oachable conduct of the defendant for so many years of
active service, he moved for his acquittal.

The court-martial then retired for deliberation, and a long time
elapsed before its members, wearing a severe aspect, reappeared in the
session chamber.

Schmitz was in a dazed condition when he heard the sentence: two
months of jail!

He saw his life destroyed. In vain had been the long years which he
had given, at the sacrifice of his best strength, to his country. His
dream of a future free from care, and of an appointment, after another
three years of service, to a municipal office of an humble kind in his
native town, had been shattered at one blow. What would his parents
say, his sisters and brothers, and what would become of the girl to
whom he had been engaged for several years past?

A fierce rage seized him, and he could have throttled on the spot the
man who by perjury, out of vindictiveness and for selfish reasons, had
marred his existence forever. The blood rushed to his head as he saw
this same man striding past him now, a sneer on his lips, in haughty
indifference. Nay, worse, he heard the commander of the regiment say
to this dishonorable scoundrel:

"That is right, Roth. Unpitying in the service is what I want my
non-commissioned officers to be."

Schmitz was taken to a fortress on October 21st, where many hours of
mental torture and many days of hard, grinding labor of the lowest
kind awaited him.

Thus gradually approached Christmas time. The wide yard of the
barracks was covered with snow. All lay desolate, lifeless, and grim
in the severe cold which had supervened during the last days.

A large part of the regiment had been granted holiday leave, and every
one of the men did his utmost while on duty, in order not to forfeit
at the last moment the joys of home and friendship which awaited him.

Almost every evening the members of the corps of officers rode to the
neighboring city, there to make Christmas purchases; for only one of
them intended to go home for the holidays, and the others were
preparing a little celebration at the Casino for which mutual gifts
were being chosen.

Borgert and Leimann both returned from their divers trips, heavily
laden with packages. They bought everything that pleased them. It
might be that at some future time they would somehow have the money to
pay for it all. Meanwhile every tradesman continued to give them
unlimited credit.

After making their purchas