For such conspicuously good service in action, the general commanding hereby promotes the said Fritz Dort to be a sub-lieutenant in the same regiment, trusting that, as an officer, he will perform his duty as he has done as a private soldier and meet with the obedience and honour of those with whom he has previously served as a brother comrade, none the less on account of his promotion from the ranks which as one of themselves he has adorned!" A loud "Hurrah!" broke from all the men when the major had finished reading this document; and that officer then shook hands kindly with Fritz, welcoming him cordially to the higher station he had attained.
The other subalterns also advanced, doing the same; while, on retiring from the parade, the men of the rank and file, without receiving any order to that effect, gave the young hero a general salute, in token of their respect and recognition of his new dignity as an officer over them.
Fritz's heart was bursting with joy at his unexpected promotion.

He thought how proud his mother would be to hear of it; but, before writing home by the afternoon field post, as he intended doing, he determined to carry out the promise he had made to himself, and which he held as equally binding as if it had been made in the presence of witnesses--the promise to bury the body of the dead officer which he had come across in the wood, guarded by his faithful dog.
"Heinrich!" he called out to the man who, as his whilom comrade, had preserved his rations for him.

He forgot for the moment the altered condition of their respective ranks.
"Ja, Herr Lieutenant," said Heinrich, much to his surprise, stepping out towards him and saluting, with forefinger to pickelhaube, as straight as a ramrod.
"Bother!" exclaimed Fritz, a bit puzzled at first by the inconvenience in some ways of his exaltation in rank.

There was some difficulty at first in accommodating himself to his new position.
"Never mind my being an officer for awhile, friend Heinrich," he explained to his whilom comrade--"the dignity can keep without harming it until we are again on duty together, when I promise to remember it to all your advantage; for you've been good fellows to me, one and all! I want you now to help me, friend Heinrich, in a sad commission; so, I rely upon your assistance from our old brotherly feelings when together--not because I ask you as your superior.

Get a pickaxe and spade from one of the pioneers and come with me.