Themajortooktheletterfromhisbreastpocket，andputitinhishand。Barryhelditamoment，thencarriedittohislips。
\"Now——that’s——all——major，\"hewhispered。\"Tell——her——I——thank——
God——for——her——and——for——the——other。Major——tell——theboys——that——
God——isgood——。Never——tobe——afraid——butto——carryon——\"
Itwashislastword，andtherecouldbenobetter。\"Godisgood。
Neverbeafraidbutcarryon。\"
CHAPTERXX
\"CARRYON\"
ThenextdaybutonetheycarriedthePilottohisgraveinthelittleplotoutsidethewalledcemeteryontheoutskirtsofthecityofAlbert。Ithadbeenarrangedthatonlyasmallguardshouldfollowtothegrave。Butthisplanwaschanged。SergeantMackay，whowastheonlysergeantleftafterconsulting\"theboys，\"
cametoMajorBayne。
\"Theboysfeelbad，sir，\"hesaid，\"thattheycan’tgowiththePilot，excuseme，sir，thechaplain。\"
\"Dothey？\"saidthemajor。\"Wewanttoavoidcongestioninthestreets，andbesideswedon’twanttoexposethemen。Theyarestillshellingthecity，youknow。\"
\"Iknow，sir，\"repliedthesergeant。\"Theboyshaveheardtheshellsbefore，sir。Andthere’snotsomanyofthemthattheywillcrowdthestreetsmuch。\"
\"Letthemgo，sergeant，\"saidthemajor，andSergeantMackaywentbackwiththewordtothemen。\"AndIwantyoutolooklikesoldiers，\"saidthesergeant，\"forrememberwearefollowingasoldiertohisgrave。\"
Andlooklikesoldierstheydidwitheverybuttonandbayonetshining，astheyhadnevershoneforbattalioninspection。
Theyhadpassedthroughanexperiencewhichhadleftthemdazed；
theyhadmarcheddeliberatelyintothemouthofhellandhadcomebackstunnedbywhattheyhadseenandheard，incapableofemotion。
Sotheythought，tilltheylearnedthatthePilothadbeenkilled。
Thentheyknewthatgriefwasstillpossibletothem。Withtheirgriefmingledakindofinexplicablewrathatthemannerofhisdeath。
\"IfithadbeentheO。C。now，oranyoneelsebutFattyMatthews，\"
saidSergeantMackayindisgust，expressingthegeneralopinion。
\"Itisanawfulwaste。\"
UnderthefigureoftheVirginandChild，leaningoutinpityandappealovertheshatteredcity，throughmarchingbattalions\"goingin\"and\"comingout，\"thelittlepitifulremnantmadeitsway，thebandleading，theBrigadeandDivisionalHeadquartersStaffsbringingupintherear。Theservicewasbriefandsimple，abrotherchaplainreadingatthemajor’ssuggestionthePsalmwhichBarryhadreadathislastParadeServicewiththebattalion。
Attheconclusionoftheservice，thedivisionalcommandersteppedforwardandsaid，\"MayIoffertheofficersandmenofthisbattalionmyrespectfulsympathywiththeminthelossoftheirchaplain？Duringtheselastweeks，Ihadcometoknowhimwell。CaptainDunbarwasachaplaininhisbrigade。Hewasmore。Hewasagallantofficer，abravesoldier，aloyal—heartedCanadian。Themoraleofthisdivisionishigherto—daybecausehehasbeenwithus。Hedidhisdutytohiscountry，tohiscomrades，tohisGod。Whatmorecanweaskthanthis，forourselvesandforourcomrades？\"
ThentherewasalittlepauseandMajorBaynebegantospeak。Atfirsthisvoicewashuskyandtremulous，butashewenton，itgatheredstrengthandclearness。Heremindedthemhow，whenthechaplaincametothemfirst，theydidnotunderstandhim，nortreathimquitefairly，buthowintheselastmonths，hehadcarriedtheconfidence，andthelove，ofeveryofficerandmaninthebattalion。
