All of which was very fine, no doubt, and very inspiring, too, if one cared deeply for that sort of thing; but to myself, when the hemisphere had ceased from its quiverings, I said: "It isn't true--this isn't war; it's just a costly, useless game of playing at war.

Behold, now, these guns did not fire at anybody visible or anything tangible.

They merely elevated their muzzles into the sky and fired into the sky to make a great tumult and spoil the good air with a bad-tasting smoke.

No enemy is in sight and no enemy will answer back; therefore no enemy exists.

It is all a useless and a fussy business, signifying nothing." Nor did any enemy answer back.