "and your manner of speech proves you to beimpostors. I have never known a respectable Red Cross nurse, of anycountry, who called a distinguished officer a fool--and to his face. " "I didn't know you understood English, " she said. "That is no excuse!" "But I _did_ know, " she added, "that I had judged you correctly. No onewith a spark of intelligence could doubt the evidence of these papers. " "The papers are all right. Where did you get them?" "From the proper authorities. " He turned to speak rapidly in German to Colonel Grau, who had beenuneasy during the conversation in English, because he failed tounderstand it. His expression of piquant surprise was intensified as henow turned to the Americans. "You may as well confess your imposture, " said he. "It will make yourpunishment lighter. However, if on further examination you prove to bespies, your fate is beyond my power to mitigate. " "See here, " said Uncle John, when this was translated to him, "if youdare to interfere with us, or cause us annoyance, I shall insist on yourbeing courtmartialed. You are responsible to your superiors, I suppose, and they dare not tolerate an insult to the Red Cross, nor to anAmerican citizen. You may have the sense to consider that if thesepapers and letters are genuine, as I declare they are, I have friendspowerful enough to bring this matter before the Kaiser himself, in whichcase someone will suffer a penalty, even if he is a general or acolonel. " As he spoke he glared defiantly at the older officer, who calmlyproceeded to translate the speech to the colonel. Carg reported that itwas translated verbatim. Then the general sat back and squinted at hiscompanion, who seemed fairly bewildered by the threat. Patsy caught theyoung officer smothering a smile, but neither of them interrupted thesilence that followed. Once again the colonel picked up the papers and gave them a rigidexamination, especially that of the German ambassador, which was writtenin his own language. "I cannot understand, " he muttered, "how oneinsignificant American citizen could secure such powerful endorsements. It has never happened before in my experience. " "It is extraordinary, " said the general. "Mr. Merrick, " said Patsy to him, "is a very important man in America. He is so important that any indignity to him will be promptly resented. " "I will investigate your case further, " decided Colonel Grau, afteranother sotto voce conference with the general. "Spies are getting to bevery clever, these days, and we cannot take chances. However, I assureyou there is no disposition to worry you and until your standing isdetermined you will be treated with every consideration. " "Do you mean that we are prisoners?" asked Uncle John, trying to controlhis indignation. "No, indeed. You will be detained, of course, but you are notprisoners--as yet. I will keep your papers and submit them to thegeneral staff. It will be for that august body to decide. " Uncle John protested vigorously; Patsy faced the old general and toldhim this action was an outrage that would be condemned by the entirecivilized world; Captain Carg gravely assured both officers that theywere making a serious mistake. But nothing could move the stolidGermans. The general, indeed, smiled grimly and told them in Englishthat he was in no way responsible, whatever happened. This was ColonelGrau's affair, but he believed, nevertheless, that the colonel wasacting wisely. The young officer, who had stood like a statue during the entireinterview, was ordered to accompany the Americans to a hotel, where theymust be kept under surveillance but might follow, to an extent, theirown devices. They were not to mail letters nor send telegrams. The officer asked who should guard the suspects. "Why not yourself, Lieutenant? You are on detached duty, I believe?" "At the port, Colonel. " "There are too many officers at the port; it is a sinecure. I willappoint you to guard the Americans. You speak their language, Ibelieve?" The young man bowed. "Very well; I shall hold you responsible for their safety. " They were then dismissed and compelled to follow their guard from theroom. Patsy was now wild with rage and Uncle John speechless. Even Carg wasevidently uneasy. "Do not mind, " said the young lieutenant consolingly. "It is merely atemporary inconvenience, you know, for your release will come very soon. And since you are placed in my care I beg you to accept this delay withgood grace and be happy as possible. Ostend is full of life and I amconducting you to an excellent hotel. " CHAPTER XIII TARDY JUSTICE The courtesy of Lieutenant von Holtz was beyond criticism. He obtainedfor his charges a comfortable suite of rooms in an overcrowded hotel, obliging the landlord to turn away other guests that Mr. Merrick's partymight be accommodated. The dinner that was served in their cosy sittingroom proved excellent, having been ordered by von Holtz after he hadrequested that privilege. When the young officer appeared to see that itwas properly served, Patsy invited him to join them at the table and helaughingly consented. "You are one of our party, by force of circumstances, " said the girl, "and since we've found you good-natured and polite, and believe you arenot to blame for our troubles, we may as well be friendly while we aretogether. " The young man was evidently well pleased. "However evil your fortune may be, " said he, "I cannot fail to beimpressed by my own good luck. Perhaps you may guess what a relief thispleasant commission is to one who for days has been compelled to patrolthose vile smelling docks, watching for spies and enduring all sorts ofweather. " "To think, " said Uncle John gloomily, "that _we_ are accused of beingspies!" "It is not for me, " returned von Holtz, "to criticize the acts of mysuperiors. I may say, however, that were it my province to decide thequestion, you would now be free. Colonel Grau has an excellent recordfor efficiency and seldom makes a mistake, but I suspect his judgmentwas influenced by the general, whose son was once jilted by an Americangirl. " "We're going to get even with them both, before this affair is ended, "declared Patsy, vindictively; "but although you are our actual jailer Ipromise that you will escape our vengeance. " "My instructions are quite elastic, as you heard, " said the lieutenant. "I am merely ordered to keep you in Ostend, under my eye, until yourcase has been passed upon by the commandant or the general staff. Sinceyou have money, you may enjoy every luxury save that of travel, and Iask you to command my services in all ways consistent with my duty. " "What worries me, " said Patsy to Uncle John, "is the delay. If we arekept here for long, poor Denton will die before we can find his wife andtake her to him. " "How long are we liable to be detained?" Uncle John asked the officer. "I cannot say. Perhaps the council of the general staff will meetto-morrow morning; perhaps not for several days, " was the indefinitereply. Patsy wiped away the tears that began to well into her eyes. She had sofondly set her heart on reuniting the Dentons that her disappointmentwas very great. Von Holtz noticed the girl's mood and became thoughtful. Captain Carghad remained glum and solemn ever since they had left the colonel'soffice. Uncle John sat in silent indignation, wondering what could bedone to influence these stupid Germans. Presently the lieutenantremarked: "That sailor whom you left with the launch seemed an intelligentfellow. " Patsy gave a start; Uncle John looked at the young man expectantly; thecaptain nodded his head as he slowly replied: "Henderson is one of the picked men I brought from Sangoa. He is bothintelligent and loyal. " "Curiously enough, " said von Holtz, "I neglected to place the man underarrest. I even forgot to report him. He is free. " "Ah!" exclaimed Patsy, her eyes lighting. "I know a civilian here--a bright young Belgian--who is my friend andwill do anything I ask of him, " resumed von Holtz, still musingly. "Ihad the good fortune to protect his mother when our troops entered thecity, and he is grateful. " Patsy was thinking very fast now. "Could Henderson get to Charleroi, do you imagine?" she asked. "He has apassport. " "We do not consider passports of much value, " said the officer; "but aRed Cross appointment--" "Oh, he has that, too; all our men carry them. " "In that case, with my friend Rondel to guide him, I believe Hendersoncould accomplish your errand. " "Let us send for him at once!" exclaimed Uncle John. Carg scribbled on a card. "He wouldn't leave the launch without orders, unless forced by theGermans, " asserted the captain, and handed the card to von Holtz. The young lieutenant took his cap, bowed profoundly and left the room. In ten minutes he returned, saying: "I am not so fortunate as I hadthought. All our troops are on the move, headed for the Yser. There willbe fighting, presently, and--I must remain here, " he added despondently. "It won't be your last chance, I'm sure, " said Patsy. "Will thatdreadful Colonel Grau go, too?" "No; he is to remain. But all regiments quartered here are now marchingout and to-morrow a fresh brigade will enter Ostend. " They were silent a time, until someone rapped upon the door. Von Holtzadmitted a slim, good-looking young Belgian who grasped his hand andsaid eagerly in French: "You sent for me?" "Yes. You may speak English here, Monsieur Rondel. " Then he presentedhis friend to the Americans, who approved him on sight. Henderson came a few minutes later and listened respectfully to the planMiss Doyle unfolded. He was to go with Monsieur Rondel to Charleroi, find Mrs. Denton, explain that her husband was very ill, and bring herback with him to Ostend. He would report promptly on his return and theywould tell him what to do next. The man accepted the mission without a word of protest. Charleroi was incentral Belgium, but that did not mean many miles away and Rondelassured him they would meet with no difficulties. The trains werereserved for soldiers, but the Belgian had an automobile and a Germanpermit to drive it. The roads were excellent. "Now, remember, " said Patsy, "the lady you are going for is Mrs. AlbertDenton. She lives with her mother, or did, the last we heard of her. " "And her mother's name and address?" inquired Henderson. "We are ignorant of either, " she confessed; "but it's not a very bigtown and I'm sure you'll easily find her. " "I know the place well, " said Rondel, "and I have friends residing therewho will give me information. " Uncle John supplied them liberally with money, impressed upon them thenecessity of haste, and sent them away. Rondel declared the night timewas best for the trip and promised to be on the way within the hour, andin Charleroi by next morning. Notwithstanding the fact that they had succeeded in promoting by proxythe mission which had brought them to Belgium, the Americans found thenext day an exceedingly irksome one. In the company of Lieutenant vonHoltz they were permitted to walk about the city, but they found littlepleasure in that, owing to the bustle of outgoing troops and the arrivalof others to replace them. Nor did they care to stray far from theirquarters, for fear the council would meet and they might be sent for. However, no sign from Colonel Grau was received that day. Patsy went tobed with a nervous headache and left Uncle John and the captain to smokemore than was good for them. Both the men had now come to regard theirsituation as serious and as the American consul was at this time absentin Brussels they could think of no way to secure their freedom. No oneknew when the consul would return; Mr. Merrick had been refused theprivilege of using the telegraph or mails. During one of their strollsthey had met the correspondent of an American newspaper, but when theman learned they were suspects he got away from them as soon aspossible. He did not know Mr. Merrick and his own liberty was