vernment to carry quite a large body of men, the method
was a slow one. In 1806, for instance, it took exactly a week to shift
troops from Liverpool to London, a distance of thirty-four miles."

"Why, they could have marched it in less time than that, couldn't they?"
questioned Doris derisively.

"Yes, the journey might easily have been made on foot in two days,"
nodded her father. "But in war time a long march which exhausts the
soldiers is frequently an unwise policy, for the men are in no condition
when they arrive to go into immediate action, as reenforcements often
must."

"I see," answered Doris.

"When the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad was opened in 1830 this
thirty-four miles was covered in two hours," continued Mr. Tolman. "Of
course the quick transportation of troops was then, as now, of very
vital importance. We have had plenty of illustrations of that in our
recent war against Germany. Frequently the fate of a battle has hung on
large reenforcements being speedily dispatched to a weak point in the
line. Moreover, by means of the railroads, vast quantities of food,
ammunition and supplies of all sorts can constantly be sent forward to
the men in action. During the late war our American engineers laid miles
and miles of track under fire, thereby keeping open the route to the
front so that there was no danger of the fighters being cut off and left
unequipped. It was a service for which they, as well as our nation, won
the highest praise. And not only was there a constant flow of supplies
but it was by means of these railroads that hospital trains were enabled
to carry to dressing stations far behind the lines thousands of wounded
men whose lives might otherwise have been lost."

"I suppose the slightly wounded could be made more comfortable in this
way, too," Mrs. Tolman suggested.

"Yes, indeed," was the reply. "Not only were the men better cared for in
the roomier hospitals behind the lines, but as there was more space
there the peril from contagion, always a menace when large numbers of
sick are packed closely together, was greatly lessened; for there is
nothing army doctors dread so much as an epidemic of disease when there
is not enough room to isolate the patients."

"When did England adopt railroads in place of stagecoaches, Dad?" asked
Doris presently.

At the question her father laughed.

"See here!" he protested good-humoredly, "what do you think I am? Just
because I happen to be a supe