\"WeretheCommandingOfficerhereto—day，hewouldtell，asIhaveoftenheardhimtell，howgreatlythechaplainhadcontributedtothedisciplineandtothemoraleofthisbattalion。Hehelpedusalltobebettersoldiersandbettermen。Henevershrankfromdanger。Heneverfalteredinduty。Helivedtohelphiscomradesandtosaveacomradehegavehislifeatlast。\"
Themajorpaused，lookedrounduponthegallantremnantofaoncesplendidbattalion，hislipsquivering，hiseyesrunningoverwithtears。Buthepulledhimselftogether，andcontinuedwithsteadyvoicetotheend。
\"ButnottosaythesethingsamIspeakingtoyoutoday。IwishonlytogiveyouthislastmessagefromourSkyPilot。ThisisthePilot’slastmessage：’TelltheboysthatGodisgood，andwhentheyareafraid，totrustHim，and\"carryon。\"’Andformyself，men，IwanttosaythathewastheonlymanthatshowedmewhatGodislike。\"
Inthatcompanyofmenwhohadlookedsteadfastlyintothefaceofdeath，therewerenoeyeswithouttears，manyofthemwereopenlyweeping。
Whenthemajorhadfinished，theofficerspresent，beginningwiththedivisionalcommander，cameandstoodattheheadoftheopengraveforasinglemoment，thensilentlysalutedandturnedaway。
ItwasthedutyofBuglerPatMcCanntosound\"TheLastPost，\"butpoorPatwastooovercomewithhissobbingatoncetoperformthislastduty。WhereupontherunnerPickles，standingwithrigid，stonyfacebesidehischum，tookthebuglefromhishandsandtheresoundedforththatmostbeautifulandmostpoignantofallmusicalsoundsknowntoBritishsoldierstheworldover，\"TheLastPost，\"
endingwiththatlast，high，long—drawn，heart—piercingnoteoffarewell。
Then，becausethewarwasyettobewon，they\"carriedon，\"thebattalionmarchingawaytoamerrytune。
BesideBarry’sgravetherestilllingeredthreemen，thedivisionalcommander，MajorBayne，andCaptainNeil。
\"IamthinkingofthatlittlegirlinLondon，\"saidthedivisionalcommander，andforthefirsttimehisvoicebroke。Theotherswaited，lookingathim。\"Wewillholdbackthisnewsforacoupleofdays，andIthink，major，yououghttogoand——\"
\"No，general！——MyGod，no！Don’taskme！\"Themajorwasprofoundlyagitated。\"SendNeil，here。Heknowsherwell，andhiswifeishergreatfriend。\"
\"Verywell，major，Ithinkthatwillbebetter，\"saidthegeneralinhiscourteous，gentlevoice。\"Youknowher，CaptainFraser，andyoucanbebetterspared。\"
Andsoitwasarranged。CaptainNeiltelegraphedPaulatomeethimatBoulogne，andtogethertheymadethejourneytoLondon，carryingwiththemsadandfearfulhearts。
TheyfoundPhyllisinalittleflatwhichhermotherhadtaken。
Whenshesawthemherfacewentwhite，andherhandsflewtoherbosom。Speechless，andwithagreatfearinherwide—openbrowneyes，shestoodlookingfromonetotheother，waitingfortheirmessage。Paulawenttoherandwithoutawordputherarmsroundher，andheldherclose。
\"Iknow，Paula，\"shesaid，puttinghergentlyawayfromher。\"I
knowwhatyouhavetotellme。Barryisdead。Mydearloveisdead！\"Hervoicewastender，softandlow。\"Don’tfeartotellme，Neil，\"shesaid。\"See，Iamquitesteady。\"Sheputoutherhandthathemightseethattherewasnotremourinit。
\"Sitdown，darling，\"besoughtPaula，againwindingherarmsabouther。
\"No，no，letmestand，Pauladear。See，Iamquitestrong。Nowtellmeaboutit，Neil——allaboutit。Youwerehisdearfriend，youknow。\"
Hervoice，sosweet，sosoft，soperfectlycontrolled，helpedCaptainNeilwithhistask。Itseemedanoffencethatheshouldintrudeanyexhibitionofgrieforemotionupontheserenecalmofthisyounggirl，standingsostraight，soproud，andregardinghimwithsuchbraveeyes。
