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　attire。　When　the　captain　had　answered　correctly　the　major　was　immediately　mollified；　and　had　it　announced　to　the　correspondent　that　his　battalion　was　going　to　move　immediately　into　the　village；　and　that　he　would　be　delighted　to　have　his　company。

The　major　strode　at　the　head　of　his　men　with　the　group　of　villagers　singing　and　dancing　about　him　and　looking　upon　him　as　if　he　were　a　god。　Coleman　and　the　dragoman；　at　the　officer's　request；　marched　one　on　either　side　of　him；　and　in　this　manner　they　entered　the　village。　From　all　sorts　of　hedges　and　thickets；　people　came　creeping　out　to　pass　into　a　delirium　of　joy。　The　major　borrowed　three　little　pack　horses　with　rope…bridles；　and　thus　mounted　and　followed　by　the　clanking　column；　they　rode　on　in　triumph。

It　was　probably　more　of　a　true　festival　than　most　men　experience　even　in　the　longest　life　time。　The　major　with　his　Greek　instinct　of　drama　was　a　splendid　personification　of　poetic　quality；　in　fact　he　was　himself　almost　a　lyric。　From　time　to　time　he　glanced　back　at　Coleman　with　eyes　half　dimmed　with　appreciation。　　The　people　gathered　flowers；　great　blossoms　of　purple　and　corn　colour。　They　sprinkled　them　over　the　three　horsemen　and　flung　them　deliriously　under　the　feet　of　the　little　nags。　Being　now　mounted　Coleman　had　no　difficulty　in　avoiding　the　embraces　of　the　peasants；　but　he　felt　to　the　tips　of　his　toes　an　abandonment　to　a　kind　of　pleasure　with　which　he　was　not　at　all　familiar。　Riding　thus　amid　cries　of　thanksgiving　addressed　at　him　equally　with　the　others；　he　felt　a　burning　virtue　and　quite　lost　his　old　self　in　an　illusion　of　noble　be。　nignity。　And　there　continued　the　fragrant　hail　of　blossoms。

Miserable　little　huts　straggled　along　the　sides　of　the　village　street　as　if　they　were　following　at　the　heels　of　the　great　white　house　of　the　bey。　The　column　proceeded　northward；　announcing　laughingly　to　the　glad　villagers　that　they　would　never　see　another　Turk。　Before　them　on　the　road　was　here　and　there　a　fez　from　the　head　of　a　fled　Turkish　soldier　and　they　lay　like　drops　of　blood　from　some　wounded　leviathan。　Ultimately　it　grew　cloudy。　It　even　rained　slightly。　In　the　misty　downfall　the　column　of　soldiers　in　blue　was　dim　as　if　it　were　merely　a　long　trail　of　low…hung　smoke。

They　came　to　the　ruins　of　a　church　and　there　the　major　halted　his　battalion。　Coleman　worried　at　his　dragoman　to　learn　if　the　halt　was　only　temporary。　It　was　a　long　time　before　there　was　answer　from　the　major；　for　he　had　drawn　up　his　men　in　platoons　and　was　addressing　them　in　a　speech　as　interminable　as　any　that　Coleman　had　heard　in　Greece。　The　officer　waved　his　arms　and　roared　out　evidently　the　glories　of　patriotism　and　soldierly　honour；　the　glories　of　their　ancient　people；　and　he　may　have　included　any　subject　in　this　wonderful　speech；　for　the　reason　that　he　had　plenty　of　time　in　which　to　do　it。　It　was　impossible　to　tell　whether　the　oration　was　a　good　one　or　bad　one；　because　the　men　stood　in　their　loose　platoons　without　discernible　feelings　as　if　to　them　this　appeared　merely　as　one　of　the　inevitable　consequences　of　a　campaign；　an　established　rule　of　warfare。　Coleman　ate　black　bread　and　chocolate　tablets　while　the　dragoman　hovered　near　the　major　with　the　intention　of　pouncing　upon　him　for　information　as　soon　as　his　lungs　yielded　to　the　strain　upon　them。

The　dragoman　at　last　returned　with　a　very　long　verbal　treatise　from　the　major；　who　apparently　had　not　been　as　exhausted　after　his　speech　to　the　men　as　one　would　think。　The　major　had　said　that　he　had　been　ordered　to　halt　here　to　form　a　junction　with　some　of　the　troops　coming　direct　from　Arta；　and　that　he　expected　that　in　the　morning　the　army　would　be　divided　and　one　wing　would　chase　the　retreating　Turks　on　toward　Jannina；　while　the　other　wing　would　advance　upon　Prevasa　because　the　enemy　had　a　garrison　there　which　had　not　retreated　an　inch；　and；　although　it　was　cut　off；　it　was　necessary　to　send　either　a　force　to　hold　it　in　its　place　or　a　larger　force　to　go　through　with　the　business　of　capturing　it。　Else　there　would　be　left　in　the　rear　of　the　left　flank　of　a　Greek　advance　upon　Jannina　a　body　of　the　enemy　which　at　any　moment　might　become　active。　The　major　said　that　his　battalion　would　probably　form　part　of　the　force　to　advance　upon　Prevasa。　Nikopolis　was　on　the　road　to　Prevasa　and　only　three　miles　away　from　it。






CHAPTER　XI。

Coleman　spent　a　long　afternoon　in　the　drizzle　Enveloped　in　his　macintosh　he　sat　on　a　boulder　in　the　lee　of　one　of　the　old　walls　and　moodily　smoked　cigars　and　listened　to　the　ceaseless　clatter　of　tongues。　A　ray　of　light　penetrated　the　mind　of　the　dragoman　and　he　laboured　assiduously　with　wet　fuel　until　he　had　accomplished　a　tin　mug　of　coffee。　Bits　of　cinder　floated　in　it；　but　Coleman　rejoiced　and　was　kind　to　the　dragoman。

