He left his horse with an orderly and walked toward the point where he had last seen them.  He passed thousands of soldiers, many wounded, but silent as usual, while the unhurt were sleeping where they had dropped.  The Invincibles were not at the point where he had seen them last, and the colonels of several scattered regiments could not tell him what had become of them.  But he continued to seek them although the fear was growing in his heart that the last man of the Invincibles had died under the Northern cannon.

His search led toward the enemy’s lines.  Almost unconsciously he went in that direction, however, his knowledge of the two colonels telling him that they would take the same course.  He turned into a little cove, partly sheltered by the dwarfed trees and he heard a thin voice saying: 

“Nonsense, Leonidas.  I scarcely felt it, but yours, old friend, is pretty bad.  You must let me attend to it.  Keep still!  I’ll adjust the bandage.”

“Hector, why do you make a fuss over me, when I’m only slightly hurt, and sacrifice yourself, a severely injured man!”

“With all due respect you’d better let me attend to you both,” said a voice that Harry recognized as St. Clair’s.

“And maybe I could help a little,” said another that he knew to be Happy Tom’s.  But their voices, like those of the colonels, were weak.  Still he had positive proof that they were alive, and, as his heart gave a joyful throb or two, he stepped into the glade.  There was enough light for him to see Colonel Leonidas Talbot, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire, sitting side by side on the grass with their backs against the earthly wall, very pale from loss of blood, but with heads erect and eyes shining with a certain pride.  St. Clair and Langdon lay on the grass, one with an old handkerchief, blood-soaked, bound about his head and the other with a bandage tightly fastened over his left shoulder.  Beyond them lay a group of soldiers.

“Good evening, heroes!” said Harry lightly as he stepped forward.

He was welcomed with an exclamation of joy from them all.

“We meet again, Harry,” said Colonel Talbot, “and it is the second time since morning.  I fancy that second meetings to-day have not been common.  We have the taste of success in our mouths, but you’ll excuse us for not rising to greet you.  We are all more or less affected by the missiles of the enemy and for some hours at least neither walking nor standing will be good for us.”

“Mohammed must come to all the mountains,” said St. Clair, weakly holding out a hand.

Harry greeted them all in turn, and sat down with them.  He was overflowing with sympathy, but it was not needed.

“A glorious day,” said Colonel Leonidas Talbot.

“Truly,” said Harry.

“A most glorious day,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire.

“Most truly,” said Harry.