And then, soldier-like, he drew himself up as if standing to attention, turned, and went to his duty again, walking pretty steadily after Roby to join them where the sergeant was down on one knee with his hand thrust inside the corporal's jacket. "Heart's beating off and on, sir," growled James. "I don't think he's hurt. Seems to me like what the doctor called shock." "Yes. What did he say?" "I dunno, sir. Sort of queer stuff: sounded like foolishness. I'm afraid he's off his head.--Here, May--me, May, my lad. Hold up. You're all right now." The man opened his eyes, stared at him wildly, and his lips quivered. "What say?" he whispered. "I say, hold up now." "Hurts," moaned the poor fellow, beginning to rub his chest. "Have I been asleep?" "I hope so, my lad," said Roby, "for you have been saved a good deal if you have." "Ugh!" groaned the man, with a shiver. "Mind that light don't go out. Here," he cried fiercely, "what did you go and leave me for?" "Who went away and left you?" "I recklect now. It was horrid. I dursen't try and climb that tree again with the water all cissing up to get at me." "What!" cried Roby sharply. "It was when the orders were given to retire, sir. I kept letting first one chap go and then another till I was last, and then I stood at the bottom trying to make up my mind to follow, till the lights up atop seemed to go out all at once. Then I turned cold and sick and all faint-like, holding on by the tree, till there was a horrid rush and a splash as if something was coming up to get at me, and I couldn't help it--I turned and ran back through that archway place in the big hole, feeling sure that the water was coming to sweep me away. 'Fore I'd gone far in the black darkness I ketched my foot on a stone, pitched forward on to my head, and then I don't remember any more for ever so long. It was just as if some one had hit me over the head with the butt of a rifle." "Where's the lump, then, or the cut?" said Sergeant James sourly. "Somewhere up atop there, sergeant. I dunno. Feel; I can't move my arms, they're so stiff." The sergeant raised his lantern and passed his hand over the man's head. "Lump as big as half an egg there, sir," he said in a whisper. "It's a bad cut, ain't it, sergeant?" said the corporal. "No; big lump--bruise." "Ah, I thought it was a cut; but I'd forgotten all about it when I come to again in the dark, and couldn't make it out. My head was all of a swim like, and I couldn't recklect anything about what had happened, nor make out where I was, only that I was in the dark. All I could understand was that my head was aching awful and swimming round and round, and I seemed to have been fast asleep for hours and hours, and that I had woke up. That was all." "Well, go on," said the sergeant, in obedience to a hint from Roby.