ar-lord in his helmet
and white plume, explaining so eloquently and admirably the duties of a
soldier, and then his soldiers obeying his orders as if their service
were a religion to them, as indeed it was. It grew dark, but Sam did
not heed the darkness. Dinner-time came and went, but he was in a
region far above such vulgar bodily needs.

"Oh, if we only had an emperor," he thought,--"and such an emperor! Why
was I not born a Tutonian?"

This was an unpatriotic thought, and Sam was ashamed of it. Yet it was
true, he would gladly have found himself one of His Majesty's subjects
and a member of his incomparable army. Then he recalled his memorable
interview with the Emperor, and rejoiced in the remembrance that he had
deserved and received his commendation. He tried to imagine how it
would feel to be one of his officers, or even one of his privates. If
he had been selected as one of the squad to show the perfection of
their discipline, how gladly he would have taken his place in line with
the rest! He would have obeyed without flinching, he was sure of it. He
put himself in the place of one of the squad. He is ordered to take his
position opposite one of the condemned. He looks and sees that it is
his Uncle George. Would he obey the order to shoot? Most certainly. The
musket goes off and his uncle falls. He goes through the list of his
friends and relations. He does not quite like to shoot the girls, but
he does it. It is his duty. His commander-in-chief, who represents his
Creator, has ordered it. He can rely implicitly on his wisdom. Then he
thinks of Cleary. Yes, he would shoot Cleary down without hesitation.
And then comes the turn of his father and mother. He has no trouble
with the former, for he is sure that his father as a man must
understand his feelings, and he sees a smile of approval on his face as
he, too, falls prostrate. With his mother it is more difficult. There
had not been much sympathy between them in recent years, yet he
recalled his early boyhood on the farm, and it went against him to aim
his piece at her. But after all it was his duty, and with an inaudible
sigh he pulled the trigger. It was done. No one could have noticed his
reluctance. It was quite likely that some of the soldiers that
afternoon felt as much compunction as that. But as Sam went over all
this long list of tests and passed them successfully, he felt, almost
unconsciously, that he was coming t