“Give him the rest, I say!” he said roughly to Schmitz.
But Schmitz shut the lid of the chest and answered shortly:
“I’m glad when I can save some fodder!” And with that he pushed away the cart.
Roth, quite beside himself, shouted:
“Sergeant Schmitz, you will not carry out my orders? I shall report you.”
In saying which he left the foddermaster in a huff, went with uncertain steps and with black mien through the stable to his own quarters, drank a big glassful of raw spirits “to quiet his nerves,” and then threw himself full-clad on the bed.
The two guards in the stable, who had observed these occurrences with considerable interest, stuck another handful of hay in front of each horse, and then lay down on the straw in the corner of the stable to sleep. Sergeant Schmitz, however, went to his room, completely sobered.
The following noon the orderly transmitted to the reserve squadron of the regiment a document reading as follows:
REPORT
On the occasion of the stable service last night Vice-Sergeant-Major Roth gave to Foddermaster Sergeant Schmitz a formal order, which the latter did not carry out. When the said Vice-Sergeant-Major Roth emphatically repeated the order, the aforementioned Schmitz refused once more to comply therewith. This happened in the presence of the stable guards, and it is charged by the aforesaid Roth that Sergeant Schmitz was at the time in an intoxicated condition.