tooprecarious for him to argue with Colonel Grau. "I'm beginning to think, " said Uncle John, "that we're up against a hardproposition. Letters and endorsements from prominent Americans seem tohave no weight with these Germans. I'd no idea our identity could everbe disputed. " "We must admit, sir, " returned the captain, reflectively, "that the spysystem in this war is something remarkable. Spies are everywhere; cleverones, too, who adopt every sort of subterfuge to escape detection. I donot blame Grau so much for caution as for lack of judgment. " "He's a blockhead!" cried Mr. Merrick testily. "He is. I'm astonished they should place so much power in the hands ofone so slow witted. " "He has insulted us, " continued Uncle John. "He has dared to arrestthree free-born Americans. " "Who came into a troubled country, occupied by a conquering army, without being invited. " "Well--that's true, " sighed the little millionaire, "but what are wegoing to do about it?" "Wait, " counseled the captain. The next day dawned dark and rainy and the weather had a depressingeffect upon the prisoners. It was too damp to stir out of doors and theconfinement of the hotel rooms became especially irksome. Not only werethey anxious about their own fate but it was far past the time when theyshould have heard from Henderson and Rondel. Patsy's nerves were gettingbeyond her control; Uncle John stumped around with his hands thrust deepin his pockets and a frown wrinkling his forehead; the captain smokedinnumerable pipes of tobacco and said not a word. Von Holtz, noting theuneasiness of his charges, discreetly forbore conversation and retiredto a far corner where he hid behind a book. It was nearing evening when a commotion was heard on the stairs, followed by the heavy tramp of feet in the corridor. A sharp rap soundedon the door of their sitting room. Uncle John stepped forward to openit, when in stalked a group of German officers, their swords and spursclanking and their cloaks glistening with rain-drops. At sight of theyoung girl off came cap and helmet and with one accord they bowed low. The leader was a tall, thin man with a leathern face, hooked nose andpiercing gray eyes. His breast glittered with orders. It was vonKargenbrut, the military governor. "Pardon our intrusion, " he said in English, his harsh voice having aguttural accent. "Which gentleman is Mr. John Merrick?" "I am John Merrick. " The eagle eyes swept over him with a swift glance. "We owe you our apology, " continued the governor, speaking as fiercelyas if he were ordering Uncle John beheaded. "I have been too busy totake up your case before to-day, when I discover that we have treatedyou discourteously. You will consider our fault due to these troubledtimes, when mistakes occur in spite of our watchfulness. Is it not so?" "Your error has caused us great inconvenience, " responded Mr. Merrickstiffly. The governor whirled around. "Colonel Grau!" he called, and from therear of the group the colonel stepped forward. His face still wore theexpression of comical surprise. "Return to Mr. Merrick his papers andcredentials. " The colonel drew the packet of papers from his breast pocket and handedit to Uncle John. Then he glanced hesitatingly at his superior, whoglared at him. "He cannot speak the English, " said the governor to Mr. Merrick, "but heowes you reparation. " "Grau's stupidity has been very annoying, to say the least, " was theungracious reply. "We came here on important business, and presented ourpapers--all in proper order--on demand. We had the right to expectdecent treatment, as respectable American citizens engaged inhumanitarian work; yet this--this--man, " pointing an accusing finger atthe colonel, "ordered us detained--arrested!--and kept our papers. " The governor listened coldly and at the end of the speech inclined hishead. "Colonel Grau, " said he, "has been relieved of his duties here andtransferred to another station. To you I have personally apologized. Youwill find my endorsement on your papers and, in addition, an order thatwill grant you safe conduct wherever you may wish to go. If that is notenough, make your demands and I will consider them. " "Why, that is all I can expect, your Excellency, under thecircumstances, " replied Mr. Merrick. "I suppose I ought to thank you foryour present act of justice. " "No; it is your due. Good evening, Mr. Merrick. " He swung around on his heel and every officer of the group turned withhim, like so many automatons, all facing the door. But Mr. Merricktouched the governor upon the arm. "One moment, your Excellency. This young officer, Lieutenant von Holtz, has treated us kindly and courteously. I want you to know that one ofyour men, at least, has performed his duty in a way to merit ourthanks--and yours. " The governor scowled at Lieutenant von Holtz, who stood like a statue, with lowered eyes. "Lieutenant, you are commissioned to guide Mr. Merrick as long as heremains within our lines. You will guard his safety and that of hisparty. When he departs, come to me personally with your report. " The young officer bowed; the governor tramped to the door and went out, followed by his staff. Grau left the room last, with hang-dog look, andPatsy slammed the door in the hope of bumping his wooden head. "So we're free?" she said, turning to von Holtz. "Not only that, Fraulein, but you are highly favored, " he replied. "AllGerman territory is now open to you. " "It's about time they came to their senses, " remarked Uncle John, with areturn to his accustomed cheerfulness. "And, best of all, " said Patsy exultantly, "they've fired that awfulcolonel!" The captain thoughtfully filled and lighted his pipe. "I wonder, " said he, "how that happened. Was it the council, do youthink, Lieutenant?" Von Holtz shook his head. "I think it was the governor, " he replied. "He is a just man, and hadyou been able to see him personally on your arrival you would have beenspared any annoyance. " "Perhaps, " said Patsy doubtfully. "But your governor's a regular bear. " "I believe that is merely his way, " asserted Uncle John. "I didn't mindthe man's tone when I found his words and deeds were all right. Buthe--" Another rap at the door. Patsy opened it and admitted Henderson. Hesaluted the captain, bowed to the others and said: "We've got her, sir. " "Mrs. Denton?" cried Patsy, delightedly. Henderson nodded. "Yes, Miss Doyle; Mrs. Denton and the children. " "The children! Why, there aren't any. " "I beg your pardon, Miss; there are two. " "Two children!" she exclaimed in dismay. "There must be some mistake. The young people have only been married five months. " Henderson stood stiff as a poker, refusing to argue the point. "A governess, maybe, " suggested the captain. "More likely, " said Uncle John, "young Denton married a widow, with--eh--eh--incumbrances. " "That's it, sir, " said Henderson earnestly. "What's it?" "The incumbrances, sir. No other word could describe 'em. " Patsy's heart sank; she was greatly disappointed. "And she so young and pretty!" she murmured. Henderson started to smile, but quickly suppressed it. "Shall I show them up, Miss?" he inquired. "Of course, " answered Uncle John, as the girl hesitated. "You shouldhave brought her to us at once. Where is that Belgian--Rondel?" "He is guarding the woman, sir. " "Guarding her!" "She's a little difficult to manage, sir, at times. She left Charleroiwillingly enough, but she's tricky, and it is our duty to deliver her toyou safely. " "Get her at once, Henderson, " exclaimed Patsy, recovering her wits; "andthe dear children, too. " Presently there was a sound of shuffling on the stairs and through thecorridor. The door opened to admit the arrivals from Charleroi. Henderson first pushed in a big woman dressed in a faded blue-checkedgown, belted around the waist in a manner that made her look like a sacktied in the middle. Her head was bare, her hair awry, her face sullenand hard; she was undeniably "fleshy" and not altogether clean. Sheresisted Henderson at every step and glared around her with shrewd andshifting eyes. Following her came Monsieur Rondel leading a boy and a girl, the latterbeing a small replica of the woman. The boy was viciously struggling tobite the hand of the Belgian, who held him fast. "Ah, well, " said Rondel, first sighing and then turning with a smile toface the lieutenant, "we have performed our mission. But heaven guard usfrom another like it!" Patsy stared hard at the woman. "This cannot be Mrs. Denton, " she gasped, bewildered. "Indeed?" answered Rondel in English. "She declares that is her name. Question her in French or Flemish, Miss Doyle. " Patsy addressed the woman in French but could elicit no reply. She stoodimpassive and silent. "How did you make the mistake?" asked the girl, looking reproachfullyfirst at Henderson and then at Rondel, both of whom were evidentlyastonished to find themselves at fault. "I have seen a photograph ofMrs. Andrew Denton, taken recently, and she is young and prettyand--and--rather small. " Monsieur Rondel cleared his throat to answer: "It happened in this way, mademoiselle: We searched one whole day inCharleroi for Mrs. Denton but could not find her. My friends, on whom Ihad relied for assistance, had unfortunately moved away or joined thearmy. The townspeople were suspicious of Monsieur Henderson, who is aforeigner. We could get no information whatever. I appealed to theburgomaster and he said he would try to find Mrs. Denton for us thenext day. In the morning came to us this woman, who said she was theperson we sought. If we promised her safe conduct to Dunkirk, she wouldgo with us. She had wanted to go to Dunkirk for some weeks, but theGermans would not let her pass the lines. We suspected nothing wrong, for she admitted she was aware that her husband is in Dunkirk, and shewanted to get to him. So we brought her to you. " Patsy faced the woman resolutely and said in French: "Why did you wish to get to Dunkirk?" "He has said it. To find my husband, " replied the woman in a surly tone. "What is your name?" No reply. "Answer me!" The woman eyed her obstinately and remained silent. "Very well. Release those children, Monsieur Rondel. Madam, you haveimposed upon us; you have tricked us in order to get to Ostend at ourexpense. Now go, and take your children with you. " She pointed dramatically at the door, but the woman retained herposition, only moving to cuff the boy, who was kicking Henderson on hisshins. Then, setting her hands on her hips she said defiantly: "They promised me passage to Dunkirk, and they must take me there. " "Who promised you?" "Those men, " pointing to them, "and the burgomaster. " "Yes, " admitted Henderson, "we agreed with the burgomaster to take herout of the country. We signed a paper to that effect. " "But she is a Belgian. And she is not the person she claimed to be. " To this neither Rondel nor Henderson had an answer. "See here, " said Uncle John, "I'll untangle this matter in a jiffy. Hereis money; give it to the woman and tell her to get out--or we'll ejecther by force. " The woman grabbed the money eagerly, but after placing it in an amplepocket she said: "I will go no place but Dunkirk. I will not leave youuntil you take me there. " But here the lieutenant interfered. He suddenly faced the woman, who hadnot noticed his presence before, and she shrank back in fear at sight ofhis uniform. The boy and girl both began to cry. "I know you, " said von Holtz sternly. "You are the wife of a spy who hasbeen condemned to death by both the Belgians and the Germans, since hebetrayed them both. The last time you came to Ostend to annoy us youwere driven out of the city. There is still an edict against you. Willyou leave this room peaceably, or shall I order you under arrest?" "Dog of a German!" she hissed, "the day is coming when I will help todrive you out of Belgium, even as you now drive me. Brave soldiers areyou, to make war on women and children. Guh! I