s they turned on the
freshly-laid metalling, the encouragements of the drivers to their
horses, and the cracking of the whips, could be distinctly heard. Even
the steps of the passers-by were audible, and a word here and there of
their conversation.

Wolf still sat upon the stool. All these noises reached his ear, but he
paid no heed to them.

Suddenly he raised his head.

An indistinct sound of distant singing came in snatches through the
little window, borne by gusts of wind. Nearer and nearer it approached.
Now the singers seemed to be turning a corner, their measured tread
became audible, and their hearty voices rang out:

"Reservists they may rest,
Reservists may rest,
And if reservists rest may have,
Then may reservists rest."

The song of the reservists who were leaving the barracks and marching
to the station.

From time to time the rough joke of some passing wit interrupted the
song. Then the reservists would break out into a loud laugh and call
back some still more spicy retort. But they always took up their
jingling refrain, repeating the childish words again and again, and
jogging along clumsily, keeping time to the song.

Wolf heard the harsh sounds gradually retreating, till finally they
died away in the direction of the town.

Once more he buried his face in his hands.

When at last he sat up again, he had conquered himself. He had
determined to wage war against fate.

Upright and with firm steps he paced up and down his cell. He thought
over everything that could serve for his defence: how he had held
himself in check, so as not in any way to prolong by his own fault his
time of service; how he had even looked on quietly when Findeisen
obeyed the sergeant's humiliating order; but how Keyser's provocative
look had made his blood boil and had driven him to his unlucky deed. He
had, it is true, raised his hand against a superior; but the sight of
the gunner licking the dust off the boots had seemed to him an insult
to humanity itself.

The judges would not be able to disregard this, and at least they would
judge his offence leniently. Even if their outlook on life were
diametrically opposed to his own, surely in pronouncing their verdict
on him that could not prevent their taking into consideration the
purity of his motives.

And he thought out a speech of defence which must penetrate the hearts
of the judges, a speech