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

The youth felt, however, that his problem wasin no wise lifted from him. There was, on thecontrary, an irritating prolongation. The talehad created in him a great concern for himself.Now, with the newborn question in his mind, hewas compelled to sink back into his old place aspart of a blue demonstration.

For days he made ceaseless calculations, butthey were all wondrously unsatisfactory. Hefound that he could establish nothing. He final-ly concluded that the only way to prove himselfwas to go into the blaze, and then figuratively to

18watch his legs to discover their merits and faults.He reluctantly admitted that he could not sitstill and with a mental slate and pencil derive ananswer. To gain it, he must have blaze, blood,and danger, even as a chemist requires this, that,and the other. So he fretted for an opportunity.

Meanwhile he continually tried to measurehimself by his comrades. The tall soldier, forone, 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 seehow he could be capable of anything that wasbeyond him, the youth. Still, he thought thathis comrade might be mistaken about himself.Or, on the other hand, he might be a man here-tofore doomed to peace and obscurity, but, inreality, 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 havebeen a joy to him.

He occasionally tried to fathom a comradewith seductive sentences. He looked about tofind men in the proper mood. All attemptsfailed to bring forth any statement which lookedin any way like a confession to those doubtswhich he privately acknowledged in himself.He was afraid to make an open declaration ofhis concern, because he dreaded to place someunscrupulous confidant upon the high plane ofthe unconfessed from which elevation he couldbe derided.

In regard to his companions his mind wa-vered between two opinions, according to hismood. Sometimes he inclined to believing themall heroes. In fact, he usually admitted in secretthe superior development of the higher qualitiesin others. He could conceive of men going veryinsignificantly about the world bearing a load ofcourage unseen, and although he had knownmany of his comrades through boyhood, he be-gan to fear that his judgment of them had beenblind. Then, in other moments, he flouted thesetheories, and assured himself that his fellowswere all privately wondering and quaking.

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

He did not pass such thoughts without severecondemnation of himself. He dinned reproachesat times. He was convicted by himself of manyshameful crimes against the gods of traditions.

In his great anxiety his heart was continuallyclamoring at what he considered the intolerableslowness of the generals. They seemed contentto perch tranquilly on the river bank, and leavehim bowed down by the weight of a great prob-lem. He wanted it settled forthwith. He couldnot long bear such a load, he said. Sometimeshis anger at the commanders reached an acutestage, and he grumbled about the camp like aveteran.

One morning, however, he found himself inthe ranks of his prepared regiment. The menwere whispering speculations and recounting theold rumors. In the gloom before the break ofthe day their uniforms glowed a deep purplehue. From across the river the red eyes werestill 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 agigantic horse.

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

As he looked all about him and ponderedupon the mystic gloom, he began to believe thatat any moment the ominous distance might beaflare, and the rolling crashes of an engagementcome to his ears. Staring once at the red eyesacross 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 sawhim lift his gigantic arm and calmly stroke hismustache.

At last he heard from along the road at thefoot of the hill the clatter of a horse's gallopinghoofs. It must be the coming of orders. Hebent forward, scarce breathing. The excitingclickety-click, as it grew louder and louder,seemed to be beating upon his soul. Presently ahorseman with jangling equipment drew rein be-fore the colonel of the regiment. The two helda short, sharp-worded conversation. The men inthe foremost ranks craned their necks.

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 colonelmumbled in reply. The youth wondered what abox of cigars had to do with war.

A moment later the regiment went swingingoff into the darkness. It was now like one ofthose moving monsters wending with many feet.The air was heavy, and cold with dew. A massof wet grass, marched upon, rustled like silk.

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

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

Presently they passed into a roadway andmarched forward with easy strides. A darkregiment moved before them, and from behindalso came the tinkle of equipments on the bodiesof marching men.

The rushing yellow of the developing daywent on behind their backs. When the sunraysat last struck full and mellowingly upon theearth, the youth saw that the landscape wasstreaked with two long, thin, black columnswhich disappeared on the brow of a hill in frontand rearward vanished in a wood. They werelike two serpents crawling from the cavern of thenight.

The river was not in view. The tall soldierburst into praises of what he thought to be hispowers of perception.

Some of the tall one's companions cried withemphasis that they, too, had evolved the samething, and they congratulated themselves uponit. But there were others who said that the tallone's plan was not the true one at all. They per-sisted with other theories. There was a vigorousdiscussion.

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

But the long serpents crawled slowly fromhill 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 ardorof the air which was causing the veteran com-mands to move with glee--almost with song--had infected the new regiment. The men beganto speak of victory as of a thing they knew.Also, the tall soldier received his vindication.They were certainly going to come around inbehind the enemy. They expressed commisera-tion for that part of the army which had beenleft upon the river bank, felicitating themselvesupon being a part of a blasting host.

