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him。　But　it　was　plain　that　the　range　was　almost　excessive；　plain　even　to　his　ignorance。　The　major　looked　at　him　and　laughed；　he　found　no　difficulty　in　smiling　in　response。　If　this　was　war；　it　could　be　withstood　somehow。　He　could　not　at　this　time　understand　what　a　mere　trifle　was　the　present　incident。　He　felt　upon　his　cheek　a　little　breeze　which　was　moving　the　grass…blades。　He　had　tied　his　canteen　in　a　wrong　place　on　the　saddle　and　every　time　the　horse　moved　quickly　the　canteen　banged　the　correspondent；　to　his　annoyance　and　distress；　forcibly　on　the　knee。　He　had　forgotten　about　his　dragoman；　but　happening　to　look　upon　that　faithful　servitor；　he　saw　him　gone　white　with　horror。　A　bullet　at　that　moment　twanged　near　his　head　and　the　slave　to　fear　ducked　in　a　spasm。　Coleman　called　the　orderly's　attention　and　they　both　laughed　discreetly。　They　made　no　pretension　of　being　heroes；　but　they　saw　plainly　that　they　were　better　than　this　man。　Coleman　said　to　him　：　〃　How　far　is　it　now　to　Nikopolis　？　〃　The　dragoman　replied　only；　with　a　look　of　agonized　impatience。

But　of　course　there　was　no　going　to　Nikopolis　that　day。　The　officer　had　advanced　his　men　as　far　as　was　intended　by　his　superiors；　and　presently　they　were　all　recalled　and　trotted　back　to　the　bridge。　They　crossed　it　to　their　old　camp。

An　important　part　of　Coleman's　traps　was　back　with　his　Athenian　horses　and　their　groom；　but　with　his　present　equipment　he　could　at　least　lie　smoking　on　his　blankets　and　watch　the　dragoman　prepare　food。　But　he　reflected　that　for　that　day　he　had　only　attained　the　simple　discovery　that　the　approach　to　Nikopolis　was　surrounded　with　difficulties。






CHAPTER　X。

The　same　afternoon　Coleman　and　the　dragoman　rode　up　to　Arta　on　their　borrowed　troop　horses。　The　correspondent　first　went　to　the　telegraph　office　and　found　there　the　usual　number　of　despairing　clerks。　They　were　outraged　when　they　found　he　was　going　to　send　messages　and　thought　it　preposterous　that　he　insisted　upon　learning　if　there　were　any　in　the　office　for　him。　They　had　trouble　enough　with　endless　official　communications　without　being　hounded　about　private　affairs　by　a　confident　young　man　in　khaki。　But　Coleman　at　last　unearthed　six　cablegrams　which　collective　said　that　the　Eclipse　wondered　why　　they　did　not　hear　from　him；　that　Walkley　had　been　relieved　from　duty　in　London　and　sent　to　join　the　army　of　the　crown　prince；　that　young　Point；　the　artist；　had　been　shipped　to　Greece；　that　if　he；　Coleman；　succeeded　in　finding　the　Wainwright　party　the　paper　was　prepared　to　make　a　tremendous　uproar　of　a　celebration　over　it　and；　finally；　the　paper　wondered　twice　more　why　they　did　not　hear　from　him。

When　Coleman　went　forth　to　enquire　if　anybody　knew　of　the　whereabouts　of　the　Wainwright　party　he　thought　first　of　his　fellow　correspondents。　He　found　most　of　them　in　a　cafe　where　was　to　be　had　about　the　only　food　in　the　soldier…laden　town。　It　was　a　slothful　den　where　even　an　ordinary　boiled　egg　could　be　made　unpalatable。　Such　a　common　matter　as　the　salt　men　watched　with　greed　and　suspicion　as　if　they　were　always　about　to　grab　it　from　each　other。　The　proprietor；　in　a　dirty　shirt；　could　always　be　heard　whining；　evidently　telling　the　world　that　he　was　being　abused；　but　he　had　spirit　enough　remaining　to　charge　three　prices　for　everything　with　an　almost　Jewish　fluency。

The　correspondents　consoled　themselves　largely　upon　black　…　bread　and　the　native　wines。　Also　there　were　certain　little　oiled　fishes；　and　some　green　odds　and　ends　for　salads。　The　correspondents　were　practically　all　Englishmen。　Some　of　them　were　veterans　of　journalism　in　the　Sudan；　in　India；　in　South　Africa；　and　there　were　others　who　knew　as　much　of　war　as　they　could　learn　by　sitting　at　a　desk　and　editing　the　London　stock　reports。　Some　were　on　their　own　hook；　some　had　horses　and　dragomen　and　some　had　neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　many　knew　how　to　write　and　a　few　had　it　yet　to　learn。　The　thing　in　common　was　a　spirit　of　adventure　which　found　pleasure　in　the　extraordinary　business　of　seeing　how　men　kill　each　other。

They　were　talking　of　an　artillery　duel　which　had　been　fought　the　previous　day　between　the　Greek　batteries　above　the　town　and　the　Turkish　batteries　across　the　river。　Coleman　　took　seat　at　one　of　the　long　tables；　and　the　astute　dragoman　got　somebody　in　the　street　to　hold　the　horses　in　order　that　he　might　be　present　at　any　feasting。

