as does the Catholic
Church by the services of her celibate priesthood. And in active
warfare it seems to me that such men must enjoy something of the
fatalism of Islam. All is not lost, my dear fellow! I hear everywhere
the greatest praise of your capacity and talents as an officer. So be
brave, and throw the others as mere ballast behind you. You have a
guiding star in your profession--is it not so?"

Reimers nodded.

"You are right, doctor," he said, "and I am much obliged to you."

He looked weary and broken as he went out at the door. In a thoughtless
moment he had destroyed his one chance of happiness. That moment he
must expiate, and he knew he was strong enough to bear the burden.

But it seemed to him that it was not this alone that had decided his
fate. He felt as though a grey veil had descended over his whole
future; even over all that in his imagination had elevated him above
the more sordid chances of destiny.

Could this be because that star to which the doctor had pointed him was
losing its brilliancy?

Gloomily he trod the woodland path to the town. Down below in a field
behind the barracks an old sergeant was giving the assistant trumpeters
a lesson. The lads blew forth a horribly ill-tuned unison. Then the
sergeant set his own trumpet to his lips, and the notes of the
dismissal rang clearly through the air:--

[Illustration: (musical score)]

The signal that in the man[oe]uvres indicated the close of each
evolution.

CHAPTER XIV

After eighteen months of service Gustav Weise was made bombardier.
Captain von Wegstetten thought this would now be a safe experiment with
the erstwhile social-democrat.

But more non-commissioned officers were still required.

Sergeant Wiegandt had gone away on April 1: Wegstetten's best
non-com., and now the blissful husband of the beaming Frieda. He would
have been made deputy sergeant-major very shortly; but not even this
prospect had been sufficient to retain him. At Michaelmas two more
non-commissioned officers would obtain their discharge; Heppner was
dead; Heimert was in a mad-house; there were strange faces everywhere,
instead of the old tried experienced men. And even so there were not
enough of them.

In this embarrassment Wegstetten bethought himself of Vogt. He was an
honest steady lad, on whom one could depend. All his superiors praised
him, and, besides, he had good blood in his veins, inherited from his
fa