From this the boy knew the stranger must at some time have been in the army, and that even while his brain was resting under a cloud he could till send and receive messages such as had been one time his daily avocation.
They reached the side of their unfortunate companion.

He held out a hand to welcome Hugh.

"Oh! I'm mighty glad you've come, fellows, I tell you," he told them, with a tremor in his voice.

"I've had a rotten time of it all around, and suffered terribly.

You see, I made a fool of myself, and tripped over a vine, so that I was thrown into a gully, with my left leg under me.