a glassy stare, and
their faces were scarlet. Moreover, their speech was loud and
blustering, and Roth, particularly, was unable longer to talk
coherently, except with difficulty.

Suddenly he looked at the clock. "Six, by thunder. Time to look after
the stables!"

"Yes, let's go," said Schmitz; "we must get to the stables, the beasts
are hungry!"

They arose reeling. Roth girded his loins with his sabre, and both of
them went clattering down the stone stairs of the barracks. The sabre
struck the steps all along, as Roth descended heavily, and there was a
terrific noise.

Several soldiers stuck out their heads as the two went along; and when
they noticed their intoxicated superiors they quickly retreated into
their own rooms, saying: "They surely have enough! If one of us went
about in that way we'd be ripe for a pretty long term in the cooler."

At the turn of the corridor Dietrich, a good-service man belonging to
the fourth squadron, stepped up to Roth and said: "I'd like to ask the
Herr 'Vice' for some coal for Room X. My men have been out in the rain
foraging, and all of us are wet to the skin. It is very cold upstairs,
and unless we can heat the stove our clothes will not dry till
to-morrow."

"What! Coal? Go to the quartermaster, you loafers; I haven't any coal
for you!" spluttered Roth with a heavy tongue.

"The quartermaster has gone to town, and the Herr 'Vice' keeps the
keys to the cellar in such cases!"

"Get out of my way, you ---- fool! You don't need coal every time a
few drops of rain fall. Lie down in bed, you pack of swine, if you are
cold, and leave me alone with your impudent complaints."

Dietrich stood for a moment in doubt, not knowing whether it would be
safe to make another rejoinder. But he saw plainly that the "Vice" was
in an irresponsible condition, and so silently, but with rage in his
heart, he turned on his heels so that the spurs jingled, and went back
to his men.

In the stables hardly anybody remained, the men having attended to
their duties and retired. Only the stable guard was to be seen.

For stable guards men are taken, by preference, whose health has
suffered in the hard service at this inclement season. One of them had
incipient consumption, the regimental surgeon having noticed the man's
condition only a week after his joining the squadron, and now the
colonel thought it was not worth while discharging the man. The second
one of these reserves had, since his civil