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Falkenhein could not imagine a more painstaking adjutant, nor one who, when off duty, on the march, or at the practice-camp, could have looked after his colonel's comfort with more tender consideration.
On the morning of their march to the practice-camp, Captain von Gropphusen, the head of the second battery, was missing. Major Lischke sent his adjutant to the Gropphusens' villa to ask for news. The lieutenant came back with the answer that Captain von Gropphusen had as usual gone to town the evening before, and had not yet returned. Lischke grumbled.
Senior-lieutenant Frommelt was entrusted with the command of the battery, and as Lieutenant Weissenhagen, the other officer belonging to the detachment, had already been sent on to the practice-camp to look over the barracks and stables, Senior-lieutenant Reimers was attached to the second battery during the march, and until further orders.
The regiment was now under orders to march to the practice-camp. A few days before the departure Reimers ordered his man to bring him his portmanteau. He wanted to see if the faithful old trunk, which had accompanied him on all his travels, was still in proper condition. It needed no attention. "Shall I take off the labels?" asked his servant.
The lithographed regimental orders for May 31, the Saturday before Whitsuntide, contained the following announcement: "On June 3, at 6.30 A.M., the regiment will be ready in the Waisenhaus Strasse to march to the practice-camp in the following order: Batteries 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Corps of trumpeters and band.
But had not Ottensen spoken as though these were quite usual practices? It looked as though this purely external unwarlike training of the army were being erected into a principle. The first day at the practice-camp was entirely taken up by settling into quarters. The tables were laid at six o'clock in the evening.
When they came back from the practice-camp he rejoiced to be once more doing ordinary drill; for at this he knew he was especially good, particularly in the gun-drill. He would be able now to show the senior-lieutenant what a capable fellow he was. And this time they would have to be more than usually particular over the exercises; the colonel himself was going to review the sixth battery.
"That the Lord will grant her eternal rest? Look at her, then! Isn't eternal rest written on her face?" Reimers reached the practice-camp again when his brother-officers were at mess. It was only on alighting from the carriage that he remembered Frommelt's commission. He was staggered a little at this neglect; but after all what did such trifles matter?
Finally, a faint hope sprang up in his mind: perhaps at the practice-camp, where the capacity of the army was put to its sharpest test in time of peace, he might regain some of his old belief in the unimpeachable superiority of the German forces. He greeted the open expanse of heath with joyful eyes.
The regiment stayed fully three weeks at the practice-camp, and then accomplished the return journey to the garrison in three days. The two friends were anxiously looking forward to the leave that had been promised the men after the gun-practice. They were to start on the first Saturday in July, and had eight days' leave granted to them.
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