Bruce

reground stood an edifice that had once been a church. The once-beautiful landscape had the look of a gigantic pockmarked face, so scored w

lobe-trotters' sentimental gush, not all villages of northern France were beautiful. Many were b

t by courtesy it was no longer a village at all. It was a double row of squalid ruins, zig-zagging along the two sides of

nd size of its ragged walls, and by a half-smashed image of the Virg

-and a decidedly welcome one-to no less than three thousand tired men. The wrecked church was an

Here-We-Comes" was billeted at Meran-en-Laye during a res

eting" system, were not wholly the portion of the "Here-We Comes." Mera

near to success that many railway communications were cut off or deflected. And Meran-en-Laye had for the moment gained new importance, by virtue of a spur railway-line which ran through its ou

be in grave danger of enemy raids, yet such danger existed to some extent. Wherefore the presence of th

and the "Here-We-Comes" enjoyed it-fo

taminet. Being off duty, they were reveling in that popular martial pastime kn

, was haranguing the others. Some listened appro

There's a leak. And if they don't find out where it is, a whole lot of good men and a

"but it may all be of a chance, mon vieux. It may, not be the doubled cro

to Chateau-Thierry. Maybe that was chance-though I know blamed well it wasn't. Maybe it was chance that the place wasn't bombed again till two days ago, when that troop-train had to spend such a lot of time getting shunted at the junction. Maybe it was chance that the church, over across t

ve it. For it means a spy. And a spy in one's midst is like to a snake in one's

e boche airships and the long-rangers wouldn't find us such a simple target. But up here on this ridge, all a spy has to do is to flash a signal, any night, that a boche airman can pick up or that can even be seen with good glasses from s

another of the group who sought to lure him into an opinion as to wh

day. Here and there a soldier lounged along aimlessly or tried out his exercise-book French on some puzzled, nat

anging sheets on a line behind a shell-twisted hovel. A Red Cross nurse came out of the hospital-church

y on the woman who was so carefully hanging the ragged sheets,-and then

or its work of mercy in the army. And the sight of one of the severa

epy warmth of the street lounged a huge dark-brown-and-white collie. The don stretched himself lazily, fore and aft, i

reaking in on a homily of

of the collie's name. He looked eagerly i

he village. It must be he is but new-arriven. Otherwise he would, of an as

own, and with a message for the K.O. He always goes like greased lightning when he's on dispatch duty, till he has delivered his message. Then, if he's to be allowed to

ly up and down the street. Catching sight of the group seated in front of th

ar a dispatch from the corps commander to the colonel of the "Here-We-Comes." The colonel, at the mairie, had read

eferred to stroll out

dispatch Bruce had brought to the colonel. For it bore out Mahan's own theory regarding the presence o

due at the junction at nine o'clock or shortly thereafter. The mairie was on the other side of the street from the estaminet. Incidentally, it was on the shady side

brought him direct

y at him. Bruce paused in his leisurely progress to see who had accosted him whether

figure on the steps. Then, on the instant, the friendly inquiring look left his ey

gayly erect head was lowered, and in the depths of his furry throat a growl was born. When a dog barks and ho

he dog show active hostility toward a stranger-least of all toward a stranger who had in no way molested him. It was i

en amused at the dog's almost protective cordiality toward all women,

ing to be humored and guarded and to be treated with the same cordial friendliness that he bestowed on their children-which is the way of the best type of collie. Yet Bruce

arply. "BRUCE! Shame! Co

the street toward the estaminet. He came slowly. Midway he halted and looked back over his shoulder at the nurse, h

collie's angry demonstration. Now, gatherin

e, when a lady spoke to him. If it was any dog but old Bruce, I'd give him a

eplied the nurse, from the door

ce show of enmity. Then she vanished into the church; and Mahan and Vi

nds' discourse. He was staring sullenly at

treat a woman!" Mahan was telling him. "Least of

angry-and very much perplexed as well. For he kn

SS NURSE WAS NO WOM

and slender man, who can act, and who dons woman's garb, is a woman. To any dog, such a man is no more like a woman than a horse with a lambskin saddle-pad is a lamb. He is merely a man who is differently dres

such a MAN-smell,-on the person who had chirped to Bruce. Any dog, twenty feet away, would have noticed it, and would have tabulated the white-clad masquerader as a man. Nor do a woman'

e-disguise as a personal affront to himself. Then, too, the man was not of his own army. On the contrary, the scent proclai

y keen nostrils,-and to those of certain humans,-from the French or British or American troops. War record

or these same reasons he could not readily forget the incident, but co

s couch of trampled earth at the foot of the stone bench and strolled back across the street. Most of the men were too busy, talking, to

and he moved warily, on the tips of his toes. His tawny-maned neck was low. Mahan, understanding dogs, did not like the collie's demea

rovised hospital, as the reek of iodoform and of carbolic smote upon his sensitive nostrils. In front of him was

