"An' there's a bloomin' dawg too as was left behind," said Bubb, pointing his finger at the top window of the estaminet.
It was looking down at the two soldiers, a lean dog with plaintive eyes and a queer crooning cry which said as plainly as any doggie can say: "Take me away from this place."
"Why doesn't it come down the stairs?" asked Bowdy Benners.
"Why?" said Bubb. "'Cos there ain't no stairs; they've been blown away by a shell."
"Then we've got to get the poor thing down," said Bowdy.
"'Ow?" asked Bubb, then without giving Benners time to answer, he said: "Oh, I knows 'ow. There's a ladder round the corner. We put it up and take the beggar down."
Raising the ladder they placed it against the window sill, clambered up and rescued the dog which they placed on the street. Then Bowdy and Bubb went up the ladder again and entered the room.
"What's that thing under the bed?" asked Bowdy who had noticed a dark bundle on the ground.
Bubb peeped under and drew back his head as suddenly as if somebody had given him a blow on the face.