It was two stretcher-bearers who had hailed, and, a little later, Ignace Pulinski was being carried to the rear. He had fainted when brought to the top of the shell hole. CHAPTER IV A DOUBLE LOSS After waiting a moment on the ground at the top of the shell crater, to see their comrade being carried to a first-aid dressing station at the rear, Jimmy and Roger started back to join their two friends who were still, it was to be hoped, waiting for orders to advance. "S'pose he's much hurt?" asked Roger, something like a dry sob choking him as he thought of poor Iggy. "I'm afraid so--yes," answered Jimmy. "That business of his legs feeling numb is a bad sign. It's a wonder he lived as long as he did, after what happened to him." "I'll say so!" agreed Roger. "Tough luck all right!" "Why," went on his chum as they started back toward their former places, "it looked as if his whole face was blown in. I can't understand it" "Well, they'll do the best they can for him back there," and Roger nodded toward the dressing stations. "Maybe we'll get a chance to go to see him after this battle." His words were drowned in a new roar of artillery and machine-gun fire. The heavy booming and the short, sharp, rattling explosions of the smaller guns seemed very close at hand. "Something's doing!" cried Jimmy. "Come on!" shouted his chum, and, with their rifles and gas masks, which they had brought up out of the shell hole, they rushed forward. And as they advanced they became aware of shrill, whistling sounds in the air about them. "Duck! Duck!" yelled Roger. "They're firing over our sector now! We've got to crawl back!" Jimmy realized this as well as did his chum, and, in another moment, the two were making their way back to their line as they had left it, by alternately moving on their hands and knees and again by working themselves forward on their elbows and stomach. It was the only safe way. The horizontal storm of missiles was, fortunately, about three feet above them, but that distance precluded walking upright. "Come on, boys! Fall in! Fall in!" cried their lieutenant as Roger and Jimmy got back "We're going to advance. You're just in time!" "Did you find him?" asked Bob, as he leaped to his feet in readiness for a dash toward the German lines. "Yes. In a shell hole!" yelled Jimmy, for the firing was heavy on both sides of them now, making a vicious din. "Alive!" Franz wanted to know. "Yes, alive, but how long he'll be that way it's hard to say," answered Roger. "He was under a pile of dirt and--" "Come on! Come on!" cried the lieutenant. "We're going to finish the job!" He was leading his men, not driving them on as do the Germans, and nobly the four Brothers and their fellows followed the gallant lieutenant.