ere
was a delay; the watch about to be relieved was nowhere to be found.
The bombardier in charge cursed and swore unavailingly; finally, he
consented to the suggestion of the others and organised a search. In a
small shed, which served for the storing of hurdles and such-like, the
gunner was discovered fast asleep. He had covered himself up with
straw, and his sword lay by his side. The bombardier kicked him in the
ribs with his heavy boots, and stormed at the rashness of such conduct,
when at any moment an officer might come by.

But the sentry, a tall, strong fellow, answered crossly, "Shut your
mouth, you stupid swine! And if you dare to report me I'll break every
bone in your body!"

The bombardier grumbled something about "not going too far and getting
into trouble."

"Any one might happen to fall asleep," continued the gunner. He yawned
a few times, brushed the dust off his uniform, and said laughingly to
Vogt: "It is nothing unusual on sentry-duty, you raw booby of a
recruit! Nothing for you to gape about!"

And he walked off solemnly behind the bombardier.

Vogt stood thoughtfully beside the sentry-box. That was pretty bad
discipline! At the same time the case was quite clear: if the
bombardier reported the sentry, then the latter would naturally be
punished, and severely too; but he would certainly revenge himself on
the bombardier. Despite the buttons on his collar, the bombardier was
not technically superior to the gunner; it would only bring about a
quarrel, and in a fight it would certainly be the bombardier who would
come off worst. It was quite the rule for the men to stick loyally
together, and never expose a comrade if it could possibly be avoided.

Vogt, however, considered that there was a limit to comradeship, and
that the sentry ought to have been punished. For in such ways respect
was lost for other still more important rules. And, finally, he
congratulated himself on having nothing to do with the matter.

This morning, for the first time for weeks, the memory of his home and
the longing for it overwhelmed him.

He thought of how at home in the early days of the year he and his
father had finished preparing the fields for the spring cultivation. He
remembered how the young sun, in those fresh morning hours, had seemed
to caress the long-deserted wintry earth with his kindling rays; and
the black soil turned up by the harrow had exhaled a refreshing odour
as of incense offered by nature's