l leave be granted for Whitsuntide. It is to
be duly notified to the troops that their Whitsuntide leave--cancelled
for official reasons--may be made good, so far as they deserve it,
after the gun-practice.... Night-passes may be granted for Whitsun-Day.
(Signed) "VON FALKENHEIN,
"Colonel and Commandant."

The news that no leave would be granted for Whitsuntide drew deep
curses from many of the recruits. They would have liked to go home and
exhibit themselves in uniform to their friends and relations. But what
was the good of swearing? they had to submit.

The two friends, Vogt and Klitzing, were much upset in their
calculations. They had got on so well together that Vogt had asked his
father if he might bring his friend home with him. Still, it was only
put off; better luck next time! They did not apply for night-leave on
the Sunday, as neither of them found any pleasure in spinning round hot
dancing-saloons with any women they could pick up. Weise, on the
contrary, was quite at home under such circumstances, and had managed
to find himself a sweetheart directly permission was granted the
recruits to go into the town. It is true she was neither pretty nor
particularly youthful; but then she never failed to pay for all his
drinks, and when he had promised to marry her she had even bought him
new regimentals.

Vogt had taken a favourable opportunity of begging Sergeant Wiegandt to
put him and Klitzing together, when, on the completion of their
preliminary training, the men were grouped into detachments. Wiegandt
had not only acceded to the request, but had taken them both to serve
on his own gun, the sixth; Klitzing, with his sharp eyes, as gun-layer,
or No. 2; Vogt as No. 1, whose duty it was to fire.

And now they sat, this Whitsun-Tuesday, side by side on the
gun-carriage, with the muzzle of the gun between them; and when
Wegstetten called out in his clear, strident voice, "Battery, mount!"
Vogt whispered gaily across to Klitzing, "Now we're off!" as the long
procession of thirty-six guns and six ammunition-waggons began slowly
to move.

It was not half bad to be riding along like this. Certainly, the
gunners' seats were not provided with cushions, and the guns were not
mounted on C-springs; but the shaking and jolting were not very great
on the smooth high-road, it was only when the wheels crunched over
newly-strewn rubble that their seats vibrat