"It will be a great lesson and education to the people whose heads have been turned. It will be sent all over the country and if the results are favourable and it pleases headquarters who can say," at this point he clasped his wife's pale hand, "who can say that I will not receive another decoration, or perhaps a promotion? Who can tell, my dear? Things move so quickly these days." In the evening as they were eating, Vera looked up from her plate and spoke: "You know, if it happened to me, I think I should die." "Don't talk nonsense," replied the Captain angered by the idea. "How could it happen to you?" "Well, supposing the revolutionists took control, and then--" "Supposing! Supposing the sky should fall," he interrupted, and smiled on his lovely and delicate Vera. IV Silly Peter refused to eat the bowl of soup that Luba placed out for him, but he went aloft in the barn and cried in his dull, monotonous tone: "I don't want a grave--I don't want a grave," until he fell asleep. Then over his simple, slumbering brain came a vision. He saw himself standing on an elevated place and over him rested the great ultramarine dome of sky. About him he could see the horizon as though it were a white circle of foam. Gradually this circle grew smaller and smaller and rose up like a sparkling and living halo. As it came nearer, he discovered that the circle was composed of hundreds of white doves. Soon they were close over him encircling the elevation on which he stood, and he could hear the wild beating of the wings as though they were rolling a tattoo on muffled drums. Then suddenly the circle broke, and rose like a puff of smoke against a sky of blue. With startling rapidity it rose until it rent and perforated the sky, and was lost from sight. Only a large oval opening of light-grey nothingness remained overhead--a hole in the sky--an opening to heaven. Then from all quarters came a loud uproar; a thousand piercing, whistling yells; a rackety, rumbling, rattling commotion mixed with the beat and swish of wings. This was followed by an upward rush which darkened the sky. Peter saw himself standing like a monarch reviewing his nation from an elevated platform. Around him flew the feathered tribes of the air. From the fluttering starling to the giant albatross, all were liberated and each paid homage to him--the master of the sky, before they shot upward and through the oval opening in the rent heaven. It was a grand and colourful sight to behold. Finally they were all gone and he saw himself take a last look about him as he stood alone on his elevation. He then craned his neck and turned his face to the oval nothingness--flapped his arms, and with a thrilling sensation flew heavenward. His body went through the air a little sideways--but it flew, and the rest did not matter.