nfusion: "Settling up accounts, all of a
sudden--there is some money missing; of course I had meant to replace
it."

Trautvetter understood, and was beginning to pull out his purse, but he
suddenly hesitated.

"Why, I have got no money left!" he cried in dismay. "Must it be at
once? To-morrow afternoon you can have as much as you want."

"No, no, at once! Wegstetten has only just gone over to headquarters
for a minute."

"Damnation! What are we to do?"

The sergeant-major believed Trautvetter was doing this on purpose. He
became more insistent, and implored: "Trautvetter, for heaven's sake
help me just for once! I beg of you! I beg of you! lend me the money!"

With a shrug the volunteer held out his open purse. There were only a
few silver pieces in it.

"You can see for yourself, Herr Heppner," he said. "I am not the sort
of fellow to leave you in the lurch like that."

But Heppner could not yet believe him. He begged and threatened. At
last the great big fellow threw himself on the ground and clung round
Trautvetter's knees: "Just this once, just this once!"

The volunteer pushed him roughly away. The sight of the blubbering
giant revolted him.

"Stand up, Heppner!" he insisted. "All this is no good. I would give
you the money, but God knows I have none at the moment. Let us consider
how we can get out of this."

The sergeant-major stood up again, and looked at him in suspense.

Suddenly Trautvetter pointed to the canteen: "He must lend us
something," he whispered.

But the canteen-keeper objected to this. Even when Trautvetter offered
him ten, twenty marks for the loan, he remained obstinate.

The volunteer struck the counter furiously.

"Pig-headed fool!" he cried. "Will you do it for fifty?"

The canteen-keeper hesitated. He had settled up the day before; there
was not much risk for him, and fifty marks----!

"Give me your note-of-hand," he demanded,

And Trautvetter wrote him an I.O.U. for one hundred and fifty marks.

Heppner took the money, and when Wegstetten came into the orderly-room
he found the sergeant-major counting over his cash.

This event made a powerful impression on the one-year volunteer. From
the moment when Heppner had lain grovelling on the ground before
him a thorough change came over Trautvetter. The whole scene had
been unspeakably revolting to him; he was seized with a grim horror
on his own account too. Half unconsciously the sight of the big
imposing-looking man