Heimert smiled at him, and pointed to the little horses. "I ask you, Sergeant-major Heimert, don't you know your captain?" demanded Wegstetten once more. The sergeant-major shook his head, grinning. Then he set to work again, and the guns were made to advance, each at an equal distance from the other, with the leaders of the columns and the mounted men all in their places. Heimert was taken to the lunatic asylum of the district. In general he was a very manageable patient, and it was only if a woman approached him that he began to rave. His greatest delight was to play with some wooden toys that were given him,--mimic guns and mounted soldiers of all descriptions. CHAPTER XIII [Illustration: ("Das Ganze--halt!")] Shortly before Christmas Senior-lieutenant Güntz was promoted to be captain, and was placed in command of the fifth battery, _vice_ Captain Mohr, discharged from the service for incompetence. New brooms sweep clean, and Güntz set to work with ardour at the difficult task of bringing order and efficiency into the neglected troop. By means of stringent discipline, and even severity, he succeeded in this more easily than he himself had expected, and soon began to notice with satisfaction that his labour was gradually bearing fruit. After a time the fifth battery could be ranged alongside the pattern fourth and sixth batteries. Major Schrader rubbed his hands cheerfully: to have three such excellent officers commanding batteries in one division at the same time was indeed unusual good fortune, and he well knew how to make use of them. At the spring inspection he received a string of compliments at least a yard long from the commander of the brigade, and in his joy showered thanks upon Güntz for having helped him to achieve such a success. Güntz himself was greatly pleased that the inspection had gone so smoothly. He had not been sure that this would be so, as he did not feel his battery quite well enough in hand even yet. "Yes, it went off tolerably, didn't it, sir?" he replied modestly. "Faultlessly! faultlessly!" said the major. "Well, sir, it was partly good luck. The officer in command of a battery is right in the middle of it all, and sees lots of things which look as if they might go wrong. Then some happy accident occurs, and the situation is saved." The major, however, seemed to have something more on his mind, and stood stroking his whiskers in embarrassment. "Certainly, certainly," he answered. "A man must have good luck, or he will have bad! But your merit is there all the same, my dear Güntz." And then he continued, rather haltingly: "And therefore, you know, it is all the more painful to me. But there is something more behind. These superior officers never seem to give unstinted praise." Güntz's hand went up to his helmet, and he said, in a level voice: "Of course I am at your orders, sir."