No matter what happened to himself he did not intend that harm should come to his French comrades through any act of his.
As Dick still lay there a pebble touched the dirt lightly just before his face.

Raising his head a couple of inches he saw a hand, dimly outlined at the edge of the crater, beckoning.
"That means that I'm to go ahead," Dick told himself.

"I'll follow instructions." He took considerable time about it, moving an inch or two at a time.

This, however, soon brought him to the edge of the basin-like depression.

In going down the inside he moved a bit more rapidly, but did not rise until he found himself among the others.