ed
ones."

"Capital," cried MWAW, springing up and pacing the arbor in excitement.
"Just our own idea. Frightfulness increases force. We like to make
people afraid. We feel stronger. Essence of Werwolfery. Give another
argument, excellent Schmuck. Think once more."

"The Highly Exalted will forgive me. I cannot, momentarily, bring forth
another."

"What!" snarled an angry voice above the trembling professor. "Not think
of the best argument of all! Forget your creed! Deny your faith!
Wretched Schmuck! Who gave you a place? Who feeds you? Who are WE?"

"The Lord's Anointed!" murmured Schmuck, falling on his knees.

MWAW drew himself up, stiff as steel. His eyes blazed through their
slits like coals of fire.

"Right!" he cried. "Right at last. That is the great argument. Use it.
WE are the Chosen of God. WE are his weapon, his vicegerent. Whatever WE
do is a brave act and a good deed. Woe to the disobedient!"

He held out his hand and lifted the professor to his feet.

"Stand up, Schmuck. You are forgiven. Take more beer. To-night I follow
biological necessity. More work to do. But you go and tell people the
truth."

So Schmuck went. Whether he told the truth or not is uncertain. At all
events, it was in different words. And the Werwolfery continued.

Chapter III

THE WERWOLF AT LARGE

I

In the days immediately before and after the breaking of the
war-tempest, the servants of the United States Government in Europe were
suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of work and care. The strenuous,
incessant toil in the consulates, legations, and embassies acted
somewhat as a narcotic. There was so much to do that there was no time
to worry.

The sense of an unmeasured calamity was present in the background of our
thoughts from the very beginning. But it was not until later that the
nature of the disaster grew clear and poignant. As month after month
hammered swiftly by, the meaning and portent of the catastrophe emerged
more sharply and penetrated our minds more deeply, stinging us awake.

A mighty nation which "rejected the dream of universal peace throughout
the world as non-German" (the Crown Prince, Germany in Arms); a nation
trained for war as a "biological necessity in which Might proves itself
the supreme Right" (Bernhardi, Germany and the Next War); a nation which
had been taught that "frightfulness" is a lawful and essential weapon in
war (Von Clausewitz); and whose generals said, "Frankly, we are and mu