"Canadians?" asked Barry, thinking of his father. "You have not heard what unit, sir?"

"No, we only get the numbers and the character of the casualties and that sort of thing. Well, I must be off. Would you care to look around?"

"Thank you, no. We are also on the march. I simply came to tell you how very greatly our men appreciated your help last night."

"Oh, that's perfectly all right. Glad the sergeant had sense enough to do the right thing."

Barry hesitated.

"May I see--ah--the sergeant?"

"The sergeant? Why, certainly, but it's not necessary at all."

The sergeant was called and duly thanked. The R. A. M. C. officer was obviously anxious to be rid of his visitor and to get off to his duty.

Still Barry lingered.

"There was also a young lady, sir, last night," he said at length.

"A young lady?"

"Sister Vincent, sir," interjected the sergeant. "She ran them up to the camp in her car, sir. The ambulances and cars were all under orders."

"Ah! Ran you up to the camp, eh?"

"Yes, she ran us up with the biscuits and coffee. It was awfully kind of her."

"Ah!--Um!--Very good! Very good! Sergeant, call her," said the O. C.

abruptly.

"I'm afraid she'd be asleep now, sir. She was on night duty, sir."

"Oh, then," said Barry, "please don't disturb her. I wouldn't think of it. If you will be kind enough, sir, to convey the thanks of the men and of myself to her."

"Surely, surely! Well, I really must be going. Goodbye! Good luck!"

He turned to his motor car. "I won't forget, sir," he said to Barry.

"Oh, I'll be sure to tell her," he added with a significant smile.

As Barry was mounting his horse, the strains of the battalion band were heard floating down the street. He drew up his horse beside the entrance and waited. Down the winding hill they came, tall, lean, hard-looking men, striding with the free, easy swing of the men of the foothills.

Barry felt his heart fill with pride in his comrades.

"By Jove," he said to himself, "the boys are all right."

"Fine body of men, sir," said the sergeant, who with his comrades had gathered about the gateway.

"Not too bad, eh, sergeant?" said Barry, with modest pride.

"Sir," said the sergeant in a low voice, "the young lady is up at the window to your left."

"Sergeant, you're a brick! Thank you," said Barry. He turned in his saddle, and saw above him a window filled with smiling nurses looking down at the marching column, and among them his friend of the night before. Her face was turned away from him, and her eyes were upon the column, eagerly searching the ranks of the marching men.

"Sergeant," said Barry, "your Commanding Officer is a very busy man, and has a great many things to occupy his attention. Don't you think it is quite possible that that message of mine might escape his memory, and don't you think it would be really more satisfactory if I could deliver that message in person?"

The sergeant tilted his hat over one eye, and scratched his head.

"Well, sir, the Commanding Officer does 'ave a lot of things to think about, and though he doesn't often forget, he might. Besides, I really think the young lady would like to know just how the coffee went."

"Sergeant, you are a man of discernment. I'll just wait here until the battalion passes."

He moved his horse a few steps out from the gateway, and swung him around so that he stood facing the window. The movement caught the attention of the V. A. D. in the window. She glanced down, saw him, and, leaning far out, waved her hand in eager greeting and with a smile of warm friendliness.

He had only time to wave his hand in reply, when the head of the column drew opposite the gateway, forcing him to turn his back to the window and stand at salute.

The Commanding Officer acknowledged the salute, glanced up at the window, waved his hand to the group of nurses there gathered, then glanced back at Barry, with a smile full of meaning, and rode on.

After the band had passed the entrance, it ceased playing, and the men, catching sight of Barry and the smiling group at the window above him, broke softly into a rather suggestive music hall ditty, at that time popular with the soldiers:

"Hello! Hello! Who's your lady friend; Who's the little blossom by your side; I saw you, with a girl or two, Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm surprised at you."

Down the length of the column the refrain passed, gradually gaining in strength and volume, until by the time the rear came opposite the entrance, the men were shouting with wide open throats:

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm surprised at you."

with a growing emphasis and meaning upon every successive "Oh!"

Barry's face was aflame and his heart hot with furious indignation.

She was not that kind of a girl. She would be humiliated before her associates. He glanced up at the window but she was gone. The battalion marched on but Barry still remained, his eyes following the swinging column, his face still flaming, and his heart hot with indignation.

"Good morning, Captain Dunbar!"

He swung off his horse, and there smiling at him with warm friendliness was the little V. A. D.

"I'm awfully sorry," began Barry, thinking of the impudent song of his comrades. "I mean I'm very glad to see you. I just ran in to tell you how splendidly the coffee went last night. There are a hundred fellows marching along there that are fine and fit just because of your kindness, and I'm here to give you their thanks."

Barry felt that he was cutting a rather poor figure. His words came haltingly and stumblingly. The suggestive music hall ditty was still in his mind.

"What a splendid band you have," she said, "and how splendidly the men sing."

"Sing!" cried Barry indignantly. "Oh, yes, they do sing rather well, don't they?" he added, greatly relieved. "I have only a minute," he added hurriedly, "but I wanted to see you again, and I wonder if I may drop you a little note now and then, just to--well, hang it all--just to keep in touch with you. I don't want you to quite forget me."

"Oh, I won't forget you," she said. The brown eyes looked straight at him. "You see, after all, my uncle knows you so well. Indeed, he told me about you. You see, we really are friends, in a way, aren't we?"

"We are indeed, and you are awfully good. Goodbye!"