Nature did not seem cruel to him then, nor kind, nor dangerous, nor wise. But she was not interested, completely not interested. - Stephen Crane

And there were iron laws of tradition and law on four sides. He was in a moving box. As he perceived this fact it occurred to him that he had never wished to come to the war. He had not enlisted of his free will. He had been dragged by the merciless government. And now they were taking him out to be slaughtered.

Within him something bade to cry out. He had the impulse to make a rallying speech, to sing a battle hymn, but he could only get his tongue to call into the air: “Why — why — what — what ’s th’ matter?

A serious prophet upon predicting a flood should be the first man to climb a tree. This would demonstrate that he was indeed a seer.