.

Captain Otto von Hartrott." The old man's mind went painfully down the staircase of memory, stopping this time at a far-distant landing.

There he saw the old ranch, and his brother-in-law announcing the birth of his second son.

"I shall give him Bismarck's name," Karl had said.

Then, climbing back past many other platforms, Desnoyers saw himself in Berlin during his visit to the von Hartrott home where they were speaking proudly of Otto, almost as learned as the older brother, but devoting his talents entirely to martial matters.