revived, glanced at the advancing Blues and made
for the gun which Wims had already commenced to take apart.

"Whaddaya doin'?" the gunner yelled. He pushed Wims aside, causing him
to release his hold on the powerful spring. The bolt shot out of the
back of the gun and struck the approaching Lieutenant Haas above the
left ear just as he was opening his mouth to give the order to return
fire. He fell to the ground with the command unspoken and the sergeant
knelt to his aid. At the same moment Wims recognized some members of his
platoon charging up the hill and realized for the first time he was
behind enemy lines. In sheer embarrassment he slunk away, hoping none of
his comrades would notice.

* * * * *

The lieutenant who had gone to confirm Wims' message now came running
down the hill shouting at his men to return fire. He had his captain
with a lieutenant aide in tow and when they reached the machine-gun nest
and the fallen Haas the lieutenant looked for Wims.

"I tell you he was here," the lieutenant said. "The gunner and the
sergeant can bear me out."

"And I tell you," the captain said excitedly, "I did not issue any such
bird-brained order."

[Illustration]

A lieutenant referee tapped the captain on the shoulder. "Sir, would you
gentlemen please leave the field," he said, indicating the lieutenant,
the captain and his aide, the sergeant, the gunner and the unconscious
Haas. "You are all dead."

The captain looked around to discover that their little group was the
target of the blank fire of several advancing Blue infantrymen. "But
we're trying to straighten out a mix-up here," the captain protested.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you're all standing here gossiping in the middle of
a battle. Theoretically you are all Swiss cheese. Please leave the
area."

"We WON'T leave the area!" the captain shouted. "I'm trying to tell you
we wouldn't be dead if some idiot hadn't gotten in here and bollixed up
this training exercise and--"

"... It was a brilliant demonstration of infiltration and diversionary
tactics by Dolliver Wims," said General Fyfe, striding forward.

The captain rolled his eyes heavenward in supplication before turning to
face the general. "Sir," he inquired acidly, "What _are_ dolliver
wims?"

"Private Wims is the embodiment of the initiative and resourcefulness we
are trying to inculcate in all our soldiers. I observed the entire
operation and he has demonstrated