One　of　the　experienced　correspondents　was　remarking　that　the　fire　of　the　Greek　batteries　in　the　engagement　had　been　the　finest　artillery　practice　of　the　century。　He　spoke　a　little　loudly；　perhaps；　in　the　wistful　hope　that　some　of　the　Greek　officers　would　understand　enough　English　to　follow　his　meaning；　for　it　is　always　good　for　a　correspondent　to　admire　the　prowess　on　his　own　side　of　the　battlefield。　After　a　time　Coleman　spoke　in　a　lull；　and　describing　the　supposed　misfortunes　of　the　Wainwright　party；　asked　if　anyone　had　news　of　them。　The　correspondents　were　surprised；　they　had　none　of　them　heard　even　of　the　existence　of　a　Wainwright　party。　Also　none　of　them　seemed　to　care　exceedingly。　The　conversation　soon　changed　to　a　discussion　of　the　probable　result　of　the　general　Greek　advance　announced　for　the　morrow。

Coleman　silently　commented　that　this　remarkable　appearance　of　indifference　to　the　mishap　of　the　Wainwrights；　a　little　party；　a　single　group；　was　a　better　definition　of　a　real　condition　of　war　than　that　bit　of　long…range　musketry　of　the　morning。　He　took　a　certain　despatch　out　of　his　pocket　and　again　read　it。　〃　Find　Wainwright　party　at　all　hazards；　much　talk　here；　success　means　red　fire　by　ton。　Eclipse。〃　It　was　an　important　matter。　He　could　imagine　how　the　American　people；　vibrating　for　years　to　stories　of　the　cruelty　of　the　Turk；　would　tremble…indeed；　was　now　trembling…while　the　newspapers　howled　out　the　dire　possibilities。　He　saw　all　the　kinds　of　people；　from　those　who　would　read　the　Wainwright　chapters　from　day　to　day　as　a　sort　of　sensational　novel；　to　those　who　would　work　up　a　gentle　sympathy　for　the　woe　of　others　around　the　table　in　the　evenings。　He　saw　bar　keepers　and　policemen　taking　a　high　gallery　thrill　out　of　this　kind　of　romance。　He　saw　even　the　emotion　among　American　colleges　over　the　tragedy　of　a　professor　and　some　students。　It　certainly　was　a　big　affair。　Marjory　of　course　was　everything　in　one　way；　but　that；　to　the　world；　was　not　a　big　affair。　It　was　the　romance　of　the　Wainwright　party　in　its　simplicity　that　to　the　American　world　was　arousing　great　sensation；　one　that　in　the　old　days　would　have　made　his　heart　leap　like　a　colt。

Still；　when　batteries　had　fought　each　other　savagely；　and　horse；　foot　and　guns　were　now　about　to　make　a　general　advance；　it　was　difficult；　he　could　see；　to　stir　men　to　think　and　feel　out　of　the　present　zone　of　action；　to　adopt　for　a　time　in　fact　the　thoughts　and　feelings　of　the　other　side　of　the　world。　It　made　Coleman　dejected　as　he　saw　clearly　that　the　task　was　wholly　on　his　own　shoulders。

Of　course　they　were　men　who　when　at　home　　manifested　the　most　gentle　and　wide…reaching　feelings；　most　of　them　could　not　by　any　possibility　have　slapped　a　kitten　merely　for　the　prank　and　yet　all　of　them　who　had　seen　an　unknown　man　shot　through　the　head　in　battle　had　little　more　to　think　of　it　than　if　the　man　had　been　a　rag…baby。　Tender　they　might　be；　poets　they　might　be；　but　they　were　all　horned　with　a　provisional；　temporary；　but　absolutely　essential　callouse　which　was　formed　by　their　existence　amid　war　with　its　quality　of　making　them　always　think　of　the　sights　and　sounds　concealed　in　their　own　direct　future。

They　had　been　simply　polite。　〃　Yes　？　〃　said　one　to　Coleman。　〃How　many　people　in　the　party？　Are　they　all　Americans？　Oh；　I　suppose　it　will　be　quite　right。　Your　minister　in　Constantinople　will　arrange　that　easily。　Where　did　you　say？　At　Nikopolis？　Well；　we　conclude　that　the　Turks　will　make　no　stand　between　here　and　Pentepigadia。　In　that　case　your　Nikopolis　will　be　uncovered　unless　the　garrison　at　Prevasa　intervenes。　That　garrison　at　Prevasa；　by　the　way；　may　make　a　deal　of　trouble。　Remember　Plevna。〃

〃　Exactly　how　far　is　it　to　Nikopolis？　〃　asked　Coleman。

〃　Oh；　I　think　it　is　about　thirty　kilometers；〃　replied　the　others。　〃　There　is　a　good　miltary　road　as　soon　as　you　cross　the　Louros　river。　I've　got　the　map　of　the　Austrian　general　staff。　　Would　you　like　to　look　at　it？〃

Coleman　studied　the　map；　speeding　with　his　eye　rapidly　to　and　fro　between　Arta　and　Nikopolis。　To　him　it　was　merely　a　brown　lithograph　of　mystery；　but　he　could　study　the　distances。

He　had　received　a　cordial　invitation　from　the　com…　mander　of　the　cavalry　to　go　with　him　for　another　ride　into　Turkey；　and　he　inclined　to　believe　that　his　project　　would　be　furthered　if　he　stuck　close　to　the　cavalry。　So　　he　rode　back　to　the　cavalry　camp　and　went　peacefully　to　sleep　on　the　sod。　He　awoke　in　the　morning　with　chattering　teeth　to　find　his　dragoman　saying　that　the　major　had　unaccountably　withdrawn　his　loan　of　the　two　troop　horses。　Coleman　of　course　immediately　said　to　himself　that　the　dragoman　was　lying　a…gain　in　order　to　prevent　another　expedition　into　ominous　Turkey；　but　after　all　if　the　commander；　　of　the　cavalry　had　suddenly　turned　the　light　of　his　favour　from　the　correspondent　it　was　only　a　proceeding　　consiste