The youth, considering himself as separatedfrom the others, was saddened by the blithe andmerry speeches that went from rank to rank.The company wags all made their best endeav-ors. The regiment tramped to the tune oflaughter.

The blatant soldier often convulsed wholefiles by his biting sarcasms aimed at the tall one.

And it was not long before all the men seemedto forget their mission. Whole brigades grinnedin unison, and regiments laughed.

A rather fat soldier attempted to pilfer a horsefrom a dooryard. He planned to load his knap-sack upon it. He was escaping with his prizewhen a young girl rushed from the house andgrabbed the animal's mane. There followed awrangle. The young girl, with pink cheeks andshining eyes, stood like a dauntless statue.

The observant regiment, standing at rest inthe roadway, whooped at once, and enteredwhole-souled upon the side of the maiden. Themen became so engrossed in this affair that theyentirely ceased to remember their own large war.They jeered the piratical private, and calledattention to various defects in his personal ap-pearance; and they were wildly enthusiastic insupport of the young girl.

To her, from some distance, came bold advice."Hit him with a stick."

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

At nightfall the column broke into regimentalpieces, and the fragments went into the fields tocamp. Tents sprang up like strange plants.Camp fires, like red, peculiar blossoms, dottedthe night.

The youth kept from intercourse with hiscompanions as much as circumstances wouldallow him. In the evening he wandered a fewpaces into the gloom. From this little distancethe many fires, with the black forms of men pass-ing to and fro before the crimson rays, madeweird and satanic effects.

He lay down in the grass. The bladespressed tenderly against his cheek. The moonhad been lighted and was hung in a treetop.The liquid stillness of the night enveloping himmade him feel vast pity for himself. There wasa caress in the soft winds; and the whole moodof the darkness, he thought, was one of sympathyfor himself in his distress.

He wished, without reserve, that he was athome again making the endless rounds from thehouse to the barn, from the barn to the fields,from the fields to the barn, from the barn to thehouse. He remembered he had often cursed thebrindle cow and her mates, and had sometimesflung milking stools. But, from his present pointof view, there was a halo of happiness about eachof their heads, and he would have sacrificed allthe brass buttons on the continent to have beenenabled to return to them. He told himself thathe was not formed for a soldier. And he musedseriously upon the radical differences betweenhimself and those men who were dodging imp-like around the fires.

As he mused thus he heard the rustle of grass,and, upon turning his head, discovered the loudsoldier. He called out, "Oh, Wilson!"

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 hispipe. "You're getting blue, my boy. You'relooking thundering peeked. What the dickensis 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'em now!" As he spoke his boyish face waswreathed in a gleeful smile, and his voice hadan exultant ring. "We've got 'em now. Atlast, by the eternal thunders, we'll lick 'emgood!"

"If the truth was known," he added, moresoberly, "THEY'VE licked US about every clip up tonow; but this time--this time--we'll lick 'emgood!"

"I thought you was objecting to this marcha little while ago," said the youth coldly.

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

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

"He's right for once, I guess, though I can'tsee how it come. This time we're in for a bigbattle, and we've got the best end of it, certainsure. Gee rod! how we will thump 'em!"

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

The youth watched him for a moment insilence. When he finally spoke his voice was asbitter as dregs. "Oh, you're going to do greatthings, I s'pose!"

The loud soldier blew a thoughtful cloud ofsmoke from his pipe. "Oh, I don't know," heremarked with dignity; "I don't know. I s'poseI'll do as well as the rest. I'm going to try likethunder." He evidently complimented himselfupon the modesty of this statement.

"How do you know you won't run when thetime comes?" asked the youth.

"Run?" said the loud one; "run?--of coursenot!" He laughed.

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

"Oh, that's all true, I s'pose," replied theother; "but I'm not going to skedaddle. Theman that bets on my running will lose his money,that's all." He nodded confidently.

"Oh, shucks!" said the youth. "You ain'tthe bravest man in the world, are you?"

"No, I ain't," exclaimed the loud soldier in-dignantly; "and I didn't say I was the bravestman in the world, neither. I said I was going todo my share of fighting--that's what I said. AndI am, too. Who are you, anyhow. You talk asif you thought you was Napoleon Bonaparte."He glared at the youth for a moment, and thenstrode away.

The youth called in a savage voice after hiscomrade: "Well, you needn't git mad about it!"But the other continued on his way and made noreply.

He felt alone in space when his injured com-rade had disappeared. His failure to discoverany mite of resemblance in their view pointsmade him more miserable than before. No oneseemed 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 tallsoldier. In the darkness he saw visions of a thou-sand-tongued fear that would babble at his backand cause him to flee, while others were goingcoolly about their country's business. He admit-ted that he would not be able to cope with thismonster. He felt that every nerve in his bodywould be an ear to hear the voices, while othermen would remain stolid and deaf.

And as he sweated with the pain of thesethoughts, he could hear low, serene sentences."I'll bid five." "Make it six." "Seven.""Seven goes."

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