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THE next morning the youth discovered that his tall comrade had been the fast-flying messen- ger of a mistake. There was much scoffing at the latter by those who had yesterday been firm adherents of his views, and there was even a lit- tle sneering by men who had never believed the rumor. The tall one fought with a man from Chatfield Corners and beat him severely.



Meanwhile he continually tried to measure himself by his comrades. The tall soldier, for one, gave him some assurance. This man's se- rene unconcern dealt him a measure of con- fidence, for he had known him since childhood, and from his intimate knowledge he did not see how he could be capable of anything that was beyond him, the youth. Still, he thought that his comrade might be mistaken about himself. Or, on the other hand, he might be a man here- tofore doomed to peace and obscurity, but, in reality, made to shine in war.

The youth would have liked to have discov- ered another who suspected himself. A sympa- thetic comparison of mental notes would have been a joy to him.


In regard to his companions his mind wa- vered between two opinions, according to his mood. Sometimes he inclined to believing them all heroes. In fact, he usually admitted in secret the superior development of the higher qualities in others. He could conceive of men going very insignificantly about the world bearing a load of courage unseen, and although he had known many of his comrades through boyhood, he be- gan to fear that his judgment of them had been blind. Then, in other moments, he flouted these theories, and assured himself that his fellows were all privately wondering and quaking.

His emotions made him feel strange in the presence of men who talked excitedly of a pro- spective battle as of a drama they were about to witness, with nothing but eagerness and curiosity apparent in their faces. It was often that he sus- pected them to be liars.


In his great anxiety his heart was continually clamoring at what he considered the intolerable slowness of the generals. They seemed content to perch tranquilly on the river bank, and leave him bowed down by the weight of a great prob- lem. He wanted it settled forthwith. He could not long bear such a load, he said. Sometimes his anger at the commanders reached an acute stage, and he grumbled about the camp like a veteran.

One morning, however, he found himself in the ranks of his prepared regiment. The men were whispering speculations and recounting the old rumors. In the gloom before the break of the day their uniforms glowed a deep purple hue. From across the river the red eyes were still peering. In the eastern sky there was a yel- low patch like a rug laid for the feet of the com- ing sun; and against it, black and patternlike, loomed the gigantic figure of the colonel on a gigantic horse.

From off in the darkness came the trampling of feet. The youth could occasionally see dark shadows that moved like monsters. The regi- ment stood at rest for what seemed a long time. The youth grew impatient. It was unendurable the way these affairs were managed. He won- dered how long they were to be kept waiting.

As he looked all about him and pondered upon the mystic gloom, he began to believe that at any moment the ominous distance might be aflare, and the rolling crashes of an engagement come to his ears. Staring once at the red eyes across the river, he conceived them to be grow- ing larger, as the orbs of a row of dragons ad- vancing. He turned toward the colonel and saw him lift his gigantic arm and calmly stroke his mustache.


As the horseman wheeled his animal and gal- loped away he turned to shout over his shoulder, "Don't forget that box of cigars!" The colonel mumbled in reply. The youth wondered what a box of cigars had to do with war.


There was an occasional flash and glimmer of steel from the backs of all these huge crawl- ing reptiles. From the road came creakings and grumblings as some surly guns were dragged away.

The men stumbled along still muttering specu- lations. There was a subdued debate. Once a man fell down, and as he reached for his rifle a comrade, unseeing, trod upon his hand. He of the injured fingers swore bitterly and aloud. A low, tittering laugh went among his fellows.




Some of the tall one's companions cried with emphasis that they, too, had evolved the same thing, and they congratulated themselves upon it. But there were others who said that the tall one's plan was not the true one at all. They per- sisted with other theories. There was a vigorous discussion.

The youth took no part in them. As he walked along in careless line he was engaged with his own eternal debate. He could not hin- der himself from dwelling upon it. He was de- spondent and sullen, and threw shifting glances about him. He looked ahead, often expecting to hear from the advance the rattle of firing.

