months and years from your own people.

"And he heard me through, and said: 'Why, that's part of the hardship,
Richard, in both arms of the service. In my day, Richard----"

"'Pardon, Colonel,' I butted in, 'pardon me, Colonel, but in your day
the army people never left the country. Even when you were fighting
Indians on the frontier, after all it was only the frontier and never
more than a couple of thousand miles at the most to get back home. And
when you were through campaigning and back in garrison, your people
could come to see you. But twelve thousand miles! It isn't as if a man's
within telephone call then. And when you're not to see your people for
that length of time, there's danger.'

"'Danger?' He stiffens up and takes a peek at me.

"'Danger, yes sir,' I said. 'I've been out there in the islands, in a
tugboat with her engines broken down and she drifting onto a beach where
four hundred squatting Moros with Remington rifles were waiting
hopefully for us to come ashore. Four hundred of them and five of us all
told. But that's not danger, sir,' I hurries on, 'of the kind to scare a
man, though it did sicken me to think I'd never see Doris again, and
that perhaps it would shock her when she heard of it. But otherwise,
sir, that's no danger. But when a young officer goes a thousand miles up
a Chinese river in command of a gunboat, as I was this last time--gone
for months on it--and being commander was everywhere received as the
representative of a great country by all the governors and topside
mandarins along the route. And they haven't our idea of things--a lot of
things that seem wrong to us seem all right to them. They mean no harm.
They intend only to be courteous and complimentary, and so they strew a
fellow's path with the flowers of ease and pleasure--if he forgets
himself, there's danger, Colonel,' I said. 'I sail at eight in the
morning, sir. I'm to be gone I don't know how long, perhaps another two
years, and--Colonel--I want a home anchor.'

"He said no word till he had finished his cigar. When he does he drops
it at his feet, steps on it to put out the light, and says: 'A good
argument for yourself, Richard, but what of Doris?'

"'Doris has probably done a lot of thinking in the matter, sir. Why not
leave it to Doris, sir?'

"'Of course,' he said, dry as powder, 'Doris would be disinterested in
this case!'

"'Then leave it to her mother, sir.'

"'I see neither logic nor prudence in your arg