The　night　was　of　cruel　monotony。　Afflicted　by　the　wind　and　the　darkness；　the　correspondent　sat　with　nerves　keyed　high　waiting　to　hear　the　pickets　open　fire　on　a　night　attack。　He　was　so　unaccountably　sure　that　there　would　be　a　tumult　and　panic　of　this　kind　at　some　time　of　the　night　that　he　prevented　himself　from　getting　a　reasonable　amount　of　rest。　He　could　hear　the　soldiers　breathing　in　sleep　all　about　him。　He　wished　to　arouse　them　from　this　slumber　which；　to　his　ignorance；　seemed　stupid。　The　quality　of　mysterious　menace　in　the　great　gloom　and　the　silence　would　have　caused　him　to　pray　if　prayer　would　have　transported　him　magically　to　New　York　and　made　him　a　young　man　with　no　coat　playing　billiards　at　his　club。

The　chill　dawn　came　at　last　and　with　a　fine　elation　which　ever　follows　a　dismal　night　in　war；　an　elation　which　bounds　in　the　bosom　as　soon　as　day　has　knocked　the　shackles　from　a　trembling　mind。　Although　Coleman　had　slept　but　a　short　time　he　was　now　as　fresh　as　a　total　abstainer　coming　from　the　bath。　He　heard　the　creak　of　battery　wheels；　he　saw　crawling　bodies　of　infantry　moving　in　the　dim　light　like　ghostly　processions。　He　felt　a　tremendous　virility　come　with　this　new　hope　in　the　daylight。　He　again　took　satis。　faction　in　his　sentimental　journey。　It　was　a　shining　affair。　He　was　on　active　service；　an　active　service　of　the　heart；　and　he'　felt　that　he　was　a　strong　man　ready　to　conquer　difficulty　even　as　the　olden　heroes　conquered　difficulty。　He　imagined　himself　in　a　way　like　them。　He；　too；　had　come　out　to　fight　for　love　with　giants；　dragons　and　witches。　He　had　never　known　that　he　could　be　so　pleased　with　that　kind　of　a　parallel。

The　dragoman　announced　that　the　major　had　suddenly　lent　their　horses　to　some　other　people；　and　after　cursing　this　versatility　of　interest；　he　summoned　his　henchmen　and　they　moved　out　on　foot；　following　the　sound　of　the　creaking　wheels。　They　came　in　time　to　a　bridge；　and　on　the　side　of　this　bridge　was　a　hard　military　road　which　sprang　away　in　two　directions；　north　and　west。　Some　troops　were　creeping　out　the　westward　way　and　the　dragoman　pointing　at　them　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　said：　〃　They　going　Prevasa。　That　is　road　to　Nikopolis。〃　Coleman　grinned　from　ear　to　car　and　slapped　his　dragoman　violently　on　the　shoulder。　For　a　moment　he　intended　to　hand　the　man　a　louis　of　reward；　but　he　changed　his　mind。

Their　traps　were　in　the　way　of　being　heavy；　but　they　minded　little　since　the　dragoman　was　now　a　victim　of　the　influence　of　Coleman's　enthusiasm。　The　road　wound　along　the　base　of　the　mountain　range；　sheering　around　the　abutments　in　wide　white　curves　and　then　circling　into　glens　where　immense　trees　spread　their　shade　over　it。　Some　of　the　great　trunks　were　oppressed　with　vines　green　as　garlands；　and　these　vines　even　ran　like　verdant　foam　over　the　rocks。　Streams　of　translucent　water　showered　down　from　the　hills；　and　made　pools　in　which　every　pebble；　every　eaf　of　a　water　plant　shone　with　magic　lustre；　and　if　the　bottom　of　a　pool　was　only　of　clay；　the　clay　glowed　with　sapphire　light。　The　day　was　fair。　The　country　was　part　of　that　land　which　turned　the　minds　of　its　ancient　poets　toward　a　more　tender　dreaming；　so　that　indeed　their　nymphs　would　die；　one　is　sure；　in　the　cold　mythology　of　the　north　with　its　storms　amid　the　gloom　of　pine　forests。　It　was　all　wine　to　Coleman's　spirit。　It　enlivened　him　to　think　of　success　with　absolute　surety。　To　be　sure　one　of　his　boots　began　soon　to　rasp　his　toes；　but　he　gave　it　no　share　of　his　attention。　They　passed　at　a　much　faster　pace　than　the　troops；　and　everywhere　they　met　laughter　and　confidence　and　the　cry。　〃　On　to　Prevasa！　〃

At　midday　they　were　at　the　heels　of　the　advance　battalion；　among　its　stragglers；　taking　its　white　dust　into　their　throats　and　eyes。　The　dragoman　was　waning　and　he　made　a　number　of　attempts　to　stay　Coleman；　but　no　one　could　have　had　influence　upon　Coleman's　steady　rush　with　his　eyes　always　straight　to　the　front　as　if　thus　to　symbolize　his　steadiness　of　purpose。　Rivulets　of　sweat　marked　the　dust　on　his　face；　and　two　of　his　toes　were　now　paining　as　if　they　were　being　burned　off。　He　was　obliged　to　concede　a　privilege　of　limping；　but　he　would　not　stop。

At　nightfall　they　halted　with　the　outpost　batallion　of　the　infantry。　All　the　cavalry　had　in　the　meantirne　come　up　and　they　saw　their　old　friends。　There　was　a　village　from　which　the　Christian　peasants　came　and　cheered　like　a　trained　chorus。　Soldiers　were　driving　a　great　flock　of　fat