'Still, we are doing well south of the Ancre, and that's what the dispatches will be jubilant about, and that's what the people at home will know of. If we'd taken G----, we should have had the key of the whole position here, too. But there, I must be off. Cheer up, and look perky, my boy. There'll be no obituary notices about you this time. Yes, you can dress and get up when you want to, although I don't think you _will_ want to. You will be fit for duty in two or three days.' 'By the way, do you know how Edgecumbe is?' 'He's all right. Wonderful chap! I hear he's to be recommended for all sorts of things.' 'He deserves them,' I said; 'he ought to have a commission.' 'I hear that's coming, too. Good-bye, old man.' The next day I came across Edgecumbe. His face looked more like parchment than ever, but the wonderful look still remained in his eyes. 'You are better, sir. You are all right!' he exclaimed eagerly. 'Oh, yes, I am all right,' I replied. 'Now let us hear about the great things you have to tell me of. Your memory's come back, hasn't it?' He laughed gaily. 'Better than that,' he cried, 'better than that, a thousand times! I have no past, Sir, but I have a future!' I looked at him wonderingly. A doubt even crossed my mind as to whether he was quite sane. 'Tell me about it, anyhow,' I said. 'I have so much to tell you that I hardly know where to begin.' 'Better begin at the beginning. What have you been doing since that night you were at my billet over at St. Pierre?' 'Oh, yes, I'd forgotten all about that. I say, you were right there; I should imagine that some people think I am in their way. Anyhow, I'd hardly left your place when I suddenly found myself surrounded by three men, who went for me. They pretended to be drunk, but I am sure they were not.' 'Were they soldiers?' 'I don't know. It was too dark to tell. But I am pretty handy with my fives, and I gave one something to remember, and then thinking discretion was the better part of valour, I bolted. That was lucky, for they were trying to grab me. As you may remember, it was pretty dark, but still not so dark as to keep one from seeing things. I hadn't gone more than a few steps before a bullet whizzed by me. It didn't touch me, but as the road on which I ran was open, I turned up a narrow track,--I thought it might lead to a farmhouse, or something of that sort.' 'And then?' 'Then I had bad luck; The track led to a quarry, an old disused quarry. Then I must have had a very bad fall, for I was stunned and I sprained myself badly. When I came to myself, it was daylight, and I couldn't move; at least, I couldn't move without awful pain.' 'And what happened then?'