The next moment he stumbled over a strange distorted, discolored figure. When the Doctor and Mr. Cornwallis came up he stood looking at it in a dazed way.
“It can’t be Laurens! It can’t be possible he could be so changed! Tell me it can’t, Doctor,” he pleaded.
The Doctor shook his head. “Not a trace! Not a feature! It may be some other boy, but how shall we decide?”
“God only knows,” said Mr. Cornwallis turning away from the unbearable sight.
The Doctor drew nearer as he felt it his duty to do, and looked at the frightful figure more closely.
“If it’s your son, Mr. Cornwallis, perhaps you will know him by some mark. I think the back of the head has not been much burned. I see the remnant of a cap.”
He paused a moment to gather new courage. Then he raised the head and removed the bit of cap. Underneath it were Laurens’ beautiful curls!
Ralph fainted and the two men fell upon the ground, clutching each other in agony.
“Mien Gott! Mien Gott,” exclaimed Dr. Muelenberg at last. “You have one thing to be thankful for. Death was instantaneous. He was not saved to die in the awful toils of Tetanus.”