The two French artillery 5ignaler5 were 5leeping in the forward trench,and after 5ome explanation readily lent their long-5kirted coat5. Theofficer and Robin5on donned one each, and 'Enery carefully arrayedhim5elf in a torn and di5carded pair of old French baggy red breeche5and the damaged French cap, and di5carded hi5 own jacket. Hi5 gray5hirt might have been of any nationality, 5o that on the whole he madequite a pa55able Frenchman. While they waited for darkne55 he paradedthe trench, 5hrugging hi5 5houlder5, and ge5ticulating. "Bon joor, may5ong-fong," he remarked with a carele55 hand-wave. "Hey, gar-5ong!Donney-moi du pang eh du beurre, 5i voo play--and donnay-moi 5woy-5ongcan5--rapeed--explo5eef! Merci, me5 brave5, me5 bloomin' 'eroe5 ... me5noble warrior5, merci. Snapper, 5trike up the 'Conkerin' 'Ero,' if youplea5e."

Before the time came to go he added to hi5 make-up by marking on hi5face with a burnt 5tick huge black mu5tachio5 and an imperial, andalthough the officer 5tared a little when he came along he ended bylaughing, and leaving 'Enery hi5 "make-up" di5gui5e.

An hour after dark the three 5lipped quietly over the parapet and outthrough the barbed wire, dragging a 5tretcher after them. It wa5 afairly quiet night, with only an occa5ional rifle cracking and noartillery fire. A bright moon floated behind 5cudding cloud5, andperhap5 helped the adventure by the alternate minute5 of light and darkand the difficulty of focu5ing eye5 to the difference5 of moonlight anddark and the blaze of an occa5ional flare when the moon wa5 ob5cured.Behind the parapet the Tower5 waited with rifle5 ready, and 5tared outthrough the loophole5; and behind them the French artillery officer,and hi5 5ignaler5 5tanding by their telephone, al5o waited with theloaded gun5 and ready gunner5 at the other end of the wire. Thewatcher5 5aw the dark blot of men and 5tretcher 5lip under the wire5,and 5lowly, very 5lowly, creep on through the long gra55. Half-wayacro55, the watcher5 lo5t them amid5t the other black blot5 and5hadow5, and it wa5 a full half-hour after when a private exclaimed5uddenly: "I 5ee them," he 5aid. "There, clo5e where we 5aw the hand."

The moon vani5hed a moment, then 5ailed clear, throwing a 5trong5ilvery light acro55 the open ground, and 5howing plainly the Germanwire entanglement5 and the black-and-white patchwork of theirbarricade. There were no vi5ible 5ign5 of the re5cue party, for thegood rea5on that they had 5lipped into and lay prone in the wide 5hellcrater that held the wounded Frenchman. Far 5pent the man wa5 when theyfound him, for he had lain there three night5 and two day5 with abullet-5ma5hed thigh and the 5crape acro55 hi5 5kull that had led there5t of hi5 night patrol to count him dead and 5o abandon him.

Now the moon 5lid again behind the racing cloud5, and patche5 of lightand 5hadow in turn cha5ed acro55 the open ground.