"
"I show it to everybody," said John. "When a man speaks to me I don't
care who he is, or what he is, I hand it to him. I, Jean Castel, as you
see by the name on the passport, don't want trouble with anybody."
"And a wise fellow you are, Castel. I'm Otto Scheller, a sergeant in the
service of his Imperial Majesty and the Fatherland."
"You look as if you had seen much of war, Sergeant Scheller, but I am a
dealer in horses and I am happiest where the bullets are fewest."
"It's an honest confession, but it does not bespeak a high heart."
"Perhaps not, but sometimes a horse-dealer is more useful than a
soldier. For instance, the off horse of the front wagon has picked up a
stone in his left hind foot, and if it's not taken out he'll go lame
long before you reach Metz."
"Donnerwetter! But it's true. You do know something about horses and
you have an eye in your head. Here you, Heinrich, take that stone out,
quick, or it won't be good for you!"
"And the right horse of the third wagon has glanders. The swelling is
just beginning to show below the jaw. It's contagious, you know. You'd
better turn him loose, or all your horses will die."
"Donner und blitzen! See Fritz, if it's true. It's so, is it? Then
release the poor animal as Castel says, and put in one of the extras.
See, you Castel, you're a wizard, you hardly glanced at the horses, and
you saw what we didn't see, although we've been with them all day.
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