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robably　in　the　entire　East。　Coleman　discerned　it　immediately；　before　any　blunder　could　tell　him。　He　at　first　thought　that　it　was　the　voices　of　the　guns　which　had　made　a　chilly　inside　for　the　man；　but　when　he　reflected　upon　the　incompetency；　or　childish　courier's　falsity；　at　Patras　and　his　discernible　lack　of　sense　from　Agrinion　onward；　he　felt　that　the　fault　was　elemental　in　his　nature。　It　was　a　mere　basic　inability　to　front　novel　situations　which　was　somehow　in　the　　dragoman；　he　retreated　from　everything　difficult　in　a　smoke　of　　gibberish　and　gesticulation。　Coleman　glared　at　him　with　the　hatred　that　sometimes　ensues　when　breed　meets　breed；　but　he　saw　that　this　man　was　indeed　a　golden　link　in　his　possible　success。　This　man　connected　him　with　Greece　and　its　language。　If　he　destroyed　him　he　delayed　what　was　now　his　main　desire　in　life。　However；　this　truth　did　not　prevent　him　from　addressing　the　man　in　elegant　speech。

The　two　little　men　who　were　induced　to　carry　Coleman's　luggage　as　far　as　the　Greek　camp　were　really　procured　by　the　correspondent　himself；　who　pantomined　vigourously　and　with　unmistakable　vividness。　Followed　by　his　dragoman　and　the　two　little　men；　he　strode　off　along　a　road　which　led　straight　as　a　stick　to　where　the　guns　were　at　intervals　booming。　Meanwhile　the　dragoman　and　the　two　little　men　talked；　talked；　talked。…　Coleman　was　silent；　puffing　his　cigar　and　reflecting　upon　the　odd　things　which　happen　to　chivalry　in　the　modern　age。

He　knew　of　many　men　who　would　have　been　astonished　if　they　could　have　seen　into　his　mind　at　that　time；　and　he　knew　of　many　more　men　who　would　have　laughed　if　they　had　the　same　privilege　of　sight。　He　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　from　himself　that　the　whole　thing　was　romantic；　romantic　despite　the　　little　tinkling　dog；　the　decrepit　diligence；　the　palavering　natives；　the　super…idiotic　dragoman。　It　was　fine；　It　was　from　another　age　and　even　the　actors　could　not　deface　the　purity　of　the　picture。　However　it　was　true　that　upon　the　brigantine　the　previous　night　he　had　unaccountably　wetted　all　his　available　matches。　This　was　momentous；　important；　cruel　truth；　but　Coleman；　after　all；　was　taking…as　well　as　he　could　forgeta　solemn　and　knightly　joy　of　this　adventure　and　there　were　as　many　portraits　of　his　lady　envisioning。　before　him　as　ever　held　the　heart　of　an　armour…encased　young　gentleman　of　medieval　poetry。　If　he　had　been　travelling　in　this　region　as　an　ordinary　tourist；　he　would　have　been　apparent　mainly　for　his　lofty　impatience　over　trifles；　but　now　there　was　in　him　a　positive　assertion　of　direction　which　was　undoubtedly　one　of　the　reasons　for　the　despair　of　the　accomplished　dragoman。

Before　them　the　country　slowly　opened　and　opened；　the　straight　white　road　always　piercing　it　like　a　lanceshaft。　Soon　they　could　see　black　masses　of　men　marking　the　green　knolls。　The　artillery　thundered　loudly　and　now　vibrated　augustly　through　the　air。　Coleman　quickened　his　pace；　to　the　despair　of　the　little　men　carrying　the　traps。　They　finally　came　up　with　one　of　these　black　bodies　of　men　and　found　it　to　be　composed　of　a　considerable　number　of　soldiers　who　were　idly　watching　some　hospital　people　bury　a　dead　Turk。　The　dragoman　at　once　dashed　forward　to　peer　through　the　throng　and　see　the　face　of　the　corpse。　　Then　he　came　and　supplicated　Coleman　as　if　he　were　hawking　him　to　look　at　a　relic　and　Coleman　moved　by　a　strong；　mysterious　impulse；　went　forward　to　look　at　the　poor　little　clay…coloured　body。　At　that　moment　a　snake　ran　out　from　a　tuft　of　grass　at　his　feet　and　wriggled　wildly　over　the　sod。　The　dragoman　shrieked；　of　course；　but　one　of　the　soldiers　put　his　heel　upon　the　head　of　the　reptile　and　it　flung　itself　into　the　agonising　knot　of　death。　Then　the　whole　crowd　powwowed；　turning　from　the　dead　man　to　the　dead　snake。　Coleman　signaled　his　contingent　and　proceeded　along　the　road。

This　incident；　this　paragraph；　had　seemed　a　strange　introduction　to　war。　The　snake；　the　dead　man；　the　entire　sketch；　made　him　shudder　of　itself；　but　more　than　anything　he　felt　an　uncanny　symbolism。　It　was　no　doubt　a　mere　occurrence；　nothing　but　an　occurrence；　but　inasmuch　as　all　the　detail　of　this　daily　life　associated　itself　with　Marjory；　he　felt　a　different　　horror。　He　had　thought　of　the　little　devil…dog　and　Marjory　in　an　interwoven　way。　Supposing　Marjory　had　been　riding　in　the　diligence　with　the　devil…dog…a…top　？　What　would　she　have　said　？　Of　her　fund　of　expressions；　a　fund　uncountable；　which　would　she　have　innocently　projected　against　the　background　of　the　Greek　hills？　Would　it　have　smitten　her　nerves　badly　or　would　she　have　laughed　？　And　supposing　Marjory　could　have　seen　him　in　his　new　khaki　clothes　cursing　his　dragoman　as　he　listened　to　the　devil…dog？

