In addition to this he had many vexations to bear when on duty. Captain
von Wegstetten and Lieutenant Reimers, who certainly both knew their
business well, had always shown themselves satisfied with him; but a
new senior-lieutenant was imported into the battery, a certain
Brettschneider, who was always pulling Vogt up and finding fault with
him.

Senior-lieutenant Brettschneider came from the Staff College, and the
non-commissioned officers whispered it about that he was considered no
end of a swell. Well, he might be clever and smart enough; but,
nevertheless, the new officer was not infallible. When the exercises
were going on he could make mistakes like every one else. One thing was
certain: he was tremendously well-set-up. He always stood as straight
and stiff as a ramrod, and he could scarcely turn his carefully groomed
head, so high was his collar! Moreover, his pink, clean-shaven face
never for one moment lost its expression of haughty disdain. The men
avoided him as far as they could, for one seldom came near him without
being called back and found fault with; and everybody--non-coms. and
all--felt exasperated by the young man's conceited behaviour.

Devil take the fellow! Wegstetten and Reimers certainly did not make
themselves cheap with the men. But when things were going right, they
always had time for a word of praise and an appreciative smile. Even
the sharp eyes of little Wegstetten could look quite good-humoured
on occasion. But Senior-lieutenant Brettschneider always remained
stand-offish, looking as if he had swallowed a poker.

All this incensed our honest Vogt. Of course it was true--confound it!
that a soldier was only doing his duty; still, one is but human, and
one deserves a little recognition for hard and faithful service. And
isn't that the right way to knit a lasting bond between officers and
men, one that should prove valuable when hard times come?

During the gun-practice Vogt had been several times called over the
coals by Senior-lieutenant Brettschneider. The bombardier did his duty
in a cheerful spirit, and sometimes let fall half-audible jokes and
chaff for his comrades' benefit. This much annoyed the officer in
question, and he spiced his rebuke with the remark that he didn't know
how a man who couldn't observe the first rudiments of discipline could
aspire to being a non-commissioned officer!

Vogt laid this scolding to heart. He had meant no harm when he had
called out "Hurry up