 Jim?« he asked. On concluding the sentence he laughed as if he had
meant to aim a joke. The loud soldier also giggled.
    The tall private waved his hand. »Well,« said he profoundly, »I've thought
it might git too hot fer Jim Conklin in some 'a them scrimmages an' if a hull
lot 'a boys started an' run, why, I s'pose I'd start an' run. An' if I onct
started t' run, I'd run like th' devil an' no mistake. But if everybody was
a-standin' an' a-fightin', why, I'd stand an' fight. B'jiminy, I would. I'll bet
on it.«
    »Huh,« said the loud one.
    The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrade. He had
feared that all of the untried men possessed a great and correct confidence. He
now was, in a measure, reassured.
 

                                   Chapter II

The next morning, the youth discovered that his tall comrade had been the
fast-flying messenger of a mistake. There was much scoffing at the latter by
those who had yesterday been firm adherents of his views, and there was, even, a
little sneering by men who had never believed the rumor. The tall one fought
with a man from Chatfield Corners and beat him severely.
    The youth felt however that his problem was in no wise lifted from him.
There was, on the contrary, an irritating prolongation. The tale had created in
him a great concern for himself. Now, with the new-born question in his mind he
was compelled to sink back into his old place as part of a blue demonstration.
    For days, he made ceaseless calculations, but they were all wondrously
unsatisfactory. He found that he could establish nothing. He finally concluded
that the only way to prove himself was to go into the blaze and then
figuratively to watch his legs to discover their merits and faults. He
reluctantly admitted that he could not sit still and, with a mental slate and
pencil, derive an answer. To gain it, he must have blaze, blood and danger, even
as a chemist requires this, that and the other. So, he fretted for an
opportunity.
    Meanwhile, he continually tried to measure himself by his comrades. The tall
soldier, for one, gave him some assurance. This man's serene unconcern dealt him
a measure of confidence for he had known him since childhood and from his
intimate knowledge