ThenCaptainNeiltoldhistale。HebeganwiththelastserviceupontheParadeGroundbeforethebattalionmovedintoaction。HetoldofBarry’sbitterdisappointment，andoftheirreliefthathewasnotallowedtoaccompanythemtothefrontline。HetoldofBarry’slongdayatthecasualtyclearingstation，andofhisservicetothewounded，andofhowgoodthedivisionalcommanderhadbeentohimthatnight。
\"Itwastherehegotyourletter，Phyllis。\"
\"Oh，hegotmyletter。I’msoglad，\"whisperedthegirl，withaquickbreathandasuddenflushingofherpalecheeks。\"Heknew！
Heknew！\"
\"Ihavehisletterinreplyhere，\"saidCaptainNeil，handingittoher。
Shetookitinbothherhands，kissedittenderly，asifcaressingachild，andputitinherbosom。
\"Pleasegoon，\"shesaid，andCaptainNeiltookuphistaleagain。
Hetoldhowthemajortriedtopersuadehimnottogooutafterthewoundedthatnight。
\"But，ofcourse，hewouldgo，\"thegirlsaidwithaproudlittlesmile，atwhichCaptainNeil’sself—controlquitegaveway，andhecouldonlylookatherpiteouslythroughhistears。
\"Oh，I’msosorry，\"shesaidgently。\"Can’tyougoon？Iwanttohearsomucheverybit，butifyoucan’t——\"
Atwhich，CaptainNeilgrippedhimselfhardandwenton，\"andsohewentout，andtheysearchedthetrenchfromendtoend。Theyfoundonepoorchap，whoselegwasbadlysmashed——\"
\"Oh，I’msogladtheyfoundhim，\"whisperedPhyllis。
\"ThenSergeantMatthewsgothiswound，andtheshellsbegantofall。Theytookrefugeinashellhole，andthere，whilecoveringFattyMatthewsfromthebreakingshrapnel，Barrygothiswound。\"
CaptainNeilwasforcedtopauseagainintherecitalofhisstory。
Afterafewminutes，hetoldofhowtheycarriedhimtohisgrave，andlaidhiminthecemeteryoutsidethecityofAlbert。
\"Theboyswereallthere。Therewerenotmanyofthemleft，\"hesaid。
\"Howmany？\"sheasked。
\"Seventyonly，outoffivehundredandfourwhowentovertheparapettwonightsbefore。\"
\"Ah，poor，gallantboys！Ilovethem，Ilovethemall！\"saidthegirl，claspingherhandstogether。
\"Theywereallterriblybrokenupastheystoodaboutthegrave，andnowonder！Nowonder！Thenthedivisionalcommandermadealittlespeech，andthenourownmajorgavethemBarry’slastmessage。\"
\"Tellme，\"saidthegirlgently，asCaptainNeilpaused。
\"Itwasthis，\"saidCaptainNeil。\"’TelltheboysthatGodisgood，andwhentheyareafraid，totrustHim，and\"carryon。\"’\"
\"Thatwaslikehim，\"shesaid。\"ThatwaslikeBarry！Oh，Paula，\"
shecried，turningtoherfriend。\"I’msohappy！Itwasabeautifulclosingtoabeautifullife。Hewasabeautifulboy，Paula，wasn’the？Hisbodywasbeautiful，hissoulwasbeautiful，hislifewasbeautiful，andtheending，oh，wasbeautiful。Oh，Paula，Godisgood。IamsogladhegaveBarrytome，andgavemetohim。Oh，I’mso——happy——so——happy。\"Hervoicesankintoawhisper。Thenafterafewmomentsofsilence，withalittlepiteouscry，shesuddenlybrokeforth，\"ButPaula！Paula！heisgone。Ishallneverseehimagain。\"
Paulaheldherarmstightlyabouther，sobbingasifherownheartwerebroken，butPhyllisrecoveredherselfquickly。
\"No，no，\"shesaidsoftly，asifcounsellingherownheart。\"I
mustremember。’Godisgood，’hesaid，andso，Paula，Imustnotbeafraid。Godwasgoodtohim。Hewillbegoodtome。Hewillbegoodtohischild。\"Hervoicesankagainintoawhisper。Shestoodsilentwitheyeslookingintothefardistance。Then，inaclear，firmvoice，shesaid，\"Iwillnotbeafraid！Godisgood！
Iwill’carryon。’\"
End