"Now quick. I can do no more. Water."
By touch Dick found that his companion had raised himself on one elbow,
and he guided the tin to his lips with one hand, passing the other round
the poor fellow's head to try and support him, as he drank eagerly till
the last drops were drained from the tin.
"Like life--like life," was sighed, and Dick felt his patient sink down
again with a sigh of content.
"Shall I fetch some more?" said the boy.
"Not yet. Tell me. Who are you? Is it a woman?"
Dick laughed in his great joy at hearing the words.
"No," he said: "it's only me."
"You? Who are you?"
"Dick. Mrs Corporal Beane's Dick."
"Oh, my boy, my boy, you have saved my life," moaned the sufferer,
catching the little fellow's hand and pressing it to his fevered lips.
"But who are you?" said the boy. "I don't know your voice."
"Don't you, my brave little fellow? Yes, you do--the Colonel, Colonel
Lavis."
"Oh," said Dick wonderingly, "and did somebody shoot you?"
"Yes. I was hit twice. I crawled away among the bushes and rocks after
I fell, and then all was dark, and I was trying to creep to where I
could hear water. But tell me, my brave lad. They drove the Frenchmen
off?"
"No," said Dick sadly, and as he told all he knew the Colonel groaned
again and again and to Dick's horror he heard him mutter to himself:--
"Better that I had died--better that I had died than suffer this. The
defeat--the shame."
Then all was still in the darkness, the fear began to creep into Dick's
breast again, and he gently stretched out his hand to touch the
Colonel's, when to his great joy his hand was seized: then another hand
touched it, and he felt it kissed and then held fast, drawing him
forward so that he half lay across the wounded man's breast, and could
feel the beating of his heart, lying thinking there till he heard a low
sigh or two, followed by a steady regular breathing as if he slept.
And at last, utterly wearied out, sleep came to the boy as well, and he
lay dreaming there, keeping what might have been the chill of death from
a brave man's breast, till the sun rose again and was beating down
warmly upon the back of Dick's head, when he opened his eyes to stare
wonderingly at the stained and blackened face so close to his.
Dick did not dare to stir for fear of awakening the Colonel again: but
he was not asleep, for after a time he opened his eyes and smiled
pleasantly.
"The fortune of war, little comrade," he said.
"Yes, sir," said Dick, and he stared at him, wondering that the stern,
fierce officer who ordered the men about so could look so pleasant.
"That's right," said the Colonel: "we have been successful many times.
But let's see, Dick, you were brought into camp wounded."
"Yes," said Dick. "My head was very bad."
"Of course. I remember all about it. How was it you were injured?"
Dick shook the head that had been hurt.
"You don't know? But you speak well. Who are your father and mother?"
"Corporal Beane and Mrs Corporal."
The Colonel looked at the boy curiously.
"Yes," he said at last: "so I remember hearing. Well, Dick, you were
wounded, and we helped you: now it is my turn and you have helped me."
"Yes," said Dick.
"I am thirsty, my boy: will you fetch me some water?"
"Yes," said Dick, seizing the tin.
"But look carefully round: the enemy may be holding the ground."
"Would they kill us if they saw us, sir?"
"I hope not, boy: but if I can bear my wounds I'll keep in hiding, for
my brave lads must make an effort to find us soon."
"I'll mind," said Dick, and he took a long look round, and then crept on
hands and knees to the spring, looked at it longingly, but forebore to
drink, and filling the tin he bore it to the Colonel, who lay just as he
had left him.
"Can you lift my head, boy?" he said. "Set down the tin."
Not an easy thing to do without spilling the water, but Dick succeeded,
and then managed with the Colonel's help to raise him a little so that
he could reach the water, of which he drank with avidity and was once
more lowered back, to lie faint and giddy for a few minutes, but he
recovered soon and said he was better, speaking so freely and kindly to
the boy that Dick took courage.
"I say," he said: "you've got such a dirty face."
"Have I, Dick?" said the Colonel, smiling. "Yes, it's all over
gunpowder, and all bloody. Shall I wash it?"
"Please, Dick, my boy," said the Colonel, and Dick took the tin to the
spring as carefully as before, after looking up and down the great
ravine, filled it, and this time had a good draught himself, and felt
hungry as he took the refilled tin back, set it down by the Colonel's
head, and then began to purse up his lips and think what he should do.
He was not long making up his mind, and tearing the lining out of his
damaged sleeve to soak in the water and use for a sponge.
"But I haven't a towel," he said.
"There's a clean handkerchief in the breast pocket of my coat," said the
Colonel, smiling. "Take it out."
"That hurt you?" said Dick, after unbuttoning the uniform and taking out
the carefully folded handkerchief just as Mrs Corporal Beane had
brought it to him from the wash.
"Yes, but not very much," said the Colonel. "Go on, it will be cool and
refreshing."
He was in great pain, but he lay smiling with a very kindly, fatherly
look at the clever little fellow, as Dick carefully washed away the
stains, having to go over the officer's face twice before it was quite
clean, after which he dried it, and knelt there looking at the bright
sword which was hanging by its golden knot to the Colonel's right arm.
"Shall I take that off before I wash your hands?" The Colonel nodded
and smiled in the same fatherly way as the boy unloosed the sword-knot,
laid the weapon close by and then washed and dried the wounded man's
hands.
"I say," said Dick then, "I can tear this handkerchief when it's dry.
Shall I tie up your cuts?"
"No," said the Colonel sadly: "they must wait till the Doctor comes,
Dick, if he ever does. They are not cuts, my boy, but bullet-holes, and
they have ceased to bleed. Now what is to be done next?"
"Get up, and let's find the men."
"No, boy," said the Colonel sadly. "I could not move. We must wait.
But you are hungry. Were there any rations on the mule?"
"No," said Dick, shaking his head: "they were on the other mule. We
must wait: but I am so hungry. Aren't you?"
"No," said the Colonel sadly, and his eyes wandered round, but he looked
in vain. They were in a wild ravine, and not so much as a berry was in
sight.
"We must wait, Dick," he said at last. "Surely they will come in search
of us soon."