At first Dave had been taken to a temporary field hospital, but twenty-four hours later he had been placed in one of the big ambulances along with a number of others and rushed to a base hospital some distance back from the lines, and it was at this place he now rested. He had been given the best of medical attention, and a Red Cross nurse saw to it that he had every comfort.
During those days in the hospital our hero had been visited twice by Captain Obray, who himself had been slightly wounded in the fray. The captain was very grateful to Dave for what he had done, insisting that our hero had saved his life.
“I shall never forget this, Porter, never!” the captain had said, in a voice filled with emotion. “And I want everybody to know it—even your folks at home.”
Many of the engineers had been cited for special bravery, and at the top of the list was Dave’s name, for which, of course, he was pardonably proud. He had likewise been recommended for promotion.
“I understand they are going to offer you a lieutenancy, Dave,” remarked Phil, after he had come up and greeted his chum.
“A lieutenancy!” exclaimed Dave, his eyes lighting up with expectancy.
“That’s the talk around camp. And I don’t know that anybody in our company deserves it more than you do.”
“Phil is right!” added Roger. “And maybe it will come pretty quick, too, Dave. Somebody has got to fill poor Harney’s place.”
“I think you fellows ought to be promoted yourselves.”
“There has been a little talk of making us sergeants,” answered Roger. “Of course, we won’t complain if they insist on shoving us up,” and he grinned. Even though he was the son of a United States senator who had made a great record for himself at Washington, Roger was as modest as any engineer in the corps.