Part 23 (2/2)

The guns and carriages were taken to the gun-park. The horses were unharnessed, and the knapsacks unfastened from the guns. Then the drivers made their way to the stables, and the gunners to their barracks. The quartermaster had pointed out his place to every one, so that each man had only to take possession of his cupboard and his bed.

The young soldiers, who had never been in camp before, gazed about with much interest. Things, on the whole, looked very inviting. A wide road with broad footpaths on either side traversed the whole camp, almost further than the eye could see, and along it stood the barracks on the left, and the stables on the right. The houses were all alike; in the middle a square one-storied building, and running out from it a wing containing lofty, airy rooms for the men, open to the wooden rafters that supported the slated roof. At the back were covered verandas, in which, during bad weather, instruction could be carried on and the roll called. Beyond these outbuildings began the outskirts of the wood, beautiful stately pines growing thick and close. The resinous scent of pine-needles was wafted into the rooms through the open windows.

”Heinrich,” said Vogt to Klitzing, ”this is just like a summer holiday for us, isn't it? Isn't this air splendid?”

The clerk stopped his unpacking for a moment and drew in a deep breath of the invigorating odour.

”Oh yes,” he answered; ”we can do with this all right!”

However, it was not a ”summer holiday” by any means, and the two friends found that out soon enough. There was a lot of real hard work to do during these weeks; but it was all done with a good will. Actual gun-practice was a very different thing from that dull work in garrison with blank cartridges.

The magazine where the ammunition was stored lay at some little distance from the other buildings, near the gun-park, and was surrounded by a thick high wall of earth. One realised from this how dangerous were its contents. But the store-men, who gave out the shrapnel-sh.e.l.ls and the fuses, went about their work as if regardless of the fact that in each one of these lurked death and destruction. And yet in every shrapnel-sh.e.l.l were a couple of hundred bullets that could easily put a whole company _hors de combat_.

The beginning of the gun-practice did not, however, seem likely to be very dangerous. Only twenty-four shrapnel, _i.e._, six shots for each gun, were given out next morning. It was a first experience, meant especially for the younger officers, and Lieutenant Landsberg was to command the battery.

The men were very curious to know what he would make of it. The affected young dandy was extremely unpopular with every one. Besides which, he was clearly not blessed with much intelligence; for at garrison-drill more reproofs and reprimands were showered upon him alone than upon all the rest of the battery put together. Again and again would Wegstetten's trumpet-tones ring across the parade-ground: ”Lieutenant Landsberg, you are not in your right place!” ”Lieutenant Landsberg, you are allowing too much distance!” The little captain had sworn many a fierce oath as he galloped to and fro on his long-legged ”Walkure”: ”Lieutenant Landsberg! attention, please. What in thunder are you about?” or ”Good G.o.d, sir! don't go to sleep! Time's getting on!”

And to-day he was to command the whole battery. Wegstetten took the precaution of accompanying the young man himself, so that he might be able to come to the rescue in case of necessity.

He was soon needed. The battery started from the gun-park and left the camp, turning off the road and crossing the heather towards the broad level stretch of the exercise-ground.

Suddenly Landsberg's snapping voice crowed out: ”Battery, halt!” and immediately afterwards: ”Open with shrapnel!”

The men grinned at one another.

Two or three of the gunners got down and stood there, quite at a loss.

They ought to load; yet the word of command, ”Prepare for action!”

had not been given. And how could they load when the seats and the limber-boxes were still locked, and when the gun was still covered?

The clever lieutenant had forgotten the word of command that should properly have been given before leaving the gun-park. And the best of it was that he didn't even now notice what was wrong.

Wegstetten, close at hand, kept quite still. He had taken his feet out of the stirrups and was swinging his short legs carelessly to and fro.

His eyes flashed scorn as he looked at the hapless lieutenant.

”Well, Lieutenant Landsberg,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, ”if I were one of the men myself I shouldn't know what to do either.”

The lieutenant raised his spotlessly gloved hand to his helmet and replied, ”Yes, sir.” But as yet no solution of the riddle had dawned on him.

Then at last the captain sat upright in his saddle, and his clear voice rang out over the battery: ”Prepare for action!”

It put life into the men at once, and all set about their various duties with the utmost zeal.

Wegstetten turned to the subaltern, who stood stupidly looking on, and said, ”Well, Lieutenant Landsberg, you may take over the command again now.”

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