Stretcher-bearer Vanier has been at the fort since June 1, doing duty at the dressing-station with his comrades, under the command of the admirable doctors Gaillard, Conte, and Boisramé (I think there is one other whom I have forgotten). At all costs, then, the garrison must be delivered. The sortie of the evening of June 4 has proved a failure. The 5th is a gruelling day; at its close the defenders themselves are amazed at the fact that they are still withstanding the foe. What will befall on the morrow? It is better not to wait for it. What is left of the 101st and of the 7th and 8th Companies of the 142nd will try to get away. Vanier attaches himself to the men of the 101st. They are thirty-four in number, and among them there are some wounded. The order is to leave the fort at no matter what cost; every man is to look after himself, not troubling about the others. During the day each of them has registered the direction he will take. Vanier, at half-past 10 P.M., is the first to jump into the ditch, accompanied by a comrade. Both crawl up the side of the ditch and, once on top, start running along at full speed. “_Wer da?_” (Who goes there?) “_Halte-là!_” (Halt there!) They stop and throw themselves into a shell-hole. Vanier thinks he has heard the German words “_Wer da?_” (Who goes there?). He loads his revolver and whispers to his companion: “Don’t come with me, chum. I don’t want to be a prisoner; I’d sooner be killed.” “But it’s a Frenchman,” answers the other. They draw near and make themselves recognized. At barely 200 yards from the fort they have come upon a detachment of the 298th. They are taken to the rear, they are given wine to drink--wine, when they have drunk no water for thirty-six hours!--they are examined. Out of thirty-five only five miss the roll-call. Vanier goes to rejoin his colonel at the rest billets, where he finds his regiment once more. “I promote you to corporal,” said the colonel, embracing him. That is how Stretcher-bearer Vanier won his stripes. IV SOME ONE RE-ENTERS THE FORT