'Surely you are aware of what happened to you, and why you were sent to hospital, and why you are home on sick leave now?' 'To tell you the truth, I know precious little,' he replied. 'All I remember is the shriek of a shell, the noise of ten thousand thunders, absolute blackness, and then coming to consciousness in a hospital.' 'Then you don't know what happened between the noise of the ten thousand thunders and awaking in the hospital?' 'No,' he replied, 'I don't. I do remember inquiring, but I was told to be quiet, and when, on my becoming stronger, I was removed to the base, no one seemed to be able to tell me what had happened to me. I should be jolly glad to know. Perhaps you can tell me'; and there was a suggestion of a sneer in his voice. 'Yes,' I replied, 'I can.' By this time there was a deathly silence in the room. In a way which I had not imagined I had changed the whole atmosphere of the place. 'As it happened,' I said, 'I had a curious experience myself, close to where you were. A shell had exploded not far from me, and I was half buried, besides receiving a tremendous shock. I managed to drag myself out from under the _debris_, however, and was in a confused kind of way trying to find my men. You know what an awful day that was; the Germans had located us to a nicety, and were sending tons of explosives on us. It was one of the hottest times I have ever known.' 'Heavens! it was,' he said, and I thought he shuddered. 'We had passed the Germans' first line,' I continued, 'and I was struggling along in the open, hardly knowing what I was doing, when I saw some men whom I thought I recognized. I heard the awful whine of a shell, which fell close by, and it was not a dud. It exploded with a tremendous noise, and for some time I was wellnigh blinded by dust and sulphurous smoke. A great hole had been torn in the ground, and a huge heap of rubbish hurled up. After a bit I saw a man digging as if for very life. He was right out in the open, and in the greatest danger a man could be. The men who were still alive shouted to him to get into the shell-hole, but he went on digging.' I was silent for a few seconds. I did not know how best to conclude the story. 'Well, what happened?' he asked. 'He dug you out,' I replied. 'How do you know it was I?' 'Because I helped to carry you to a place of safety.' 'By Jove! I knew nothing about it. But who was the chap who dug me out? I should like to know.' 'Surely you know?' 'I told you I was unconscious for several days,' was his answer, 'and when I asked questions, was told nothing. Who was the chap who dug me out? I--I should like to thank him.' 'He is there,' I replied, nodding towards Edgecumbe, who seemed to be deeply interested in Bairnfather's _Five Months at the Front_.