would kill you where youstand--if I dared. " With venomous hate she spat upon the floor, thenseized her wailing children, shook them and waddled out of the room. There was a general sigh of relief. "You may return to the launch, Henderson, " said the captain. "Monsieur Rondel, " said Uncle John, grasping the young Belgian's hand, "we are grateful to you for your kindness. The failure of your missionwas not your fault. We thank you. The governor has given us our libertyand permission to travel where we please, so to-morrow we will go toCharleroi ourselves to search for Mrs. Denton. " "My motor car is at your disposal, sir, and my services. " "To-morrow? Oh, let us go to-night, Uncle!" cried Patsy. Mr. Merrick looked inquiringly at the Belgian. "I am ready now, " said Rondel with a bow. "Then, " said Patsy, "we will start in half an hour. You see, we havewasted two whole days--two precious days! I hope Dr. Gys will keep hispromise, and that we shall find poor Denton alive on our return. " CHAPTER XIV FOUND AT LAST The pretty city of Charleroi had suffered little damage from the Germaninvasion, yet many of the townspeople had gone away since the occupationand those who remained kept well within their houses or huddled inanxious groups upon the streets. The civic affairs were stilladministered by the Belgian burgomaster, but the martial law of theGermans prevailed over all. When Patsy Doyle, escorted by Uncle John and accompanied by CaptainCarg, Lieutenant von Holtz and Monsieur Rondel, arrived in the earlymorning, the streets were comparatively deserted. The Hotel Royalreceived them hospitably and the landlord and his daughters preparedthem an excellent breakfast. While eating, Patsy chatted with the Belgian girls, who were neat, modest and intelligent. She found that Henderson and Rondel had notstopped at this hotel while in Charleroi, but at a smaller inn at theother end of the town. The girls remembered hearing of their visit andof their inquiries for a Mrs. Denton, but did not know whether they hadsucceeded in their quest or not. "We have lived here all our lives, " said the eldest of the landlord'sthree daughters, "but we have not known, during that time, any family ofDentons in Charleroi. " Patsy reflected. "They were married only five months ago, these Dentons, " said she, "andthe young man may have come from some other town. Do you remember thatany of your young girls were married about five months ago?" Yes; there was Hildegarde Bentel, but she had married Anthony Mattison, who was not a soldier. Could the American mamselle remember what thegirl's first name was? "Oh, yes!" exclaimed Patsy. "She signed her letters 'Elizabeth. '" They shook their heads. "My name is also Elizabeth, " said one. "We have many Elizabeths inCharleroi, but none has lately married. " "And her husband told me that she was now living here with her mother. " "Ah, let us see, then, " responded another. "Could she have been a ladyof rank, think you?" "I--I do not know. " "Is her husband an officer?" "No; a private, I believe. " "Then we are on the wrong scent, " laughed the girl. "I had in mind thedaughter of the Countess Voig, whose name chances to be Elizabeth. Shewas educated at a convent in Antwerp, and the countess has lived in thatcity for several years, in order to be nearer her daughter. There wassome gossip here that the young lady had married in Antwerp, just afterleaving the convent; but we know little of the life of the Voigs becausethey are very reserved. Two or three months ago they returned to theircastle, which is four miles to the north of Charleroi, and there theyare still living in retirement. Every day the old steward drives intotown to visit the post office, but we have not seen the countess norher daughter since they came back. " Patsy related this news to Uncle John, who did not understand French. "Let us drive over to Castle Voig the first thing, " she said. "But, my dear, it's unreasonable, " he objected. "Do you suppose ahigh-born young lady would marry a common soldier? In America, where wehave no caste, it would be quite probable, but here--" "He wasn't a soldier five months ago, " said Patsy. "He's just avolunteer, who joined the army when his country needed him, as many ofthe wealthy and aristocratic Belgians did. He may be high-born himself, for all we know. At any rate I mean to visit that castle. Tell Rondel tobring around the automobile. " They had no trouble in passing the guards, owing to the presence of vonHoltz, and in half an hour they were rolling through a charming, peaceful country that as yet had suffered no blemish through the Germanconquest. At Castle Voig they were received by an aged retainer who was visiblynervous at their arrival. He eyed the uniform of young von Holtz withill-concealed terror and hurried away to carry their cards to thecountess. After a long wait they learned that the countess would receivethe Americans, but it was a full half hour after that when they wereushered into a reception room where a lady sat in solitary state. Under other circumstances Patsy could have spent a day in admiring thequaint, old-fashioned furniture and pictures and the wonderful carvingsof the beamed ceiling, but now she was so excited that she looked onlyat the countess. The lady was not very imposing in form or dress but herfeatures were calm and dignified and she met her guests with a gravecourtesy that was impressive if rather chilly. Before Patsy had summonedcourage to explain her errand a younger woman--almost a girl--hurriedlyentered the room and took a position beside the other. "Oh, it's Elizabeth--it really is!" cried Patsy, clapping her handstogether joyfully. Mother and daughter regarded the American girl wonderingly and somewhathaughtily, but Patsy was not in the least dismayed. "Isn't this Mrs. Denton?" she asked, stepping forward to lay a hand uponthe other girl's arm. "Yes, " was the quiet reply. Patsy's great eyes regarded her a moment with so sad and sympathetic alook that Mrs. Denton shrank away. Then she noticed for the first timethe Red Cross uniform, and her hand went swiftly to her heart as shefaltered: "You--you have brought bad news of Andrew--of my husband?" "Yes, I am sorry to admit that it is bad news, " answered Patsy soberly. "He has been wounded and is now lying ill in our hospital ship atDunkirk. We came here to find you, and to take you to him. " Mrs. Denton turned to her mother, a passionate appeal in her eyes. Butit was some moments before the hard, set look on the face of thecountess softened. It did soften at last, however, and she turned toPatsy and said simply: "We will prepare for the journey at once. Pray excuse us; Niklas willserve refreshments. We will not detain you long. " As they turned to leave the room Elizabeth Denton suddenly seizedPatsy's hand. "He will live?" she whispered. "Tell me he will live!" Patsy's heart sank, but she summoned her wits by an effort. "I am not a surgeon, my dear, and do not know how serious the wound maybe, " she answered, "but I assure you it will gladden his heart to seeyou again. He thinks and speaks only of you. " The girl-wife studied her face a moment and then dropped her hand andhurried after her mother. "I fibbed, Uncle, " said Patsy despondently. "I fibbed willfully. But--how could I help it when she looked at me that way?" CHAPTER XV DR. GYS SURPRISES HIMSELF Henderson was waiting with the launch at the Ostend docks. Lieutenantvon Holtz was earnestly thanked by Patsy and Uncle John for his kindnessand in return he exacted a promise from them to hunt him up in Germanysome day, when the war was ended. The countess and Mrs. Denton, sad andblack-robed, had been made comfortable in the stern seats of the boatand the captain was just about to order Henderson to start the enginewhen up to them rushed the fat Belgian woman and her two children. Without an instant's hesitation the two youngsters leaped aboard likecats and their mother would have followed but for the restraining handof Captain Carg. "What does this mean?" cried Mr. Merrick angrily. The woman jabbered volubly in French. "She says, " interpreted Patsy, "that we promised to take her to Dunkirk, so she may find her husband. " "Let her walk!" said Uncle John. "The Germans won't allow her to cross the lines. What does it matter, Uncle? We have plenty of room. In three hours we can be rid of them, anddoubtless the poor thing is really anxious to find her lost husband, whowas last seen in Dunkirk. " "He is a spy, and a traitor to both sides, according to report. " "That isn't our affair, is it? And I suppose even people of that classhave hearts and affections. " "Well, let her come aboard, Captain, " decided Uncle John. "We can'twaste time in arguing. " They stowed her away in the bow, under Henderson's care, and threatenedthe children with dire punishment if they moved from under her shadow. Then the launch sped out into the bay and away toward Dunkirk. Three days had brought many changes to the hospital ship _Arabella_. Ofthe original batch of patients only Lieutenant Elbl, the German, andAndrew Denton now remained. All the others had been sent home, transferred to the government hospitals or gone back to the front, according to the character of their injuries. This was necessary becausetheir places were needed by the newly wounded who were brought each dayfrom the front. Little Maurie was driving the ambulance again and, withAjo beside him and Dr. Kelsey and a sailor for assistants, the Belgianwould make a dash to Ypres or Dixmude or Furnes and return with a fullload of wounded soldiers. These were the days of the severest fighting in Flanders, fighting sosevere that it could not keep up for long. There would come a lullpresently, when the overworked nurses and surgeons could get a bit ofsleep and draw a long breath again. Gys had elected to remain aboard the ship, where with Maud and Beth hewas kept busy night and day. Two French girls--young women of good birthand intelligence--had been selected by Dr. Gys from a number ofapplicants as assistant nurses, and although they were inexperienced, their patriotic zeal rendered them valuable. They now wore the Red Crossuniforms and it was decided to retain them as long as the ship'shospital remained crowded. There was plenty of work for all and the worry and long hours might havebroken down the health and strength of Beth and Maud had not the doctorinstituted regular periods of duty for each member of the force andinsisted on the schedule being carried out. This hospital ship was by no means so gloomy a place as the reader mayimagine. The soldiers were prone to regard their hurts lightly, as "abit of hard luck, " and since many had slight injuries it was customaryfor them to gather in groups upon the deck, where they would laugh andchat together, play cards for amusement or smoke quantities ofcigarettes. They were mainly kind-hearted and grateful fellows andopenly rejoiced that the misfortunes of war had cast their lot on thisfloating hospital. Under the probe of the surgeon to-day, a fortnight hence back on thefiring line, was not very unusual with these brave men. The ambulanceshad gathered in a few German soldiers, who would become prisoners ofwar on their recovery, and while these were inclined to be despondentand unsociable they were treated courteously by all, the Americansshowing no preference for any nation. The large majority of thepatients, however, came from the ranks of the Allies--French, Englishand Belgian--and these were men who could smile and be merry withbandaged heads, arms a-sling, legs in splints, bullet holes here andthere, such afflictions being regarded by their victims with a certaindegree of pride. Dr. Gys was in his element, for now he had ample opportunity to displayhis skill and his patients were unable to "jump to another doctor" incase his ugly features revolted them. His main interest, however, lay inthe desperately wounded