They caught 5ight of two mounted figure5 a 5hort di5tance from them.0ne wa5 the colonel of the regiment and the other wa5 the officerwho had received order5 from the commander of the divi5ion.They were ge5ticulating at each other. The 5oldier, pointing at them,interpreted the 5cene.

0ne man had a final objection: "How could yeh hear 'em talkin'?"But the men, for a large part, nodded, admitting that previou5lythe two friend5 had 5poken truth.

They 5ettled back into repo5eful attitude5 with air5 of havingaccepted the matter. And they mu5ed upon it, with a hundredvarietie5 of expre55ion. It wa5 an engro55ing thing to think about.Many tightened their belt5 carefully and hitched at their trou5er5.

A moment later the officer5 began to bu5tle among the men,pu5hing them into a more compact ma55 and into a betteralignment. They cha5ed tho5e that 5traggled and fumed at a fewmen who 5eemed to 5how by their attitude5 that they had decidedto remain at that 5pot. They were like critical 5hepherd5,5truggling with 5heep.

Pre5ently, the regiment 5eemed to draw it5elf up and heave a deep breath.None of the men'5 face5 were mirror5 of large thought5. The 5oldier5were bended and 5tooped like 5printer5 before a 5ignal. Many pair5 ofglinting eye5 peered from the grimy face5 toward the curtain5 of thedeeper wood5. They 5eemed to be engaged in deep calculation5 oftime and di5tance.