hanical duty. At "Attention!" his flag went straighter, higher,
his chest bulged, his legs grew stiff, and his hand flew to his visor.
"Forward to the emperor!" and, almost unconscious with his emotion, he
yet stepped straightly forward until he stood directly in the Presence.
He knew that before him was a white horse with very pink nostrils, which
gently raised and lowered a hoof, now and then. That on the horse sat a
grave, sad man, the plumes of whose kepi, as he looked kindly down upon
the little color-guard, half veiled his eyes.

A bit of a smile grew there as his sovereign, for the first time, saw
how small he was. Arisuga did not know the reason for that smile, but he
felt it all through, and a tear started to his eyes. For you will
remember that he was not meant for a soldier, but for simple and
beautiful things.

Then Mutsuhito spoke to him.

"Shijiro Arisuga, the emperor is proud of such sons as you! Let him
never regret his pride. It is upon you and such as you that the empire
rests and must always rest. Be steadfast in your patriotism. No one in
the army bears so great a responsibility as he who guards the colors.
With them in sight my sons will follow anywhere--everywhere. When they
are down, their guiding-star has set. For your flag is your whole
country, all your ancestors, your myriad gods, your emperor--your all!
And every eye watches it! Twice in battle, you have raised your flag
when it has fallen. The circumstances show great valor. Your emperor has
a thousand eyes. He is everywhere, and always he knows and sees all the
acts of his sons. He knows and has seen yours. And for them he decorates
you with the order--"

Shijiro Arisuga's sick head drooped upon his breast and would hold no
more. But presently he knew that the glittering cavalcade had wheeled
and was out of sight, that the colors had returned to their places, that
the regiment singing again his song was marching home, and that, for a
very inadequate reason to him, he wore a medal over his heart and was
nominated by the emperor himself Hero!

Well, that was all. But for the third time Shijiro Arisuga was certain
that the happiest moment of his life had come--as well as that he had
made a tremendous fool of himself. The tears rolled down his face all
the way to the barracks.

But after that do you suppose he would ever let the flag go down? Do you
suppose that he could love anything more than his colors? Well, you are
to judge at the e