Belgian private, Andrew Denton, whom he hadagreed to keep alive until the return of Miss Doyle and her uncle. In making this promise Gys had figured on a possible delay of severaldays, but on the second day following Patsy's departure the suddensinking of his patient aroused a defiant streak in the surgeon and hedecided to adopt drastic measures in order to prevent Denton frompassing away before his wife's arrival. "I want you to assist me in a serious operation, " he said to MaudStanton. "By all the rules and precedents of human flesh, that fellowDenton ought to succumb to his wound within the next three hours. Theshell played havoc with his interior and I have never dared, until now, to attempt to patch things up; but if we're going to keep him aliveuntil morning, or until your cousin's return, we must accomplish theimpossible. " "What is that?" she inquired. "Remove his vital organs, tinker them up and put them back so they willwork properly. " "Can that be done, doctor?" "I think not. But I'm going to try it. I am positive that if we leavehim alone he has less than three hours of life remaining; so, if wefail, Miss Stanton, as it is reasonable to expect, poor Denton willmerely be spared a couple of hours of pain. Get the anaesthetics, please. " With all her training and experience as a nurse, Maud was half terrifiedat the ordeal before her. But she realized the logic of the doctor'sconclusion and steeled her nerves to do her part. An hour later she stood looking down upon the patient. He was still uponthe operating table but breathing quietly and as strongly as at any timesince he had received his wound. "This shows, " Dr. Gys said to her, his voice keen with elation, "whatfools we are to take any human condition for granted. Man is a machine. Smash his mechanism and it cannot work; make the proper repairs beforeit is too late and--there he goes, ticking away as before. Not as good amachine as it was prior to the break, but with care and caution it willrun a long time. " "He will live, then, you think?" she asked softly, marveling that afterwhat she had witnessed the man was still able to breathe. Gys leaned down and put his ear to the heart of the patient. For twominutes he remained motionless. Then he straightened up and a smilespread over his disfigured features. "I confidently believe, Miss Stanton, we have turned the trick! Luck, let us call it, for no sensible surgeon would have attempted the thing. Rest assured that Andrew Denton will live for the next ten days. Morethan that, with no serious set-back he may fully recover and live formany years to come. " He was so pleased that tears stood in his one good eye and he wiped themaway sheepishly. The girl took his hand and pressed it in both her own. "You are wonderful--wonderful!" she said. "Don't, please--don't look in my face, " he pleaded. "I won't, " she returned, dropping her eyes; "I will think only of theclever brain, the skillful hand and the stout heart. " "Not even that, " he said. "Think of the girl wife--of Elizabeth. It wasshe who steadied my hand to-day. Indeed, Miss Stanton, it wasElizabeth's influence that saved him. But for her we would have let himdie. " CHAPTER XVI CLARETTE So it was toward evening of the fourth day that the launch finallysighted the ship _Arabella_. Delays and difficulties had beenencountered in spite of government credentials and _laissez-passer_ andPatsy had begun to fear they would not reach the harbor of Dunkirkbefore dark. All through the journey the Belgian woman and her children had satsullenly in the bow, the youngsters kept from mischief by the stern eyeof Henderson. In the stern seats, however, the original frigid silencehad been thawed by Patsy Doyle's bright chatter. She began by tellingthe countess and Elizabeth all about herself and Beth and Maud and UncleJohn, relating how they had come to embark upon this unusual mission ofnursing the wounded of a foreign war, and how they had secured theservices of the clever but disfigured surgeon, Dr. Gys. She gave theladies a clear picture of the hospital ship and told how the girls hadmade their dash to the firing line during the battle of Nieuport andbrought back an ambulance full of wounded--including Andrew Denton. Patsy did not answer very fully Elizabeth Denton's eager questionsconcerning the nature of her husband's injuries, but she tried toprepare the poor young wife for the knowledge that the wound would provefatal. This was a most delicate and difficult thing to do and Patsyblundered and floundered until her very ambiguity aroused alarm. "Tell me the worst!" begged Elizabeth Denton, her face pale and tenselydrawn. "Why, I cannot do that, you see, " replied Patsy, "because the worsthasn't happened yet; nor can I tell you the best, because a wound issuch an uncertain thing. It was a shell, you know, that exploded behindhim, and Dr. Gys thought it made a rather serious wound. Mr. Denton wasunconscious a long time, and when he came to himself we eased his pain, so he would not suffer. " "You came to get me because you thought he would die?" "I came because he asked me to read to him your letters, and I foundthey comforted him so much that your presence would, I knew, comfort himmore. " There was a long silence. Presently the countess asked in her soft, evenvoice: "Will he be alive when we get there?" Patsy thought of the days that had been wasted, because of theirdetention at Ostend through Colonel Grau's stupidity. "I hope so, madam, " was all she could reply. Conversation lagged after this episode. Elizabeth was weeping quietly onher mother's shoulder. Patsy felt relief in the knowledge that she hadprepared them, as well as she could, for whatever might wait upon theirarrival. The launch made directly for the ship and as she came alongside to theladder the rail was lined with faces curious to discover if the errandhad been successful. Doctor Gys was there to receive them, smilinghorribly as he greeted the two women in black. Maud, seeing that theyrecoiled from the doctor's appearance, took his place and saidcheerfully: "Mr. Denton is asleep, just now, but by the time you have bathed and hada cup of tea I am quite sure he will be ready to receive you. " "Tell me; how is he? Are you his nurse?" asked the young wife withtrembling lips. "I am his nurse, and I assure you he is doing very well, " answered Maudwith her pleasant, winning smile. "When he finds you by his side I amsure his recovery will be rapid. No nurse can take the place of a wife, you know. " Patsy looked at her reproachfully, thinking she was misleading the pooryoung wife, but Maud led the ladies away to a stateroom and it was Dr. Gys who explained the wonderful improvement in the patient. "Well, " remarked Uncle John, "if we'd known he had a chance, we wouldn'thave worried so because we were held up. In fact, if we'd known he wouldget well, we needn't have gone at all. " "Oh, Uncle John!" cried Patsy reprovingly. "It was your going that saved him, " declared the doctor. "I promised tokeep him alive, for that little wife of his, and when he took a turn forthe worse I had to assume desperate chances--which won out. " Meantime the big Belgian woman and her children had been helped up theladder by Henderson, who stood respectfully by, awaiting orders fortheir disposal. The mother had her eye on the shore and was scowlingsteadily upon it when little Maurie came on deck and strolled toward Mr. Merrick to greet him on his return. Indeed, he had approached to withina dozen feet of the group when the woman at the rail suddenly turned andsaw him. "Aha--mon Henri!" she cried and made a dash toward him with outstretchedarms. "Clarette!" Maurie stopped short; he grew pallid; he trembled. But he did not awaither coming. With a howl that would have shamed a wild Indian he leapedupon the rail and made a dive into the water below. Even as her engulfing arms closed around the spot where he had stood, there was a splash and splutter that drew everyone to the side to watchthe little Belgian swim frantically to the docks. The woman grabbed a child with either arm and held them up. "See!" she cried. "There is your father--the coward--the traitor--thedeserter of his loving family. He thinks to escape; but we shall capturehim yet, and when we do--" "Hurry, father, " screamed the little girl, "or she'll get you. " A slap on the mouth silenced her and set the boy wailing dismally. Theboy was accustomed to howl without provocation. He kicked his motheruntil she let him down. By this time they could discern only Maurie'shead bobbing in the distant water. Presently he clambered up the dockand ran dripping toward the city, disappearing among the buildings. "Madam, " said Uncle John, sternly, "you have cost us the best chauffeurwe ever had. " She did not understand English, but she shook her fist in Mr. Merrick'sface and danced around in an elephantine fashion and jabbered a streamof French. "What does she say?" he asked Patsy, who was laughing merrily at theabsurd scene. "She demands to be put ashore at once. But shall we do that, and putpoor Maurie in peril of being overtaken?" "Self preservation is the first law of nature, my dear, " replied UncleJohn. "I'm sorry for Maurie, but he alone is responsible. Henderson, " headded, turning to the sailor, "put this woman ashore as soon aspossible. We've had enough of her. " CHAPTER XVII PERPLEXING PROBLEMS Although the famous battle of Nieuport had come to an end, the fightingin West Flanders was by no means over. All along the line fierce andrelentless war waged without interruption and if neither side couldclaim victory, neither side suffered defeat. Day after day hundreds ofcombatants fell; hundreds of disabled limped to the rear; hundreds weremade prisoners. And always a stream of reinforcements came to take theplaces of the missing ones. Towns were occupied to-day by the Germans, to-morrow by the Allies; from Nieuport on past Dixmude and beyond Ypresthe dykes had been opened and the low country was one vast lake. Theonly approaches from French territory were half a dozen roads built highabove the water line, which rendered them capable of stubborn defence. Dunkirk was thronged with reserves--English, Belgian and French. TheTurcos and East Indians were employed by the British in this section andwere as much dreaded by the civilians as the enemy. Uncle John noticedthat military discipline was not so strict in Dunkirk as at Ostend; butthe Germans had but one people to control while the French town was hostto many nations and races. Strange as it may appear, the war was growing monotonous to those whowere able to view it closely, perhaps because nothing important resultedfrom all the desperate, continuous fighting. The people were pursuingtheir accustomed vocations while shells burst and bullets whizzed aroundthem. They must manage to live, whatever the outcome of this struggle ofnations might be. Aboard the American hospital ship there was as yet no sense of monotony. The three girls who had conceived and carried out this remarkablephilanthropy were as busy as bees during all their waking hours and thespirit of helpful charity so strongly possessed them that all theirthoughts were centered on their work. No two cases were exactly alikeand it was interesting, to the verge of fascination, to watch theresults of various treatments of divers wounds and afflictions. The girls often congratulated themselves on having secured so efficienta surgeon as Doctor Gys, who gloried in his work, and whose judgment, based on practical experience, was comprehensive and unfailing. Theman's horribly contorted features had now become so familiar to thegirls that they seldom noticed them--unless a cry of fear from somenewly arrived and unnerved patient reminded them that the doctor wasexceedingly repulsive to strangers. No one recognized this grotesque hideousness more than Doctor Gyshimself. When one poor Frenchman died under the operating