illery would never be put on
sentry-duty in time of war; gunners only equipped with swords and
revolvers would not be sufficiently armed for that work; for it the
infantry, or in case of necessity the cavalry, must be responsible.
So all that was necessary was easily learnt, and in the peaceful
garrison-town it was merely a question of guarding the official
buildings.

However, Vogt felt as if something very important were taking place
when he was the first recruit to be put on sentry-duty.

The second-year soldiers, on the other hand, rejoiced over their lazy
days. They took things easy, and laughed at the recruits, who adhered
conscientiously to every detail of the instructions, and would not take
off their uncomfortable swords while sleeping on the hard benches, even
after the orderly-officer had inspected them.

Vogt was posted inside the back gate of the barracks, through which the
road led towards the riding-school on one side, and straight on to the
wood on the slope of the hill. The first two hours from five to seven
o'clock in the after noon seemed to him terribly wearisome and
purposeless; but during the night from eleven to one o'clock he felt
stimulated by the sense of responsibility. The sentries were then
locked outside, and had to patrol two sides of the great quadrangle
surrounded by the public offices.

The night was pitch dark, so that Vogt was unable to distinguish his
narrow path. But he stumbled bravely up and down by the buildings for
his two hours. Even if he often missed his footing, it was better than
standing still. For then one heard all kinds of strange noises, the
cause of which could not be perceived in the baffling darkness. The
forest was never quite silent; there were always cracklings and
rustlings from its boughs and bushes. But in going the rounds these
things went unheard in the noise of one's own footsteps; and one passed
the quarters in which comrades were sleeping, and the stables, whose
dimly-lighted windows showed small squares in the night, and one could
indistinctly hear the rattling of the halter chains.

When Vogt went into the dormitory from the fresh, pure, night air he
thought at first that he would choke in the atmosphere laden with stale
tobacco-smoke and foul odours; but in the end he slept splendidly,
despite his hard bed.

At five o'clock he was again on sentry-go. It was still dark, but there
was already movement in the kitchen and the stables. At the gate th