I tried to reduce the rosy hue of his dreams, but failed.

I suggested that we might have fighting ahead of us harder than any we had known, though we had given and taken some rough knocks on two of our expeditions.

Max laughed and longed for the fray; he was beginning to live.

The fray came quickly enough after we reached the Black Forest, and the fight was sufficiently warm to suit even enthusiastic Max.

He and I were wounded; one of our men-at-arms was killed, and Franz's life was saved only by an heroic feat of arms on Max's part.