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Show the other man's weapon was full ttpofl his breast. Into the eyes of his foe he -saw leap the deadly glare of hatred as the grimy hands tightened about the butt as the finger prepared to press the trigger. Sergeant Lyndham had more than half expected to be" killed before the war was over, but he never plctutfd his end us coming like this at the hand of one who was already little better than a dead iirnn. Yet what was to be would be, and In what he believed to be his last moment upon earth a thought flashed across his mind. For the first time throughout the black night he had Just passed he remembered what day this was, and TheMeetM Harry IrviGroopQ TVc stcrifowspepcr Union c- ' you found no one over there. Otherwise, Other-wise, of course, they would not let you come back. You see it is all very simple, sergeant." "As simple as suicide,' colonel." '. "I can do no more than wish you good luck. However, you will start at once." With another salute Lyndham Lynd-ham turned upon his heel and walked away. Well upon his way, he lay in the darkness on the field between the opposing op-posing battle lines. Over his head shells were hurtling, shrieking off Into the distance with the wall of banshees. The glare of search bombs threw their ghastly light upon a field still more ghastly. Occasional flights of machine ma-chine gun bullets swept over him like gusts of cyclone driven hall. He came to a shell crater tho size of a cellar, and crept Into It. It was half full of mire and the sudden blaze of a rocket revealed horribly torn and bleeding things half submerged In the drainage' water of the hole. Filled with unutterable unutter-able repugnanco he abided his time, and In a moment of pitch darkness clambered over the edge and resumed his snakelike crawl through the murk. He reached the wood, found the mare of entanglements, and making a breach with his wire-cutter, crawled to the edge of the excavation, peered and listened. No sound came from the blackness below, and he slid over the top. Silently he sat until the first faint light of morning came peeping down through the foliage, then cautiously he begun his advance. Around the turns he zigzagged his way In the gathering light, revolver In hand, seeing see-ing nothing but the grewsome evidence evi-dence of the strife that had raged about him. Then he made another sharp turn; lie stopped suddenly. Before him, sitting with his back against the wall, was a German, who held a revolver leveled at his breast. Swiftly Lynd-ham's Lynd-ham's glance swept the other. Above the unshaven beard of the one who confronted him the cheeks were the sickly color of death, yellow with the unwholesome color of a mtfshroom. Mud coated him as an envelope en-velope from head to toe, and down his breast a small red trickle was creeping. Slowly the bearded lips parted as words bitter with hate fell from them. "Ach! You have come again, have you, abominable Engllshers I But you return to an empty victory, since we have withdrawn our force to a more desirable pluce. You may have this abandoned sty In welcome, but first you I shall kill." Lyndham thought rapidly. Though he had a revolver in bis hand, his hand hung at this side, while the muzzle of "A Merry Christma to You, Fritz'He Grinned. v the sardonic humor of the thing filled him. "Shoot. And a merry Christmas to you. vFrltz," he grinned. Slowly the fingers of the other relaxed. re-laxed. His eyes softened, and a deep sigh came from the heaving chest. The bloodless lips opened again. "Illramel! And so It Is Chrltma morning ! I hud forgotten." The hand sank to the ground and the head fell forward. Very faintly the voice wa arising. . " 'Peace on earth and good will to man.' What good that I should shoot you. when many more are doubtless at your back and none of mine? The trenches you have regained for the time being. Five minutes more and I shall be dead. I die it is the holiest hour of a man's life as this Is the holiest holi-est day. Nein. I will kill no more. His face raised, and a faint smile light cd It. "Merry Christmas, Engllsher." THE bosom of Sergeant Lyndham Lynd-ham was filled to the brim with disgust and loathing. Nor was' this disgust and loathing entirely entire-ly without reason. Months of wallowing wallow-ing like a pig in the mud of trenches dues not sweeten the soul, and when It Is combined with endless duties In the cold fall rains of a shell-swept region re-gion that Is akin to the borders of Inferno, the nerves become ragged. Jlenco had come about the curdling of the milk of human kindness which had previously existed within him. Nor had a few little midnight surprise sur-prise parties over the top In which the bayonet had been the principal piece de resistance tended to decrease these sensations. Even being bowled 20 feet by the concussion of a shell had not cheered him. But It had remained remain-ed for a whiff of poison gas and a squirt of liquid fire to set and solidify his mind to its present condition. Alive, dead, or as yet unborn, Sergeant Ser-geant Lyndham was of the fixed opinion opin-ion that he did not like the Bodies. And the lust 24 hours had been particularly obnoxious from the fact that they had been entirely sleepless. The horizon was still lurid with cannon can-non Hashes and the uproar remained jflendish despite the fact that it was 'hours after midnight, but he was ac-jcustoiued ac-jcustoiued to such things, and knew 'that once asleep, they would not trouble trou-ble him. Also, for all he knew, he might dream of something pleasant. He !was free now for a few hours within .his blankets, and was in the- act of 'removing his boots when his captain ithrust his head within and motioned ifor him to come forth. Knowing that Something both new and disagreeable confronted him, he arose and stepped out as commanded. For a quarter of a mile they silently silent-ly wound their way along a muddy road until the dim lights of a partiully shell-ruined house appeared before ' hem. Into this they entered, and the sergeant, casting his eyes about, saw the colonel of his regiment sitting at a table. Saluting he stood at attention. atten-tion. 1 "Sergeant Lyndham," said the colonel colo-nel thoughtfully. "A few months ago when you accompanied one of our airmen air-men over the line and destroyed a plant of the enemy, you did a very brave and skillful thing. For that act you were made a sergeant. Tonight To-night we must have another duty peri jformed, and I have selected you because be-cause of my confidence in your courage cour-age and ability. It s very likely that you will not returu, yet war deniandi its sacrifices. Without knowing mora of this new duty do you volunteer to try anj accomplish it?" It was plain enough now that there would be no rest or sleep for him again this night, and the sergeant's disgust and loathing loath-ing mounted accordingly. Yet he managed man-aged to swallow them. : "Yes, sir," he grunted. The colonel nodded. ' "You are a brave and willing soldier, sergeant. Were it not for the fact that the regiment contains so many men like you I would sometimes become filled with fear and sadness. Now for the reuson I sent for you. You will remember the trenches which run through Thier's woods, do you not?" "Slightly, colonel. I helped capture cap-ture them from the Bodies at the point of the bayonet." "And in turn were driven from them by the same amiable gentlemen." Lyndham made a wry face. ; "Ye.i, colonel. But they surprised us most unfairly. It was all very dis-gusliug dis-gusliug and made me loathe the.ui." "I liuve no doubt. But now listen. We have reason to believe that they have evacuated the position, while It has become Important that we regain It. Yoa will follow my reasoning, li the enemy has deserted the ditch we wish to know It, while if he has not, Jt Is equally Important that we should know, since we must be advised before--hand what we may expect when we make our advance whether resistance-or resistance-or unopposed occupancy. Therefore, we are compelled to send someone as a scout to ascertain the conditions." i "And because of the darkness and treetops the airmen are useless?" "Exactly. Therefore, you will crawl upon your stomach to the wood, going alone the better to escape observation. By working your May fiat upon the ground and Instantly becoming still should their lights fall upon you, you may be mistaken by them for what you are likely to become one of the dead men of which you will pass many, if you are lucky. Should you return with this information, well and good ; If not, ,we will bo compelled to adopt other means to secure our Information. You had best plan to arrive there by the first light of day that you may be able to observe conditions. If you find the trenches empty, you will have to run for it coming back. We will be watching watch-ing and If we see you returning, even though you may not succeed In reaching reach-ing our lines, we will understand that |