“That so?” said Hal, turning to Bowers. “Where are you wounded?”
“In the left shoulder,” answered the marine, “but it’s just a scratch.”
“Nevertheless, you had better report and have it attended to at once,” advised Hal. “Complications are likely to develop, you know, and we can’t afford to lose a man unnecessarily.”
“Very well, sir,” said Bowers. “I shall heed your advice.”
He saluted, turned on his heel and walked rapidly away.
“A good man, Chester,” said Hal. “He and I went through rather a ticklish bit of work and he certainly upheld the traditions of the marines.”
“That so?” said Chester. “How did you happen to get so well acquainted with him?”
In a few words Hal explained, and added:
“Now give me an account of your troubles since I saw you last.”
“Well,” said Chester with a laugh, “you seem to have had all the fun. In my case there isn’t much to tell. I lost sight of you soon after the advance began and before long found myself in the midst of the fighting. I had a couple of narrow escapes in the course of the battle and I guess I got in a couple of good licks. Then, when we halted the first time, I hunted around for you, but you were missing. I was able to learn, however, that you had gone off on a little jaunt to put a certain machine gun out of action, but that’s all I could learn. I began to fear you had been killed. But when we came in sight of two men holding that little wall in face of the entire German army, it seemed, I told myself, that it was you. Events have proved that I was right. Then I came on as fast as I could, Smith and Jenkins with me. That’s about all.”