possible."

Sam was much disturbed by this conversation. Mr. Cope went on to tell
how his Government had spent L23,000 to fire a single shot and test one
of his new projectiles, but Sam was not interested. Then the inventor
began to rally him about the lack of interest of soldiers in the
inventions which they used.

"If you had had to depend on yourselves for inventions," he said, "you
would still be fighting with cross-bows, or perhaps more likely with
your teeth and finger-nails. No soldier ever invented anything. We
inventors are the real military men."

At last Sam's unconscious tormentor took his departure, and the invalid
rang for the hospital orderly so that he might tell him not to let him
in again. To his surprise a new orderly appeared, a negro whose face
was strangely familiar.

"What is it, sah?" he said.

"Is that you, Mose?" cried Sam. "Why, it's almost as good as being at
home again."

"Bress my soul, Massa Jinks--I mean General, have you been a-hurtin'
yourself again?" and the man chuckled to himself till his whole body
shook. Under Mose's care Sam made more rapid progress and soon was able
to go out in a sedan-chair, borne by three men, like a mandarin. The
winter passed away and spring was about to set in. There was no
prospect of active service in Porsslania, the Powers being unable to
agree upon any policy. The Emperor had already gone home, and the
various armies were much reduced in strength. Cleary had been ordered
to return by his newspaper, and had taken passage in a passenger
steamer for the first of May.

"Why can't you come with me?" he said to Sam. "You're entitled to a
leave of absence, and when you get to Whoppington you can apply for
some other berth."

Sam followed this wise advice and obtained a furlough of three months,
and on the day fixed for sailing they embarked for home.

Sam was still an invalid, but the voyage did him a great deal of good,
and before they had been a week at sea he began to look quite like his
old self. There were few passengers who interested him, but he became
acquainted with one man of note, a Porsslanese literatus, who was
attached to the legation at Whoppington, and sat on the other side of
the captain of the steamer at meals. This gentleman, who bore the name
of Chung Tu, was greatly interested in military matters and listened to
Sam's accounts by the hour. The night before their arrival at St.
Kisco, the