"Oh, you mean your boy friend?"

"Yes, he was wounded in the arm, but we whipped them. We shot, and shot, and shot, until they stopped."

The soldiers could have hugged him with joy. When Alfred came into the quarry, still on his wheel, he handed the note to the commander, who hurriedly perused it. Without waiting for questions he gave a command, and soon a hundred men were on the way, under double time.

"So you two boys have been commended for bravery? We shall take particular pleasure to see that a proper report is made about you. As long as we have boys like you we shall have brave men," was his comment.

Alfred was bewildered. Antonio had commended him and Ralph as well, in the note. He did not know what to do or to say. "May I go back?" he finally asked.

"Yes," was the reply. "I will give you an order." This was hurriedly written and handed to him. With a salute, he mounted his wheel, and106 was ahead of the moving column before it began the ascent of the steep hill where Antonio's forces lay.

106

Ralph looked cheerful when Alfred arrived, but apparently was resentful, when the latter appeared.

"What is the matter?" asked Alfred.

"You have carried orders, and have really done something," was the halting reply.

Alfred looked around at the watchers, and then he smiled. "But you have been wounded in battle," he said.

"Yes, and mentioned in orders, too," added Roland.

"Oh, I forgot about that. The General said so. Yes, you have been wounded in battle and I haven't been." Alfred said this in a regretful tone of voice, and Ralph's face brightened at the thought.

Ralph looked up, and then turned to the men. "Well, is that anything?"

"Why, anybody can ride an old bicycle. That's nothing. But it's something to get in the way of a bullet that has been shot by an enemy for the purpose of killing," said Alfred.

Ralph smiled, and the men about them turned their heads away. There was a philosophy in that remark which went 

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