"I don't believe folks do realize it," answered Gilbert. "If they did, so many of them wouldn't be for talking of the glories of a soldier's life and the pride of conquest. Of course there is lots of excitement, when a real campaign is on; but such waits as we had in the Philippines, especially during the wet seasons, are awful."
"Everything depends upon what you get used to," put in Major Morris, who was near. "Now look at Captain Cannon, for example. He has been in both the army and the navy, and he virtually knows nothing else. He would rather fight than eat, and nothing would suit him better than for the United States to start out on a world-conquering tour. He told me yesterday that he hoped we should keep on fighting in China for at least a year."
"A year!" cried Gilbert. "Well, I don't agree with him. I trust we have only one or two good battles, and that the Chinese then come to terms. I am afraid it would make me sick to fight the pig-tails for a whole year. I was heartily tired of fighting the Filipinos when I left Manila."
By noon the battalion had gone along the railroad line for a considerable distance, and from ahead came
