hen the heights are not so well
guarded?"

"Ah, yes--guarded," Wandel said, "but not against great men."

George kicked at the ground with his heel.

"Funny how unimportant it all seems here," he muttered.

It wasn't only the surroundings that made it seem unimportant; it was
his remembrance of Sylvia who had known more than Wandel, more than
anybody, yet had never opened the gate.

"You've taken all my conceit away," he went on. "Once it might have made
me want to put myself out. Now I'm quite content to let Jerry do it."

Wandel's voice warmed, was less affected than George had ever heard it.

"What are you talking about? You've won a great victory. You should
carry laurels on your brow. You've climbed to the top. You've defined
for us all a possible socialism."

George smiled.

"A hell of a thing to talk about here! But tell that to Squibs, will
you, little man, when you get back? We've had some rare battles over
it."

Wandel hurried on.

"You've made yourself one of us, if it's any satisfaction. You're as
good as the best of us--of the inheritors."

George folded his arms on his knees and bowed his head. Wandel's voice
was startled.

"What's up?"

"Maybe I'm crying," George mumbled. "Ought to be, because I'm so filthy
tired, and I know you're wrong, Driggs. I'm rotten inside. I haven't
even started to climb."

But when he looked up there were no tears in his eyes, and his dirty
face had altered with its old whimsical smile.

"Besides, it's enough to make me cry to know you wouldn't say all this
unless you were certain I'm going to be killed."

"Hope not," Wandel laughed, "but picnics are full of germs. What's
this?"

A grimy figure approached like a man fantastically imitating some
animal. His route was devious as if he were perpetually dodging
something that miraculously failed to materialize. He stopped,
straightened reluctantly, and saluted George.

"Captain sent me on, sir. I've located Jerry opposite at----"

He rattled off some coordinates. George looked him over.

"How did you find that out?" he snapped.

"Ran across Jerry----"

The dirty young man recited jerkily and selflessly a story of fear and
risks overcome, of cunning stealth, of passionate and promiscuous
murder----

"Report back," George said.

When he had gone George called for his adjutant and turned to Wandel.

"Before anything happens to me," he said, "I'll recommend that dirty
young assassin for a citation."