revolver had slowly sunk,
and hung down limply. His glance wandered from the corpse to the
boundary line at his feet. He had not stepped over it. Everything was
according to order.

At last he aroused himself from his stupor. He forced himself to pass
the little furrow in the ground, and went towards his opponent. His
footsteps were heavy and uncertain; it felt to him as if his soles
adhered to the earth.

The sergeant-major was dead; there was no doubt about that. On the left
breast were a slight blood-stain and a quite diminutive hole. His head
was thrown back. The wide-open eyes of the dead man stared into the
moonlight.

Heimert gently closed the eyelids. He paused for a time beside the
corpse with folded hands, and softly muttered the Lord's prayer. Then
he began to descend the hill.

But he seemed to bethink himself of something. He dived again through
the shadow of the trees and knelt beside the sergeant-major. With great
care he laid his own discharged revolver in place of the loaded weapon
which Heppner had dropped.

When he stood up again a shifty, vague, cunning expression passed over
his face.

Between the white stems of the young birch-trees he looked out for the
sentry, who must have heard the shot. Redoubled precautions would be
necessary in regaining the barracks.

The sentry was staring fixedly up into the woods hence he had heard the
firing. With his head still turned towards the heights he walked up to
the gates, and waited to be relieved. When the bombardier and the
relieving sentry appeared he made his announcement. He pointed several
times to the wood. The bombardier shrugged his shoulders and asked
questions; finally he disappeared through the gateway with the sentry
who had been relieved. The gates clanged together, and the keys rattled
as the lock was turned.

The new sentry listened awhile to his comrades' retreating steps; then
he strolled along his beat at a leisurely pace, occasionally looking up
the hill. He took his time, but at last he turned the corner of the
officers' quarters.

Heimert made use of the opportunity. He ran hastily down the
pathway to the barracks. He drew himself up with the aid of the
lightning-conductor till his feet reached the top of the wall, and soon
after was standing, breathing heavily, in his own kitchen.

A moonbeam fell on something shining that leant against a kitchen
chair. It was Heppner's sword. Heimert took it up and carefully hung it
on i