The Last Shot

Grays in their heavy gilt frames divined what kind of a to-morrow his day was preparing? All knew the pass of La Tir well, and if all had not won decisive battles they would h

ss was quite obscured in darkness. He would soon be crowded out to an

hose of lesser men grew dimmer as their generations receded into history. He in the steel corselet, with high cheek-bones, ferret, cold eyes, and high, thin nose, its nostrils drawn back in an aristocratic sniff-camps were evil-smelling i

d they to thank the clever wife of him of the Louis XIV. curls, whose intrigues won for her husband command of the army, for another province? It was whispered, too, that the military glory of him of the Marshal Ney physi

vion of the basement. In their staff building, the first Galland occupied a prominent position in the main hall; while in the days of Marta's old baro

stige. The breast of his uniform sagged with the weight of his decorations. He appeared for the army at great functions, his picture was in the shop-windows. Hedworth West

e influences that counted, whether man's or woman's, his astute readiness in stooping to some measures that were in keeping with the times but not with army precedent, had won for him the goal of his

e at man[oe]uvres, in different positions of firing, crouching in shallow trenches, standing in deep trenches, or lying flat on the stomach on level earth. Another silhouette, that of an infantr

iption, if Westerling were to win it would be with five millions-five hundred thousand more than when he faced a young Brown officer over the wreck of an aeroplane-includin

tanding on either side of Westerling's desk, awaited his decisions on certain matters which they had

f speech, flavored now and then with pungent humor, without any inflection in his dry voice, was in keeping with his appearance. He arrived with the clerks in the morning and frequently remained after they were gone. His life was an affair of calculated units of time; his habits of diet and exercise all regulated for the end of service. His subordinates, whose respect he held by the power

beak nose and iron-gray hair, intensely and solemnly serious, lacking a sense of humor, he would have looked at home with his big, b

ns information seems to have stopped," said Westerling,

his laundry bills, he is so

hich had baffled Bouchard. "Try a woman," he went on with that terse, hard directness which reflected one

ly from the top of the head of the seated vice-chief of staff

ough you spent a queen's ransom," s

all there! I saw him ten years ago after his first aeroplane flight under

y we have to work to find o

e do not know of," continued Westerling. "That is a figment of our apprehensions. The fact that we find no truth

we must be sure," he added thoughtfully, more to himself than to Westerling, who

ghastly cases among the wounded. I have put it in the form of an order. If reserves coming into acti

our barracks before a war, it would hardly encourage martial enthusiasm. I shall look this ove

e. They had fresh evidence of Westerling's

th La Tir, but no order yet given for the 1

r the present!" W

ewspaper talk" in this latest diplomatic crisis between the Grays and the Browns? Westerling alone was in the confidence of the premier of late. Any exchange of ideas

eport of observations on the late Balkan campaign, just printed in book form, glanced at it and laid it aside. Already he knew the few lessons afforded by this war "done on the cheap," with limited equipment and over bad roads. No dirigibles had been used and few planes. It was no criterion, except in t

en he made the figures thirty-two and forty-two. He blackened them with repeated tracings as he mused. This done, h

e tens. The clerk, pausing as he waited for a signal of recognition, observed the process wonderingly. To be absently making figures on a pa

as he slipped them on the blotter in front of Westerli

ains!" Wester

of subtraction and totally preoccupied! The 132d to r

avily shaded the tens, he essayed a sum in division.

fifty-five-nobody counts after that, though I mean to-and you have ten into forty, which is one fourth.

if advices from the premier warranted. At all events, the army was ready, always ready for any emergency. He was used to international crises. Probably a dozen had occurred in the ten years since he had spoken his adieu to a young girl at a garden-gate. O

from his desk at four-thirty, when his personal aide, a handsome, boyish, ro

admiration and devotion in his eyes. He thought himself the most fortunate lieute

ty to make one yourself, if you like," he added, with that magnetic s