He had counted on it as a good general counts on such things, confidently, but with a dozen plans as substitutes in case that plan failed--each plan as elaborately worked out to the last detail as though it alone existed as the only hope of victory.

But if Siward suspected something of this it was not from Plank that he learned it.
"Plank," he said at last, "there is nothing in the world that men admire more than a man.

It is a good deal of a privilege for me to tell you so." Plank turned red with surprise and embarrassment, stammering out something incoherent.
That was all that was said about the victory.

Siward, unusually gay for awhile, presently turned sombre; and it was Plank's turn to lift him out of it by careless remarks about his rapid convalescence, and the chance for vacation he so much needed.
Once Siward looked up vacantly: "Where am I to go ?" he asked.

"I'd as soon stay here." "But I'm going," insisted Plank.