The quartermaster-sergeant passed, inquiring what ammunition we had left! Nothing very great! We had played havoc with it. "No more need of bullets!" Guillaumin interrupted joyously. "We're going to do some storming now!" I had not seen him since last night. Unbrushed, unshaven, his dirty face shining. Was this, I thought, henceforward to be my friend, my best friend? I would not allow myself to be ill-natured. He was wanted by Henriot, and crawled away. It was the only mode of progression permitted. I was not sorry he had gone. I should have found nothing to say to him. The prospect of a bayonet charge obviously inflamed and excited him, just like that savage Lamalou who was boasting that he would skewer, how many?--one, two, three--who would have a bet on it? As for me, I admit that I dreaded those two hundred yards across that no-man's-land (the last rush for how many of us!), and what followed, still more the hand-to-hand fight with the bayonet, the horrible butchery, the atrocious phase of the fighting for which no one prepares, for no one would face it in cold blood. We had to wait for orders, for a long time, crouching behind the earthworks with our rifles in our hands. It had got quite light. All at once, exclamations were heard. We looked round. A hussar was galloping across the fields behind us. "'E's arskin' ter be napoo'd!" Judsi exclaimed. What a target indeed! How could the enemy help having a shot! The horseman raced along the line, and disappeared. Not a single shot had been fired by the Bosches. A few minutes of trying suspense passed. Then a rumour ran along the line. Some of the men showed signs of getting up. "Lie down!" Henriot commanded. But we saw Breton walking quickly towards us, without the customary precautions. His face was beaming! When still thirty yards off, he shouted: "Nobody ahead of us now!" "What?" "They sloped off in the night!" The news flew from mouth to mouth. An ingenuous, delirious joy took hold of our companions. A broadside of jokes burst forth. "The 'Allemans' funked us!" Judsi chuckled. "W'en the blighters saw the 1.3 being brought along ... they said to themselves: 'Nothing to be done but to 'ook it.'" I breathed again. I marvelled at the fulfilment of my private wish. No more danger for the moment. I should not be killed this morning! The hussar, who had brought the news, appeared again, and deliberately urged his horse towards the woods, the zone which yesterday had been inaccessible. There was a new outburst of delight, and the men began to rag the sentries who had been on duty during the night: "Gaudéreaux, w'y couldn't 'ee tell us they'd done a bink. You was snoozin', you old blighter, I dew believe." * * * * * Half an hour later, when arms had been piled, and the men dismissed to rest, Guillaumin took me by the arm: "Let's go and see what's become of the others!"