do Red Cross nurse. At sight of the collie the nurse got up

ck, the foot let drive at the oncoming dog. Before Bruce could dodge or could so much as

n of its inflicting. It is a grossly unforgivable affront a

ered from his instant of incredulous surprise; and with

man saw it coming, just too late to guard against it. He lurched backward, belatedly throwing both hands up to defend his throat. It was the involunt

y in empty air at a spot where, a fraction of a second earlier, the other's throat had been. Down crashed the disguise

n time to bury both hands in the mass of Bruce's furry ruf

estibule; sick and wounded men sat up on their cots and eagerly craned the

nized as a foe, the collie had temporarily lost every vestige of his stately dignity. He was for the moment merely a wild beast, seeking revenge for a brutal injury. He wr

oices. The victim's face was bone-gray with terror. His lips twitched convulsively. Yet, as befitted a person

ng. This dog came past. He growled at me so threateningly that I came indoors. A minute later, while I was sitting here sewing, he sprang at me and threw me down. I beli

rgeon, "but he is GOING to be. Take him out into the

urned to the

ink this is the usual treatment our nurses get. Lie down and rest. You look scared to death.

ed off into the rear of the church, where the tu

oof. But he now struggled afresh to get at his vanished

to Vivier as the old Frenchman joined the tumultuous group. "He

selves, all of you! This rumpus has probably set a lot of my pat

e's destruction, "but he's no cur. He's a courier-collie, officially in the service of

t he is!" raged t

e night in the fog, in the Chateau-Thierry sector. If you order any man of the 'Here-We-Comes' to shoot Bruce, you're liable to

his dignity and of a bad situation by stalking loftily back in

tell him you want Bruce shot. The Big Dog always sleeps in the general's own room, when he's off-du

d Bruce's praises sung. He had never chanced to see the dog until now. But, beneath his armor of dignity, he quaked to think what the resu

the way out of the crowded vestibule into the street. Bruce followed demurely at his heels a

e in continuing to struggle or to waste energy in a show of fury. Nevertheless, in his big heart burne

ttacked a good nurse? It is not what you call 'make-sense.' C'est un gentilhomme,

ownhearted Mahan. "But he DID. That's the answ

d a soldier who had come up

e surgeon-general's staff. But why Bruce should have gone for her to-day-or for any woman-is more than I can see. She was scared half to death. It's lucky she heard the surgeon or

any-shed and by dint of food-gifts and petti

thers of his friends. The dog was bored and lonely. Also he had eaten much. And a walk is good,

ountry beyond. A sentry or two snapped fingers of greeting to him as he strolled past t

ain below. At one end of this little plateau a company of infantry was drilling. Bruce recognized M

t German position. The torn-up plain, between, seemed barren of life. So, at first, did the farther end of the jutting ridge on which the village was perched. B

ulders. As Bruce moved forward, a big rock shut her off from his view and from

his ruff a-bristle and his soft brown eyes ablaze. To a dog, a scent once smelled is as recognizable again

hould go on at the hospital. The nurse had taken advantage of this brief surcease from toi

et agents. Then, acting under orders, Herr Heinrich Stolz had vanished from his accustomed haunts. Soon thereafter a Red Cross nurse-Felicia

the three troop-trains at the junction at nine that evening. The tidings had interest

pened his sewing-bag and drew forth various torn garments. The garmen

ld chance to see him shake out a garment, preparatory to laying it on his knee and mending i

poked the thread at its ey

is work at sound of fast-pattering feet. Not thirty feet away, charging head

read. He had been so certain the beast was shot! The doctor had given the order for his killing. The doctor was a commissi

for the deadly little pistol that he always kept there. But he was still a novice in the mysteries of feminin

And, as before, he threw up both fran

pounds of furry muscular bulk smote Stolz full in the chest. Down went the spy, under the terrifi

en times in three seconds, tearing and rending his way toward the throat-ho

had an unconquerable fear of dogs. His nerves, too, were not yet recovered from Bruce's attack earlier in the day

from leaving the ranks of his drilling company, a furlong from the rocks, and running at record speed toward the boulders. For he had seen

before Mahan could disgrace himself by such unmartial behavior. And, on

ompany captain, at sight of a knot of his men dashing at breakneck speed t

y a yell of mortal fear. The captain and the rest, catching the soun

upon the two combatants, as they thrashed about in a tumultuous dual mass

ltop some miles to eastward, laid aside his fie

lost a

and eulogy of Herr Heinr

m their prey and was tugging with all his might to drag the dog off the s

uriated Bruce from his victim. The spectacle of their admired dog-hero,

irious with pain and fear. "He's KIL

y one within hearing just who and what he was. For the quavering tones were no lo

ever know how near I came to kicking you yesterday, when I caught you mangling that filthy spy. And Brucie, if I had kicked you, well-I'd