BOOK ONE: YESTERDAY 61 taking double precautions, "how would it be if you took Arminius the German as the subject for your lecture? What do you say, for instance, to the theme: 'What can we learn today from Arminius the German?' " Senior Master Vogelsang sat motionless at bis desk, his eyes fixed inflexibly upon the boy. Is he trying to hypnotize me? thought the latter. Arminius the German, indeed. His name was Arminius the Cheruscan, man. Anyhow, whether it's Ar- minius the Cheruscan or Arminius the German, that makes no difference to me. It doesn't interest me. He stared hard at the teacher's scarred face, at the precise parting of his hair, at his staring, pale blue eyes, at his high collar. It doesn't interest me. I don't care a hang about it. But if I say no, he'll think me a coward, for certain. Humanism is too abstract for hirn. Arminius the German. He's only trying to provoke me. I get you, my boy. I shall say 1'11 think it over. Then he'll answer, yes, do, my boy. And it'll sound as if he said: shirker. Am I a shirker? "'What can we learn today from Arminius the German?' " came the squeaky voice of Vogelsang once more. "What da you say, Oppermann?" "All right," said Berthold. The sound of his answer had not yet died away, when he wanted to take it back. He ought to have said: 1'11 think it over, He had wanted to say that. But it was too late. "That's fine," Vogelsang approved. He was having a good day of it. He had emerged the victor frorn this interview too, Berthold, when the others asked hirn during the next recess how he was getting on with the new chief, was monosyllabic. "He's just half and half. We'll have to see," He did not say more. He generally went a good part of the way horne with Hein- rich Lavendel. The two boys rode their bicycles, their books

THE OPPERMANNS and notes fastened with leather straps to the handle-bars, now close to each other, one's hand on the other's shoulder, now separated by the traffic. "He's messed up my lecture for me," said Berthold. "That's tough," said Heinrich. "The swine. He just thinks to himself: 'I'm master.' It's simply personal spite." Berthold did not an- swer. They were separated by passing cars. At the next red light they found themselves side by side again. They kept close together, each with a foot on the roadway, hemmed in by cars. "He suggested to me: 'What can we learn from Arminius the German?' " said Berthold. "Did you agree to it?" asked Heinrich, amid the hooting of motor-horns. "Yes," said Ber- thold. "I wouldn't have," said Heinrich. "Look out, he's trying to put you in a tough spot," Yellow light, green light, they rode. on. "Have you any idea what he may have looked like?" asked Berthold when they found themselves together again. "Who?" asked Heinrich, who was thinking about the after- noon's football practice. "Arrninius the Cheruscan, of course," said Berthold. "I expect he looked just as much a wild Indian as the rest of them," was Heinrich's opinion. "Think it over a little, will you?" begged Berthold. "O.K.," said Heinrich. Often, when he wanted to speak heartily, the words he had used as a child came to his lips. Then the boys' roads separated, 10 Ber thold wrestled with his subject. The whole thing was one great battle and Dr. Vogelsang was the enemy. Vogel- sang had had the luck to choose the ground. He had the sun and the wind in his favour and knew the lie of the land better