turning away: "Yes,
certainly. But you are not unaware of the fact that a system can go on
being tested until the moment when it collapses?"

"And anyhow," he continued, "all this refers to private thoughts of my
own, about which I can't tell you just yet. I am now going to make the
final experiment, and then I shall have to decide."

"What?"

"Whether I remain an officer or not."

This struck Reimers like a blow. "Guentz, you are mad!" he cried.

His friend shook his head gravely, and said, "We shall see."

Meanwhile, Guentz coolly took up the glove which Landsberg in his
presumption had thrown down. He had decided that, if possible, he would
only meet the young man's impudence with the weapons which stood at his
command as the head of the battery.

One day Guentz had ordered Landsberg to superintend the checking of the
stores ordered by the regiment, and found him instead fast asleep and
carefully covered up on a sofa. This was a gross breach of duty; for
according to the rules the officer in charge should have himself
supervised the checking of the stores by one of the sergeants. But this
was not all; Landsberg had had gunners posted on the watch, so that he
should not be surprised by his commanding officer, and that was
misappropriation of the service staff.

When called to order, he coolly excused himself: "I beg your pardon,
sir; but I really thought it could not matter much about a few dozen
horseshoe nails more or less."

Guentz felt it would have been trouble wasted to explain to the
lieutenant how it was perfectly possible that the lack of "a few dozen
horseshoe nails" might be the cause of a battery's immobility in time
of need. He simply rebuked him briefly and sharply.

Landsberg took the punishment in strictly correct style. But a most
unreasonable anger gleamed in his eyes. He made up his mind in all
seriousness that he would complain of Guentz, and tried to get his
fellow-subaltern, Reimers, to associate himself with him. Reimers,
however, refused politely and decidedly, and moreover spoke to
Landsberg for his good, strongly advising him to submit to discipline
and amend his behaviour.

Landsberg was apparently convinced, and for a time his behaviour rarely
gave occasion for blame. But in the circle of the younger officers he
let fall dark insinuations that he would be revenged for the "insult"
which the hateful martinet Guentz had inflicted on him. He gradually
worked up a genuine hatre