knife, staringwith horror into the uncanny face the surgeon bent over him, Beth wasalmost sure the fright had hastened his end. She said to Gys thatevening, when they met on deck, "Wouldn't it be wise for you to wear amask in the operating room?" He considered the suggestion a moment, a deep flush spreading over hisface; then he nodded gravely. "It may be an excellent idea, " he agreed. "Once, a couple of years ago, I proposed wearing a mask wherever I went, but my friends assured me theeffect would be so marked that it would attract to me an embarrassingamount of attention. I have trained myself to bear the repulsioninvoluntarily exhibited by all I meet and have taught myself to take aphilosophic, if somewhat cynical, view of my facial blemishes; yet inthis work I can see how a mask might be merciful to my patients. I willexperiment a bit along this line, if you will help me, and we'll seewhat we can accomplish. " "You must not think, " she said quietly, for she detected a littlebitterness in his tone, "that you are in any way repulsive to those whoknow you well. We all admire you as a man and are grieved at themisfortunes that marred your features. After all, Doctor, people ofintelligence seldom judge one by appearances. " "However they may judge me, " said he, "I'm a failure. You say you admireme as a man, but you don't. It's just a bit of diplomatic flattery. I'ma good doctor and surgeon, I'll admit, but my face is no more repellentthan my cowardly nature. Miss Beth, I hate myself for my cowardice farmore than I detest my ghastly countenance. Yet I am powerless to remedyeither defect. " "I believe that what you term your cowardice is merely a physicalweakness, " declared the girl. "It must have been caused by the sufferingyou endured at the time of your various injuries. I have noticed thatsuffering frequently unnerves one, and that a person who has once beenbadly hurt lives in nervous terror of being hurt again. " "You are very kind to try to excuse my fault, " said he, "but the truthis I have always been a coward--from boyhood up. " "Yet you embarked on all those dangerous expeditions. " "Yes, just to have fun with myself; to sneer at the coward flesh, so tospeak. I used to long for dangers, and when they came upon me I wouldjeer at and revile the quaking I could not repress. I pushed myshrinking body into peril and exulted in the punishment it received. " Beth looked at him wonderingly. "You are a strange man, indeed, " said she. "Really, I cannot understandyour mental attitude at all. " He chuckled and rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I can, " he returned, "for I know what causes it. " And then he went awayand left her, still seeming highly amused at her bewilderment. In the operating room the next day Gys appeared with a rubber mask drawnacross his features. The girls decided that it certainly improved hisappearance, odd as the masked face might appear to strangers. It hid thedreadful nose and the scars and to an extent evened the size of theeyes, for the holes through which he peered were made alike. Gys washimself pleased with the device, for after that he wore the mask almostconstantly, only laying it aside during the evenings when he sat ondeck. It was three days after the arrival of Mrs. Denton and her mother--whoseadvent had accomplished much toward promoting the young Belgian'sconvalescence--when little Maurie suddenly reappeared on the deck of the_Arabella_. "Oh, " said Patsy, finding him there when she came up from breakfast, "where is Clarette?" He shook his head sadly. "We do not live together, just now, " said he. "Clarette is by naturetemperamental, you know; she is highly sensitive, and I, alas! do notalways please her. " "Did she find you in Dunkirk?" asked the girl. "Almost, mamselle, but not quite. It was this way: I knew if I permittedher to follow me she would finally succeed in her quest, for she and thedear children have six eyes among them, while I have but two; so Ireposed within an ash-barrel until they had passed on, and then Ifollowed them, keeping well out of their sight. In that way I managed toescape. But it proved a hard task, for my Clarette is very persistent, as you may have noticed. So I decided I would be more safe upon the shipthan upon the shore. She is not likely to seek me here, and in any eventshe floats better than she swims. " Patsy regarded the little man curiously. "Did you not tell us, when first we met you, that you were heart-brokenover the separation from your wife and children?" she inquired in severetones. "Yes, of course, mamselle; it was a good way to arouse your sympathy, "he admitted with an air of pride. "I needed sympathy at that time, andmy only fear was that you would find Clarette, as you threatened to do. Well, " with a deep sigh, "you did find her. It was an unfriendly act, mamselle. " "They told us in Ostend that the husband of Clarette is a condemned spy, one who served both sides and proved false to each. The husband ofClarette is doomed to suffer death at the hands of the Germans or theBelgians, if either is able to discover him. " Maurie removed his cap and scratched the hair over his left earreflectively. "Ah, yes, the blacksmith!" said he. "I suspected that blacksmith fellowwas not reliable. " "How many husbands has Clarette?" "With the blacksmith, there are two of us, " answered Maurie, brightly. "Doubtless there would be more if anything happened to me, for Claretteis very fascinating. When she divorced the blacksmith he wasdisconsolate, and threatened vengeance; so her life is quite occupied inavoiding her first husband and keeping track of her second, who is tookind-hearted to threaten her as the blacksmith did. I really admireClarette--at a distance. She is positively charming when her mind isfree from worry--and the children are asleep. " "Then you think, " said Ajo, who was standing by and listening toMaurie's labored explanations, "that it is the blacksmith who iscondemned as a spy, and not yourself?" "I am quite sure of it. Am I not here, driving your ambulance and goingboldly among the officers? If it is Jakob Maurie they wish, he is athand to be arrested. " "But you are not Jakob Maurie. " The Belgian gave a start, but instantly recovering he answered with asmile: "Then I must have mistaken my identity, monsieur. Perhaps you will tellme who I am?" "Your wife called you 'Henri, '" said Patsy. "Ah, yes; a pet name. I believe the blacksmith is named Henri, and poorClarette is so accustomed to it that she calls me Henri when she wishesto be affectionate. " Patsy realized the folly of arguing with him. "Maurie, " said she, "or whatever your name may be, you have beenfaithful in your duty to us and we have no cause for complaint. But Ibelieve you do not speak the truth, and that you are shifty and artful. I fear you will come to a bad end. " "Sometimes, mamselle, " he replied, "I fear so myself. But, _peste_! whyshould we care? If it is the end, what matter whether it is good orbad?" Watching their faces closely, he saw frank disapproval of his sentimentswritten thereon. It disturbed him somewhat that they did not choose tocontinue the conversation, so he said meekly: "With your kind permission, I will now go below for a cup of coffee, "and left them with a bow and a flourish of his cap. When he had gonePatsy said to Ajo: "I don't believe there is any such person as the blacksmith. " "Nor I, " was the boy's reply. "Both those children are living images ofMaurie, who claims the blacksmith was their father. He's a crafty littlefellow, that chauffeur of ours, and we must look out for him. " "If he is really a spy, " continued the girl, after a brief period ofthought, "I am amazed that he dared join our party and go directly tothe front, where he is at any time likely to be recognized. " "Yes, that is certainly puzzling, " returned Ajo. "And he's a bravelittle man, too, fearless of danger and reckless in exposing himself toshot and shell. Indeed, our Maurie is something of a mystery and theonly thing I fully understand is his objection to Clarette's society. " At "le revue matin, " as the girls called the first inspection of themorning, eight of their patients were found sufficiently recovered to bedischarged. Some of these returned to their regiments and others weresent to their homes to await complete recovery. The hospital ship couldaccommodate ten more patients, so it was decided to make a trip toDixmude, where an artillery engagement was raging, with the largerambulance. "I think I shall go to-day, " announced Gys, who was wearing his mask. "Dr. Kelsey can look after the patients and it will do me good to getoff the ship. " Uncle John looked at the doctor seriously. "There is hard fighting, they say, in the Dixmude district. The Germanscarried the British trenches yesterday, and to-day the Allies will tryto retake them. " "I don't mind, " returned the doctor, but he shuddered, nevertheless. "Why don't you avoid the--the danger line?" suggested Mr. Merrick. "A man can't run away from himself, sir; and perhaps you can understandthe fascination I find in taunting the craven spirit within me. " "No, I can't understand it. But suit yourself. " "I shall drive, " announced Maurie. "You may be recognized, " said Patsy warningly. "Clarette will not be at the front, and on the way I shall be driving. Have you noticed how people scatter at the sound of our gong?" "The authorities are watching for spies, " asserted Ajo. Maurie's face became solemn. "Yes; of course. But--the blacksmith is not here, and, " he added withassurance, "the badge of the Red Cross protects us from falseaccusations. " When they had gone Uncle John said thoughtfully to the girls: "That remark about the Red Cross impressed me. If that fellow Maurie isreally in danger of being arrested and shot, he has cleverly placedhimself in the safest service in the world. He knows that none of ourparty is liable to be suspected of evil. " CHAPTER XVIII A QUESTION OF LOYALTY During the morning they were visited by a French official who cameaboard in a government boat and asked to see Mr. Merrick. The ship had been inspected several times by the commander of the portand the civil authorities, and its fame as a model hospital had spreadover all Flanders. Some attempt had been made to place with theAmericans the most important of the wounded--officers of high rank orthose of social prominence and wealth--but Mr. Merrick and his aids weredetermined to show no partiality. They received the lowly and humble aswell as the high and mighty and the only requisite for admission was aninjury that demanded the care of good nurses and the skill of competentsurgeons. Uncle John knew the French general and greeted him warmly, for heappreciated his generous co-operation. But Beth had to be called in tointerpret because her uncle knew so little of the native language. First they paid a visit to the hospital section, where the patients wereinspected. Then the register and records were carefully gone over andnotes taken by the general's secretary. Finally they returned to theafter-deck to review the convalescents who were lounging there in theircushioned deck-chairs. "Where is the German, Lieutenant Elbl?" inquired the general, lookingaround with sudden suspicion. "In the captain's room, " replied Beth. "Would you like to see him?" "If you please. " The group moved forward to the room occupied by Captain Carg. The doorand windows stood open and reclining upon a couch inside was the maimedGerman, with Carg sitting beside him. Both were solemnly smoking theirpipes. The captain rose as the general entered, while Elbl gave his visitor amilitary salute. "So you are better?" asked the Frenchman. Beth repeated this in English to Carg, who repeated it in German toElbl. Yes, the wounded man was doing very well. "Will you keep him here much longer?" was the next question, directed toMr. Merrick. "I think so, " was the reply. "He is still