And　now　he　interwove　his　memory　of　Marjory　with　a　dead　man　and　with　a　snake　in　the　throes　of　the　end　of　life。　They　crossed；　intersected；　tangled；　these　two　thoughts。　He　perceived　it　clearly；　the　incongruity　of　it。　He　academically　reflected　upon　the　mysteries　of　the　human　mind；　this　homeless　machine　which　lives　here　and　then　there　and　often　lives　in　two　or　three　opposing　places　at　the　same　instant。　He　decided　that　the　incident　of　the　snake　and　the　dead　man　had　no　more　meaning　than　the　greater　number　of　the　things　which　happen　to　us　in　our　daily　lives。　Nevertheless　it　bore　upon　him。

On　a　spread　of　plain　they　saw　a　force　drawn　up　in　a　long　line。　It　was　a　flagrant　inky　streak　on　the　verdant　prairie。　From　somewhere　near　it　sounded　the　timed　reverberations　of　guns。　The　brisk　walk　of　the　next　ten　minutes　was　actually　exciting　to　Coleman。　He　could　not　but　reflect　that　those　guns　were　being　fired　with　serious　purpose　at　certain　human　bodies　much　like　his　own。

As　they　drew　nearer　they　saw　that　the　inky　streak　was　composed　of　cavalry；　the　troopers　standing　at　their　bridles。　The　sunlight　flicked；　upon　their　bright　weapons。　Now　the　dragoman　developed　in　one　of　his　extraordinary　directions。　He　announced　forsooth　that　an　intimate　friend　was　a　captain　of　cavalry　in　this　command。　Coleman　at　first　thought。　that　this　was　some　kind　of　mysterious　lie；　but　when　he　arrived　where　they　could　hear　the　stamping　of　hoofs；　the　clank　of　weapons；　and　the　murmur　of　men；　behold；　a　most　dashing　young　officer　gave　a　shout　of　joy　and　he　and　the　dragoman　hurled　themselves　into　a　mad　embrace。　After　this　first　ecstacy　was　over；　the　dragoman　bethought　him　of　his　employer；　and　looking　toward　Coleman　hastily　explained　him　to　the　officer。　The　latter；　it　appeared；　was　very　affable　indeed。　Much　had　happened。　The　Greeks　and　the　Turks　had　been　fighting　over　a　shallow　part　of　the　river　nearly　opposite　this　point　and　the　Greeks　had　driven　back　the　Turks　and　succeeded　in　throwing　a　bridge　of　casks　and　planking　across　the　stream。　It　was　now　the　duty　and　the　delight　of　this　force　of　cavalry　to　cross　the　bridge　and；　passing；　the　little　force　of　covering　Greek　infantry；　to　proceed　into　Turkey　until　they　came　in　touch　with　the　enemy。

Coleman's　eyes　dilated。　Was　ever　fate　less　perverse　？　Partly　in　wretched　French　to　the　officer　and　partly　in　idiomatic　English　to　the　dragoman；　he　proclaimed　his　fiery　desire　to　accompany　the　expedition。　The　officer　immediately　beamed　upon　him。　In　fact；　he　was　delighted。　The　dragoman　had　naturally　told　him　many　falsehoods　concerning　Coleman；　incidentally　referring　to　himself　more　as　a　philanthropic　guardian　and；　valuable　friend　of　the　correspondent　than　as；　a　plain；　unvarnished。　dragoman　　with　an　exceedingly　good　eye　for　the　financial　possibilities　of　　his　position。

Coleman　wanted　to　ask　his　servant　if　there　was　any　chance　of　the　scout　taking　them　near　Nikopolis；　but　he　delayed　being　informed　upon　this　point　until　such　time　as　he　could　find　out；　secretly；　for　himself。　To　ask　the　dragoman　would　be　mere　stupid　questioning　which　would　surely　make　the　animal　shy。　　He　tried　to　be　content　that　fate　had　given　him　this　early　opportunity　of　dealing　with　a　Medieval　situation　with　some　show　of　proper　form　；　that　is　to　say；　armed；　a…horse…　back；　and　in　danger。　Then　he　could　feel　that　to　the　gods　of　the　game　he　was　not　laughable；　as　when　he　rode　to　rescue　his　love　in　a　diligence　with　a　devil…　dog　yelping　a…top。

With　some　flourish；　the　young　captain　presented　him　to　the　major　who　commanded　the　cavalry。　This　officer　stood　with　his　legs　wide　apart；　eating　the　rind　of　a　fresh　lemon　and　talking　betimes　to　some　of　his　officers。　The　major　also　beamed　upon　Coleman　when　the　captain　explained　that　the　gentleman　in　the　distinguished…looking　khaki　clothes　wished　to　accompany　the　expedition。　He　at　once　said　that　he　would　provide　two　troop　horses　for　Coleman　and　the　dragoman。　Coleman　thanked　fate　for　his　behaviour　and　his　satisfaction　was　not　without　a　vestige　of　surprise。　At　that　time　he　judged　it　to　be　a　remarkable　amiability　of　individuals；　but　in　later　years　he　came　to　believe　in　certain　laws　which　he　deemed　existent　solely　for　the　benefit　of　war　correspondents。　In　the　minds　of　governments；　war　offices　and　generals　they　have　no　function　save　one　of　disturbance；　but　Coleman　deemed　it　proven　that　the　common　men；　and　many　uncommon　men；　when　they　go　away　to　the　fighting　ground；　out　of　the　sight；　out　of　the　hearing　of　the　world　known　to　them；　and　are　eager　to　perform　feats　of　war　in　this　new　place；　they　feel　an　absolute　lo