imself to his new position.

"Never mind my being an officer for awhile, friend Heinrich," he
explained to his whilom comrade--"the dignity can keep without harming
it until we are again on duty together, when I promise to remember it to
all your advantage; for you've been good fellows to me, one and all! I
want you now to help me, friend Heinrich, in a sad commission; so, I
rely upon your assistance from our old brotherly feelings when
together--not because I ask you as your superior. Get a pickaxe and
spade from one of the pioneers and come with me. I'm going to bury a
poor fellow who has fallen over there, whose fate has attracted my
sympathy." Fritz pointed, as he spoke, to the wood where the dead man
lay.

"With right good pleasure, Herr Lieutenant," said the other in a
cheerful tone of voice, with great alacrity of manner, saluting again as
before. As a soldier, he knew his place too well to take a liberty with
an officer, even if a newly-made one, and with his own permission! The
German, or rather Prussian, system was and is very strict on such
points.

"Oh, bother!" ejaculated Fritz again, between his teeth. "The idea of
helping to bury a man `with right good pleasure'!"

He could not help smiling at the ludicrous association with so grave a
subject, as he unconsciously mimicked the soldier's simple speech.

"Poor dear old fellow, though," thought he a moment afterwards, "he
doesn't know what a funny phrase he used."

In a minute or two the man returned with the required articles; when he
and Fritz set off towards the wood, the latter leading the way, and
Heinrich following close behind in single file.

On reaching the spot which he had marked, Fritz found that no one had
apparently been there in his absence, for the dog was still on guard
over his master's corpse, although he was now lying across the body, and
had ceased his melancholy howl. When he approached the animal wagged
his bushy tail, as if in recognition of having seen Fritz before.

"Poor fellow!" said Fritz; "come here, old man! We're here to put your
master in his last home, and you must not prevent us. We will treat him
very tenderly."

The dog looked up in his face, as if he understood what his new friend
said; and, crawling off from the officer's body, he came to Fritz and
licked his hand, holding up the while one paw, which was bleeding as if
from a cut.

"He is wounded," said Heinrich, stooping down.

"Yes," answered Fr