quite weak, although the woundis healing nicely. Being a military prisoner, there is no other placeopen to him where the man can be as comfortable as here. " "You will be responsible for his person? You will guarantee that he willnot escape?" Mr. Merrick hesitated. "Must we promise that?" he inquired. "Otherwise I shall be obliged to remove him to a government hospital. " "I don't like that. Not that your hospitals are not good enough for aprisoner, but Elbl happens to be a cousin of our captain, which puts adifferent face on the matter. What do you say, Captain Carg? Shall weguarantee that your cousin will not try to escape?" "Why should he, sir? He can never rejoin the army, that's certain, "replied Carg. "True, " said the general, when this was conveyed to him by Beth. "Nevertheless, he is a prisoner of war, and must not be allowed toescape to his own people. " Beth answered the Frenchman herself, looking him straight in the face. "That strikes me as unfair, sir, " said she. "The German must henceforthbe a noncombatant. He has been unable, since he was wounded and broughthere, to learn any of your military secrets and at the best he will liea helpless invalid for weeks to come. Therefore, instead of making him aprisoner, it would be more humane to permit him to return to his homeand family in Germany. " The general smiled indulgently. "It might be more humane, mademoiselle, but unfortunately it is againstthe military code. Did I understand that your captain will guarantee theGerman's safety?" "Of course, " said Carg. "If he escapes, I will surrender myself in hisplace. " "Ah; but we moderns cannot accept Pythias if Damon runs away, " laughedthe general. "But, there; it will be simpler to send a parole for himto sign, when he may be left in your charge until he is sufficientlyrecovered to bear the confinement of a prison. Is that satisfactory?" "Certainly, sir, " replied the captain. Elbl had remained silent during this conversation, appearing not tounderstand the French and English spoken. Indeed, since his arrival hehad only spoken the German language, and that mostly in his intercoursewith Carg. But after the French officer had gone away Beth began toreflect upon this reticence. "Isn't it queer, " she remarked to Uncle John, "that an educatedGerman--one who has been through college, as Captain Carg says Elblhas--should be unable to understand either French or English? I havealways been told the German colleges are very thorough and you know thatwhile at Ostend we found nearly all the German officers spoke goodEnglish. " "It is rather strange, come to think of it, " answered Uncle John. "Ibelieve the study of languages is a part of the German militaryeducation. But I regret that the French are determined to keep the poorfellow a prisoner. Such a precaution is absurd, to my mind. " "I think I can understand the French position, " said the girl, reflectively. "These Germans are very obstinate, and much as I admireLieutenant Elbl I feel sure that were he able he would fight the Frenchagain to-morrow. After his recovery he might even get one of thosemechanical feet and be back on the firing line. " "He's a Uhlan. " "Then he could ride a horse. I believe, Uncle, the French are justifiedin retaining him as a prisoner until the war is over. " Meantime, in the captain's room the two men were quietly conversing. "He wants you to sign a parole, " said Carg. "Not I. " "You may as well. I'm responsible for your safety. " "I deny anyone's right to be responsible for me. If you have made apromise to that effect, withdraw it, " said the German. "If I do, they'll put you in prison. " "Not at present. I am still an invalid. In reality. I am weak andsuffering. Yet I am already planning my escape, and that is why I insistthat you withdraw any promise you have made. Otherwise--" "Otherwise?" "Instead of escaping by water, as I had intended, to Ostend, I must goto the prison and escape from there. It will be more difficult. Thewater route is best. " "Of course, " agreed the captain, smiling calmly. "One of your launches would carry me to Ostend and return here betweendark and daylight. " "Easily enough, " said Carg. It was five minutes before he resumed hisspeech. Then he said with quiet deliberation: "Cousin, I am an American, and Americans are neutral in this war. " "You are Sangoan. " "My ship is chartered by Americans, which obliges the captain of theship to be loyal to its masters. I will do nothing to conflict with theinterests of the Americans, not even to favor my cousin. " "Quite right, " said Elbl. "If you have any plan of escape in mind, do not tell me of it, "continued the captain. "I shall order the launches guarded carefully. Ishall do all in my power to prevent your getting away from this ship. " "Thank you, " said the German. "You have my respect, cousin. Pass thetobacco. " CHAPTER XIX THE CAPTURE There was considerable excitement when the ambulance returned. Part ofthe roof had been torn away, the doors were gone, the interior wreckedand not a pane of glass remained in the sides; yet Ajo drove it to thedock, the motor working as smoothly as ever, and half a dozen woundedwere helped out and put into the launch to be taken aboard the hospitalship. When all were on deck, young Jones briefly explained what had happened. A shell had struck the ambulance, which had been left in the rear, butwithout injuring the motor in any way. Fortunately no one was near atthe time. When they returned they cleared away the rubbish to make roomfor a few wounded men and then started back to the city. Doctor Gys, hatless and coatless, his hair awry and the mask making himlook more hideous than ever, returned with the party and came creepingup the ship's ladder in so nervous a condition that his trembling kneesfairly knocked together. The group around Ajo watched him silently. "What do you think that fool did?" asked the boy, as Gys slunk away tohis room. "Tell us, " pleaded Patsy, who was one of the curious group surroundinghim. "We had gone near to where a machine gun was planted, to pick up afallen soldier, when without warning the Germans charged the gun. Maurieand I made a run for life, but Gys stood stock still, facing the enemy. A man at the gun reeled and fell, just then, and with a hail of bulletsflying around him the doctor coolly walked up and bent over him. Thesight so amazed the Germans that they actually stopped fighting andwaited for him. Perhaps it was the Red Cross on the doctor's arm thatinfluenced them, but imagine a body of soldiers in the heat of a chargesuddenly stopping because of one man!" "Well, what happened?" asked Mr. Merrick. "I couldn't see very well, for a battery that supported the charge wasshelling the retreating Allies and just then our ambulance was hit. ButMaurie says he watched the scene and that when Gys attempted to lift thewounded man up he suddenly turned weak as water. The Germans hadcaptured the gun, by this time, and their officer himself hoisted theinjured man upon the doctor's shoulders and attended him to ourambulance. When I saw the fight was over I hastened to help Gys, whostaggered so weakly that he would have dropped his man a dozen times onthe way had not the Germans held him up. They were laughing, as if thewhole thing was a joke, when crack! came a volley of bullets and with agreat shout back rushed the French and Belgians in a counter-charge. Iadmit I ducked, crawling under the ambulance, and the Germans were sosurprised that they beat a quick retreat. "And now it was that Gys made a fool of himself. He tore off his cap andcoat, which bore the Red Cross emblem, and leaped right between the twolines. Here were the Germans, firing as they retreated, and the Alliesfiring as they charged, and right in the center of the fray stood Gys. The man ought to have been shot to pieces, but nothing touched himuntil a Frenchman knocked him over because he was in the way of therush. It was the most reckless, suicidal act I ever heard of!" Uncle John looked worried. He had never told any of them of Dr. Gys'strange remark during their first interview, but he had not forgottenit. "I'll be happier when I can shake off this horrible envelope ofdisfigurement, " the doctor had declared, and in view of this the reportof that day's adventure gave the kind-hearted gentleman a severe shock. He walked the deck thoughtfully while the girls hurried below to lookafter the new patients who had been brought, not too comfortably, in thedamaged ambulance. "It was a bad fight, " Ajo had reported, "and thewounded were thick, but we could only bring a few of them. Before weleft the field, however, an English ambulance and two French onesarrived, and that gave us an opportunity to get away. Indeed, I was sounnerved by the dangers we had miraculously escaped that I was glad tobe out of it. " Uncle John tried hard to understand Doctor Gys, but the man's strange, abnormal nature was incomprehensible. When, half an hour later, Mr. Merrick went below, he found the doctor in the operating room, cool andsteady of nerve and dressing wounds in his best professional manner. Upon examination the next morning the large ambulance was found to be sobadly damaged that it had to be taken to a repair shop in the city toundergo reconstruction. It would take several weeks to put it in shape, declared the French mechanics, so the Americans would be forced to getalong with the smaller vehicle. Jones and Dr. Kelsey made regular tripswith this, but the fighting had suddenly lulled and for several days nonew patients were brought to the ship, although many were given firstaid in the trenches for slight wounds. So the colony aboard the _Arabella_ grew gradually less, until on thetwenty-sixth of November the girls found they had but two patients tocare for--Elbl and Andrew Denton. Neither required much nursing, andDenton's young wife insisted on taking full charge of him. But while thehospital ship was not in demand at this time there were casualties dayby day in the trenches, where the armies faced each other doggedly andwatchfully and shots were frequently interchanged when a soldiercarelessly exposed his person to the enemy. So the girls took turnsgoing with the ambulance, and Uncle John made no protest because solittle danger attended these journeys. Each day, while one of the American girls rode to the front, the othertwo would visit the city hospitals and render whatever assistance theycould to the regular nurses. Gys sometimes accompanied them andsometimes went to the front with the ambulance; but he never caused hisfriends anxiety on these trips, because he could not endanger his life, owing to the cessation of fighting. The only incident that enlivened this period of stagnation was thecapture of Maurie. No; the authorities didn't get him, but Clarette did. Ajo and Patsy had gone into the city one afternoon and on their returnto the docks, where their launch was moored, they found a street urchinawaiting them with a soiled scrap of paper clenched fast in his fist. He surrendered it for a coin and Patsy found the following wordsscrawled in English: "She has me fast. Help! Be quick. I cannot save myself so you must saveme. It is your Maurie who is in distress. " They laughed a little at first and then began to realize that the lossof their chauffeur would prove a hardship when fighting was resumed. Maurie might not be a good husband, and he might be afraid of a woman, but was valuable when bullets were flying. Patsy asked the boy: "Can you lead us to the man who gave you this paper?" "Oui, mamselle. " "Then hurry, and you shall have five centimes more. " The injunction was unnecessary, for the urchin made them hasten to keepup with him. He made many turns and twists through narrow alleys andback streets until finally he brought them to a row of cheap, plasteredhuts built against the old city wall. There was no mistaking the place, for in the doorway of one of the poorest dwellings