es slaughtered! Pray, what is it
all about? Who can tell us?" Not a man could answer, save with the
vaguest generalities. And so, the debate continuing, the wonder growing
from moment to moment, at length, and all of a sudden, the Duroban camp
echoed with huge peals of laughter. "Why, if we soldiers have no cause
of quarrel, what are we doing here? Shall we be mangled and killed to
please our General with the turn for chemistry? That were a joke,
indeed!" And, as soon as mirth permitted, the army rose as one man,
threw together their belongings, and with jovial songs trooped off to
sleep comfortably in a town a couple of miles away.

"'The Kalayans, meanwhile, had been occupied with the very same
question. They were anything but martial of mood, and the soldiery, ill
at ease in their camp, grumbled and protested. "After all, why are we
here?" cried one to the other. "Who wants to injure the Durobans? And
what man among us desires to be blown to pieces by their new
instruments of war? Pray, why should we fight? If the great officials
are angry, as the news-sheets tell us, e'en let them do the fighting
themselves." At this moment there sounded from the enemy's camp a
stupendous roar; it was much like laughter; no doubt the Durobans were
jubilant in anticipation of their victory. Fear seized the Kalayans;
they rose like one man, and incontinently fled far into the sheltering
night!

"'Thus ended the war--the last between these happy nations, who, not
very long after, united to form a noble state under one ruler. It is
interesting to note that the original instigators of hostility did not
go without their deserts. The Duroban General, having been duly tried
for a crime against his country, was imprisoned in a spacious building,
the rooms of which were hung with great pictures representing every
horror of battle with the ghastliest fidelity; here he was supplied
with materials for chemical experiment, to occupy his leisure, and very
shortly, by accident, blew himself to pieces. The Kalayan publicist was
also convicted of treason against the state; they banished him to a
desert island, where for many hours daily he had to multiply copies of
his news-sheet--that issue which contained the declaration of war--and
at evening to burn them all. He presently became imbecile, and so
passed away.'"

Piers laughed with delight.

"Whether it ever got into print," said Mr. Jacks, "I don't know. Your
father was often careless about h