"I'll trade my job for yours, Jack." "Quite the contrary"--Mavering altered an adjective in his copy--"you will not." A messenger rode into the camp of the crippled Third with a led horse. "Captain Windham?" "Here." "Order of ----; relieved indefinitely. Will take this horse--report at division headquarters," and the messenger clattered away. Mavering jumped to his feet. "I'll trade you." "Quite the contrary, you will not." Mavering grumbled and went back to his copy. "It's that elegant comedy last night. Poor boy! Ruined! Ruined!" Gard rode down the road that led from the village to the creek. The centre of Wednesday's fight had been here, but the fighting must have been mainly on the wings. There were signs of heavy artillery work, but little else. Beyond the bridge was a large house on the hill, with a white picket fence around it. From the hill he could look up the winding creek, and see the bluffs, the sloped fields and ploughed ground of Wednesday's charges and retreats, the Dunker church against the woods. Some men in front of the house directed him to take the right fork of the road. The sun was low, the day-moon like a white scallop of cloud. He found the headquarters a half-mile beyond, a small brick house, distinguished by the number of saddled horses fastened at the fence, and within the general, a familiar figure enough, with his red face and white whiskers, a hot-tempered man and well beloved, now puffing a cigar and quite self-controlled. "Captain Windham." "Gentlemen!" cried the general, "will you allow me--I want to see this man," and they were presently alone. The general leaned back and looked at Gard critically. He began: "Captain Windham--mm--these theatrical performances by officers for the entertainment of privates--umm--this disgraceful mimicry of--mm--myself--this disrespect leading to insubordination--" "I beg your pardon, sir. It was not intended--" "I was about to say," thundered the general, "when you interrupted me, that I don't believe the commander-in-chief would approve. Personally. I'd have given something to be there. I have about me, I believe, another cigar. Sit down." He spoke in a jerky way, coming down on selected words with emphasis.