stood Clarette, herample figure fairly filling the opening, her hands planted firmly on herbroad hips. "Good evening, " said Patsy pleasantly. "Is Maurie within?" "Henri is within, " answered Clarette with a fierce scowl, "and he isgoing to stay within. " "But we have need of his services, " said Ajo sternly, "and the man is inour employ and under contract to obey us. " "I also need his services, " retorted Clarette, "and I made a contractwith him before you did, as my marriage papers will prove. " The little boy and girl had now crowded into the doorway on either sideof their mother, clinging to her skirts while they "made faces" at theAmericans. Clarette turned to drive the children away and in the actallowed Patsy and Ajo to glance past her into the hut. There stood little Maurie, sleeves rolled above his elbows, bending overa battered dishpan where he was washing a mess of cracked and brokenpottery. He met their gaze with a despairing countenance and a gestureof appeal that scattered a spray of suds from big wet fingers. Nextmoment Clarette had filled the doorway again. "You may as well go away, " said the woman harshly. Patsy stood irresolute. "Have you money to pay the rent and to provide food and clothing?" shepresently asked. "I have found a few francs in Henri's pockets, " was the surly reply. "And when they are gone?" Clarette gave a shrug. "When they are gone we shall not starve, " she said. "There is plenty ofcharity for the Belgians these days. One has but to ask, and someonegives. " "Then you will not let us have Maurie?" "No, mademoiselle. " Then she unbent a little and added: "If my husbandgoes to you, they will be sure to catch him some day, and when theycatch him they will shoot him. " "Why?" "Don't you know?" "No. " Clarette smiled grimly. "When Henri escapes me, he always gets himself into trouble. He is notso very bad, but he is careless--and foolish. He tries to help theGermans and the French at the same time, to be accommodating, and soboth have conceived a desire to shoot him. Well; when they shoot him hecan no longer earn money to support me and his children. " "Are they really his children?" inquired young Jones. "Who else may claim them, monsieur?" "I thought they were the children of your first husband, theblacksmith. " Clarette glared at him, with lowering brow. "Blacksmith? Pah! I have no husband but Henri, and heaven forsook mewhen I married him. " "Come, Patsy, " said Ajo to his companion, "our errand here is hopeless. And--perhaps Clarette is right. " They made their way back to the launch in silence. Patsy was quitedisappointed in Maurie. He had so many admirable qualities that it was ashame he could be so untruthful and unreliable. As time passed on the monotony that followed their first excitingexperiences grew upon them and became oppressive. December weather inFlanders brought cutting winds from off the North Sea and often therewere flurries of snow in the air. They had steam heat inside the shipbut the deck was no longer a practical lounging place. Toward the last of the month Lieutenant Elbl was so fully recovered thathe was able to hobble about on crutches. The friendship between the twocousins continued and Elbl was often found in the captain's room. Nomore had been said about a parole, but the French officials wereevidently keeping an eye on the German, for one morning an order came toMr. Merrick to deliver Elbl to the warden of the military prison atDunkirk on or before ten o'clock the following day. While the German received this notification with his accustomed stolidair of indifference, his American friends were all grieved at histransfer. They knew the prison would be very uncomfortable for theinvalid and feared he was not yet sufficiently recovered to be able tobear the new conditions imposed upon him. There was no thought ofprotesting the order, however, for they appreciated the fact that thecommandant had been especially lenient in leaving the prisoner so longin their care. The Americans were all sitting together in the cabin that evening afterdinner, when to their astonishment little Maurie came aboard in a skiff, bearing an order from the French commandant to Captain Carg, requestinghim to appear at once at military headquarters. Not only was Carg puzzled by this strange summons but none of the otherscould understand it. The Belgian, when questioned, merely shook hishead. He was not the general's confidant, but his fee as messenger wouldenable him to buy bread for his family and he had been chosen because heknew the way to the hospital ship. As there was nothing to do but obey, the captain went ashore in one ofthe launches, which towed the skiff in which Maurie had come. When he had gone, Lieutenant Elbl, who had been sitting in the cabin, bade the others good night and retired to his room. Most of the othersretired early, but Patsy, Uncle John and Doctor Gys decided to sit upand await the return of the captain. It was an exceptionally coolevening and the warmth of the forward cabin was very agreeable. Midnight had arrived when the captain's launch finally drew up to theside and Carg came hastening into the cabin. His agitated manner was sounusual that the three watchers with one accord sprang to their feetwith inquiring looks. "Where's Elbl?" asked the captain sharply. "Gone to bed, " said Uncle John. "When?" "Hours ago. I think he missed your society and was rather broken up overthe necessity of leaving us to-morrow. " Without hesitation Carg turned on his heel and hastened aft. Theyfollowed him in a wondering group. Reaching the German's stateroom thecaptain threw open the door and found it vacant. "Humph!" he exclaimed. "I suspected the truth when I found our launchwas gone. " "Which launch?" asked Uncle John, bewildered. "The one I left with the ship. On my return, just now, I discovered itwas not at its moorings. Someone has stolen it. " They stared at him in amazement. "Wasn't the deck patrolled?" asked Patsy, the first to recover. "We don't set a watch till ten-thirty. It wasn't considered necessary. But I had no suspicion of the trick Elbl has played on me to-night, " headded with a groan. Their voices had aroused others. Ajo came out of hisroom, enveloped in a heavy bathrobe, and soon after Maud and Beth joinedthem. "What's up?" demanded the boy. "The German has tricked us and made his escape, " quietly answered Dr. Gys. "For my part, I'm glad of it. " "It was a conspiracy, " growled the captain. "That rascal, Maurie--" "Oh, was Maurie in it?" "Of course. He was the decoy; perhaps he arranged the whole thing. " "Didn't the general want you, then?" Carg was so enraged that he fairly snorted. "Want me? Of course he didn't want me! That treacherous little Belgianled me into the waiting room and said the general would see me in aminute. Then he walked away and I sat there like a bump on a log andwaited. Finally I began to wonder how Maurie, who was always shy offacing the authorities, had happened to be the general's messenger. Itlooked queer. Officers and civilians were passing back and forth but noone paid any attention to me; so after an hour or so I asked an officerwho entered from an inner room, when I could see the general. He saidthe general was not there evenings but would be in his office to-morrowmorning. Then I showed him my order and he glanced at it and said it wasforged; wasn't the general's signature and wasn't in proper form, anyhow. When I started to go he wouldn't let me; said the affair wassuspicious and needed investigation. So he took me to a room full ofofficers and they asked me a thousand fool questions. Said they had norecord of a Belgian named Maurie and had never heard of him before. Icouldn't figure the thing out, and they couldn't; so finally they let mecome back to the ship. " "Strange, " mused Uncle John; "very strange!" "I was so stupid, " continued Carg, "that I never thought of Elbl beingat the bottom of the affair until I got back and found our launchmissing. Then I remembered that Elbl was to have been turned over to theprison authorities to-morrow and like a flash I saw through the wholething. " "I'm blamed if _I_ do, " declared Mr. Merrick. The others likewise shook their heads. "He got me out of the way, stole the launch, and is half way to Ostendby this time. " "Alone? And wounded--still an invalid?" "Doubtless Maurie is with him. The rascal can run an automobile; so Isuppose he can run a launch. " "What puzzles me, " remarked Patsy, "is how Lieutenant Elbl ever got holdof Maurie, and induced him to assist him, without our knowing anythingabout it. " "I used to notice them talking together a good bit, " said Jones. "But Clarette has kept Maurie a prisoner. She wouldn't let him come backto the ship. " "He was certainly at liberty to-night, " answered Beth. "Isn't thisescape liable to be rather embarrassing to us, Uncle John?" "I'm afraid so, " was the reply. "We agreed to keep him safely until theauthorities demanded we give him up; and now, at the last minute, we'veallowed him to get away. " Anxiety was written on every countenance as they considered the seriousnature of this affair. Only Gys seemed composed and unworried. "Is it too late to go in chase of the launch?" asked Ajo, breaking along pause. "They're headed for Ostend, without a doubt, and there's achance that they may run into a sand-bank in the dark, or break down, ormeet with some other accident to delay them. " "I believe it's worth our while, sir, " answered Carg. "The launch wehave is the faster, and the trip will show our good faith, if nothingmore. " "Then make ready to start at once, " said Ajo, "and I'll dress and goalong. " Carg hurried away to give orders and the boy ran to his stateroom. Fiveminutes later they were away, with four sailors to assist in the captureof the fugitives in case they were overtaken. It was a fruitless journey, however. At daybreak, as they neared Ostend, they met their stolen launch coming back, in charge of a sleepy Belgianwho had been hired to return it. The man frankly stated that he hadundertaken the task in order to get to Dunkirk, where he had friends, and he had been liberally paid by a German on crutches, who had one footmissing, and a little Belgian whom he had never seen before, but who, from the description given, could be none other than Maurie. They carried the man back with them to the _Arabella_, where furtherquestioning added nothing to their information. They now had proof, however, that Elbl was safe with his countrymen at Ostend and thatMaurie had been his accomplice. "I would not believe, " said Patsy, when she heard the story, "that aBelgian could be so disloyal to his country. " "Every nation has its quota of black sheep, " replied Uncle John, "andfrom what we have learned of Maurie's character he is not at allparticular which side he serves. " CHAPTER XX THE DUNES The escape of a prisoner of war from the American hospital ship was madethe subject of a rigid inquiry by the officials and proved extremelyhumiliating to all on board the _Arabella_. The commandant showed hisirritation by severely reprimanding Mr. Merrick for carelessness, whileCaptain Carg had to endure a personal examination before a board ofinquiry. He was able to prove that he had been at headquarters duringthe evening of the escape, but that did not wholly satisfy hisinquisitors. Finally an order was issued forbidding the Americans totake any more wounded Germans or Austrians aboard their ship, and thatseemed to end the unpleasant affair. However, a certain friction was engendered that was later evidenced onboth sides. The American ambulance was no longer favored on its tripsto the front, pointed preference being given the English and French RedCross Emergency Corps. This resulted in few wounded being taken to the_Arabella_, as the Americans confined their work largely to assistingthe injured on the field of battle. The girls were not to be daunted intheir determined efforts