judge of a horse than of an army. I've no idea which side is the
stronger. I don't love war, and I'm going away from it as fast as I
can."

Jacques laughed.

"Perhaps it will follow you," he said. "There is war everywhere now, or
soon will be. I hear that it's spreading all over the world."

John shrugged his shoulders, and followed Jacques up a ladder into a
loft over the horses. But it was not a bad room. It had two small iron
beds and it was secure from wet and cold.

"You take that," said Jacques, pointing to the bed on the right. "It
belonged to Fritz who was the hostler here with me. He went to the army
at the first call and was killed at Longwy. Fritz was a German, a Saxon,
but he and I were friends. We had worked together here three years. I'd
have been glad if the bullets had spared him. The horses miss him, too.
He had a kind hand with them and they liked him. Poor Fritz! You sleep
in the bed of a good man."

"My eyes are so heavy that I think I'll go to bed now."

"The bed is waiting for you. It's always welcome to one who has walked
all day in the cold as you have. I have more work. I have the tasks of
that poor Fritz and my own to do now. It may be an hour, two hours
before I'm through, but if you sleep as soundly as I do I'll not wake
you up."

John sank into deep slumber almost at once and knew nothing until the