of them made up to him, thinking him the _protege_ of the captain,
and this he resented. Kaeppchen, in particular, a little man, with
unpleasant cunning eyes, offered to his "future comrade" sundry little
favours which, being battery-clerk, were in his power to bestow.

Look at it as he would, the life of both the present and the future had
seemed to him scarcely worth living. Upon such reflections broke the
captain's hearty, friendly words, bringing a glimmer of light into the
terrible darkness. To merit the goodwill of this man, to show him that
his sympathy had not been unworthily bestowed, was at least an object
to live for. Frielinghausen set himself to attain it.

He paused near the door sunk in thought, he hardly knew for how long.
He was startled by a hand on his shoulder and a voice saying: "Just let
me pass, my son."

Frielinghausen stood aside at the bidding of an officer who, in
full-dress helmet, with aigrette, epaulettes, bandolier, and scarf,
strode into the orderly-room. He thought sadly how he had himself as a
youngster dreamt of being an officer, until his mother had talked him
over to the safer career of letters. Now he glanced at his own shabby
uniform and compared it regretfully with that of the other.

In the orderly-room Wegstetten rose briskly to meet the new-comer, and
held out his hand: "Delighted to have you in my battery, Reimers; you
are heartily welcome!" cutting short the lieutenant's acknowledgments
with: "Yes indeed, I am pleased to have a man with me who has some
actual experience of soldiering; of possibly something even more severe
than that of Madelung with the fourth battery in China."

Laughingly he held up a warning finger as he added:

"Even though it was entirely contrary to orders that you should have
fought for the Boers. How did you get on in the fortress?"

Reimers answered, smiling:

"Pretty well, sir. I have scarcely ever been so well treated as during
that arrest."

"Very likely. And his majesty did not let you languish there long?"

"No, indeed, sir."

Wegstetten glanced at his watch.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't stop any longer now, for I must go back to the
riding-school again. So good-bye, my dear fellow. But let me say once
more how glad I am to have a man who has really smelt powder. They are
only to be found among colonels and generals as a rule nowadays."

As soon as the captain had gone, Reimers put his helmet on the table,
and drew off his gloves.