to aid the unfortunate and every day one ofthem visited the trenches to assist the two doctors in rendering firstaid to the wounded. The work was no longer arduous, for often entire days would pass withouta single casualty demanding their attention. The cold weather resultedin much sickness among the soldiers, however, and Gys found during thisperiod of military inactivity that his medicine chest was more in demandthan his case of surgical instruments. A slight diversion was created by Clarette, who came to the ship todemand her husband from the Americans. It seemed almost impossible toconvince her that Maurie was not hidden somewhere aboard, but at lastthey made the woman understand he had escaped with the German toOstend. They learned from her that Maurie--or Henri, as she insisted hewas named--had several times escaped from her house at night, while shewas asleep, and returned at daybreak in the morning, and thisinformation led them to suspect he had managed to have several secretconferences with Lieutenant Elbl previous to their flight. Claretteannounced her determination to follow her husband to Ostend, and perhapsshe did so, as they did not see her again. It was on Sunday, the twentieth of December, that the Battle of theDunes began and the flames of war burst out afresh. The dunes laybetween the North Sea and the Yser River in West Flanders and consistedof a stretch of sandy hillocks reaching from Coxyde to Nieuport lesBains. The Belgians had entrenched these dunes in an elaborate andclever manner, shoveling the sand into a series of high lateral ridges, with alternate hollows, which reached for miles along the coast. Thehollows were from six to eight feet deep, affording protection to thesoldiers, who could nevertheless fire upon the enemy by creeping up thesloping embankments until their heads projected sufficiently to allowthem to aim, when they could drop back to safety. In order to connect the hollows one with another, that an advance orretreat might be made under cover, narrow trenches had been cut atintervals diagonally through the raised mounds of sand. Military expertsconsidered this series of novel fortifications to be practicallyimpregnable, for should the enemy defile through one of the crosspassages into a hollow where the Allies were gathered, they could bepicked off one by one, as they appeared, and be absolutely annihilated. Realizing this, the Germans had not risked an attack, but after longstudy of the defences had decided that by means of artillery they mightshell the Belgians, who held the dunes, and destroy them as they lay inthe hollows. So a heavy battery had been planted along the German linesfor this work, while in defence the Belgians confronted them with theirown famous dog artillery, consisting of the deadly machine guns. Thebattle of December twentieth therefore began with an artillery duel, resulting in so many casualties that the Red Cross workers foundthemselves fully occupied. Beth went with the ambulance the first day, worked in the hollows of thedunes, and returned to the ship at night completely worn out by thedemands upon her services. It was Patsy's turn next, and she took withher the second day one of the French girls as assistant. When the ambulance reached the edge of the dunes, where it was driven byAjo, the battle was raging with even more vigor than the previous day. The Germans were dropping shells promiscuously into the various hollows, hoping to locate the hidden Belgian infantry, while the Belgianartillery strove to destroy the German gunners. Both succeeded at times, and both sides were equally persistent. As it was impossible to take the ambulance into the dunes, it was leftin the rear in charge of Jones, while the others threaded their way inand out the devious passages toward the front. They had covered fully amile in this laborious fashion before they came upon a detachment ofBelgian infantry which was lying in wait for a call to action. Beyondthis trench the doctors and nurses were forbidden to go, and the officerin command warned the Americans to beware of stray shells. Under these circumstances they contented themselves by occupying some ofthe rear hollows, to which the wounded would retreat to secure theirservices. Dr. Kelsey and Nanette, the French girl, establishedthemselves in one hollow at the right, while Dr. Gys and Patsy tooktheir position in another hollow further to the left. There they openedtheir cases of lint, plaster and bandages, spreading them out upon thesand, and were soon engaged in administering aid to an occasional victimof the battle. One man who came to Patsy with a slight wound on his shoulder told herthat a shell had exploded in a forward hollow and killed outrightfifteen of his comrades. His own escape from death was miraculous andthe poor fellow was so unnerved that he cried like a baby. They directed him to the rear, where he would find the ambulance, andawaited the appearance of more patients. Gys crawled up the mound ofsand in front of them and cautiously raised his head above the ridge. Next instant he ducked to escape a rain of bullets that scattered thesand about them like a mist. "That was foolish, " said Patsy reprovingly. "You might have beenkilled. " "No such luck, " he muttered in reply, but the girl could see that hetrembled slightly with nervousness. Neither realized at the time thefatal folly of the act, for they were unaware that the Germans wereseeking just such a clew to direct them where to drop their shells. "It's getting rather lonely here, and there are a couple of vacanthollows in front of us, " remarked the doctor. "Suppose we move over toone of those, a little nearer the soldiers?" Patsy approved the proposition, so they gathered up their supplies andmoved along the hollow to where a passage had been cut through. They hadgone barely a hundred yards when a screech, like a buzz-saw when itstrikes a nail, sounded overhead. Looking up they saw a black diskhurtling through the air, to drop almost where they had been standing amoment before. There was a terrific explosion that sent debris to theirvery feet. "After this we'll be careful how we expose ourselves, " said the doctorgravely. "They have got our range in a hurry. Here comes another; we'dbetter get away quickly. " They progressed perhaps half a mile, without coming upon any soldiers, when at the brow of a hill slightly higher than the rest, they becameaware of unwonted activity. A trench had been dug along the ridge, withgreat pits here and there to serve as bomb-proof shelters. Every time ahead projected above the ridge, a storm of bullets showed that the enemywas well within rifle range. In fact, it was to dislodge the Germansthat the present intrenchments were being made; machine guns would bemounted as soon as positions had been prepared. The German bullets had already taken their toll. In the little valley apoor Belgian pressed his hand against a bad wound in his side, whileanother was nursing an arm roughly bandaged by his fellows in thetrenches. First aid made the two comfortable for the time being at leastand the men were directed toward the ambulance. As they left, the manwith the wounded arm pointed down the narrow valley to where a deepravine cut through. "We were driven from there, " he said. "The big gunsdropped shells on us and killed many; there are many wounded beyond--butyou cannot cross the ravine. We lost ten in doing it. " Nevertheless, the doctor and Patsy strode off. Just within the shelterof the ridge they found another Belgian, desperately wounded, and thedoctor stopped to ease his pain with the hypodermic needle. Patsy lookedacross the narrow defile; it was a bare fifty feet, and seemed safeenough. Her Red Cross uniform would protect her, she reasoned, andboldly enough she stepped out into the open. A cry from a woundedsoldier ahead hastened her footsteps. Without heeding the warning shoutof Doctor Gys she calmly stooped over the man who had called to her. And then there was a sudden rending, blinding, terrifying crash thatsent the world into a thousand shrieking echoes. A huge shell had fallennot fifty feet away, plowing its way through the earthworks above. Itsexplosion sent timbers, abandoned gun-carriages, everything, flyingthrough the air. And one great piece of wood caught Patsy a glancingblow on the back of her head as she crouched over the wounded Belgian. With a weak cry she toppled over, not unconscious, but unable to raiseherself. Another shell crashed down a hundred yards away, and then one closerthat sent the sand spouting high in a blinding cloud. She raised herselfslowly and glanced back toward Doctor Gys. He stood, his face ashen withfear, hiding behind the shelter of the other hill. He looked up as shestirred; a cry of relief came to his lips. "Wait!" he called, bracing up suddenly. "Wait and I will get you. " Bending his head low he sprang across the unprotected space. He stoppedwith a sudden jerk and then came on. "You were hit!" cried Patsy as he bent over her. "It is nothing, " he answered brusquely. "Hold tight around my neck. ""Now--" another shell scattered sand over them--"we must get away fromhere. " Breathing thickly, he staggered across the open, dropping her with agreat groan behind the protection of the ridge. "The man you were helping, " he gasped. "I must bring him in. " "But you are wounded--" Patsy cried. He straightened up--his hand clutched his side--there came across hisdisfigured features a queer twisted smile--he sighed softly and slowlysank in a crumpled heap. A clean little puncture in the breast of hiscoat told the whole story. Patsy felt herself slipping. .. . All grewdark. * * * * * It was Ajo who found her and carried her back to the ambulance, whereDr. Kelsey and Nanette were presently able to restore her toconsciousness. Then they returned to the _Arabella_, grave and silent, and Patsy was put to bed. Before morning Beth and Maud were anxiouslynursing her, for she had developed a high fever and was delirious. The days that succeed were anxious ones, for Patsy's nerves had givenaway completely. It was many weeks later that the rest of them met ondeck. "It's the first of February, " said Uncle John. "Don't you suppose Patsycould start for home pretty soon?" "Perhaps so, " answered Maud. "She is sitting up to-day, and seemsbrighter and more like herself. Have we decided, then, to return toAmerica?" "I believe so, " was the reply. "We can't keep Ajo's ship forever, youknow, and without Doctor Gys we could never make it useful as a hospitalship again. " "That is true, " said the girl, thoughtfully. "Now that Andrew Denton, with his wife and the countess, have gone to Charleroi, our ship seemsquite lonely. " "You see, " said Ajo, taking part in the discussion, "we've never beenable to overcome the suspicious coldness of these Frenchmen, caused byElbl's unfortunate escape. We are not trusted fully, and never will beagain, so I'm convinced our career of usefulness here is ended. " "Aside from that, " returned Uncle John, "you three girls have endured along period of hard work and nervous strain, and you need a rest. I'mawfully proud of you all; proud of your noble determination and courageas well as the ability you have demonstrated as nurses. You haveunselfishly devoted your lives for three strenuous months to the injuredsoldiers of a foreign war, and I hope you're satisfied that you've doneyour full duty. " "Well, " returned Maud with a smile, "I wouldn't think of retreating if Ifelt that our services were really needed, but there are so many womencoming here for Red Cross work--English, French, Swiss, Dutch andItalian--that they seem able to cover the field thoroughly. " "True, " said Beth, joining the group. "Let's go home, Uncle. The voyagewill put our Patsy in fine shape again. When can we start, Ajo?" "Ask Uncle John. " "Ask Captain Carg. " "If you really mean it, " said the captain, "I'll hoist anchor to-morrowmorning. "