But the long serpents crawled slowly from hill to hill without bluster of smoke. A dun-col- ored cloud of dust floated away to the right. The sky overhead was of a fairy blue.

The youth studied the faces of his compan- ions, ever on the watch to detect kindred emo- tions. He suffered disappointment. Some ardor of the air which was causing the veteran com- mands to move with glee--almost with song-- had infected the new regiment. The men began to speak of victory as of a thing they knew. Also, the tall soldier received his vindication. They were certainly going to come around in behind the enemy. They expressed commisera- tion for that part of the army which had been left upon the river bank, felicitating themselves upon being a part of a blasting host.

The youth, considering himself as separated from the others, was saddened by the blithe and merry speeches that went from rank to rank. The company wags all made their best endeav- ors. The regiment tramped to the tune of laughter.



A rather fat soldier attempted to pilfer a horse from a dooryard. He planned to load his knap- sack upon it. He was escaping with his prize when a young girl rushed from the house and grabbed the animal's mane. There followed a wrangle. The young girl, with pink cheeks and shining eyes, stood like a dauntless statue.

The observant regiment, standing at rest in the roadway, whooped at once, and entered whole-souled upon the side of the maiden. The men became so engrossed in this affair that they entirely ceased to remember their own large war. They jeered the piratical private, and called attention to various defects in his personal ap- pearance; and they were wildly enthusiastic in support of the young girl.


There were crows and catcalls showered upon him when he retreated without the horse. The regiment rejoiced at his downfall. Loud and vociferous congratulations were showered upon the maiden, who stood panting and regard- ing the troops with defiance.


The youth kept from intercourse with his companions as much as circumstances would allow him. In the evening he wandered a few paces into the gloom. From this little distance the many fires, with the black forms of men pass- ing to and fro before the crimson rays, made weird and satanic effects.




The latter approached and looked down. "Why, hello, Henry; is it you? What you do- ing here?"

"Oh, thinking," said the youth.

The other sat down and carefully lighted his pipe. "You're getting blue, my boy. You're looking thundering peeked. What the dickens is wrong with you?"

"Oh, nothing," said the youth.

The loud soldier launched then into the sub- ject of the anticipated fight. "Oh, we've got




"Oh, it wasn't that," explained the other. "I don't mind marching, if there's going to be fight- ing at the end of it. What I hate is this getting moved here and moved there, with no good com- ing of it, as far as I can see, excepting sore feet and damned short rations."

"Well, Jim Conklin says we'll get a plenty of fighting this time."


He arose and began to pace to and fro excit- edly. The thrill of his enthusiasm made him walk with an elastic step. He was sprightly, vigorous, fiery in his belief in success. He looked into the future with clear, proud eye, and he swore with the air of an old soldier.





"Well," continued the youth, "lots of good- a-'nough men have thought they was going to do great things before the fight, but when the time come they skedaddled."



"No, I ain't," exclaimed the loud soldier in- dignantly; "and I didn't say I was the bravest man in the world, neither. I said I was going to do my share of fighting--that's what I said. And I am, too. Who are you, anyhow. You talk as if you thought you was Napoleon Bonaparte." He glared at the youth for a moment, and then strode away.


He felt alone in space when his injured com- rade had disappeared. His failure to discover any mite of resemblance in their view points made him more miserable than before. No one seemed to be wrestling with such a terrific per- sonal problem. He was a mental outcast.

He went slowly to his tent and stretched him- self on a blanket by the side of the snoring tall soldier. In the darkness he saw visions of a thou- sand-tongued fear that would babble at his back and cause him to flee, while others were going coolly about their country's business. He admit- ted that he would not be able to cope with this monster. He felt that every nerve in his body would be an ear to hear the voices, while other men would remain stolid and deaf.


He stared at the red, shivering reflection of a fire on the white wall of his tent until, ex- hausted and ill from the monotony of his suf- fering, he fell asleep.
