We met De Valpic on the way. He had not slept either, and was afraid he had caught a cold.... "You'll not be the only one, my dear chap!" A few steps farther on there was a little group, the Humel-Playoust lot. We went up to them, delighted to find them safe and sound. I don't know what put the idea into my head of tapping Descroix on the shoulder and saying to him: "Good biz. The N.C.O.'s haven't come off so badly, what?" He turned round in a fury. "What do you mean?" I understood. He must have thought I was alluding to that stupid affair of the stripes, which had gone quite out of my head. So I turned to Humel: "Was it you who saw Frémont fall?" "Yes." "Where was he hit?" "Oh, look here! One has all one can do to look after oneself!" The quartermaster-sergeant was making signs to us in the distance. We went towards him. Guillaumin enlightened me on the way. "That Descroix business was a put-up job, you know. He doesn't like it talked about." "All the worse if it was arranged beforehand!" Breton, who had joined us, took us to a clump of trees. When we got there he said: "Look here!" A German officer was standing up leaning lightly against a shield. His field-glasses were up to his eyes, and he seemed to be gazing through the opening. Was he alive or dead? We hesitated but soon found out when we got nearer. "Rather neat, what?" said Breton. While ferreting about near by, Guillaumin came across a shell-hole. He exclaimed: "The work of the 75's. No wound, apparently. Simply the effect of the concussion." Then with a knowing wink: "Pretty hot stuff these Turpin machines, what?" We looked for a few seconds at the big well-built man with regular features, in the tightly fitting uniform trimmed with frogs. Some of the men who had come up formed a circle round us. Lamalou, without any hesitation, put his hand on the shoulder of the dead body.... I shall never forget the horror of it! The legs remained firmly fixed, but the upper half of the body fell apart, as if it had been a mannequin made in two pieces. We bolted, but the _poilus_ called to each other cheerily to come and have a look. The halt continued; we extended the range of our walk as far as the quarter occupied by the other battalion. We came across friends at every other step, and greetings and hand clasps were more cordial than usual: "No bad news, of your lot?" And the reply was awaited with the curious mixture of curiosity and apprehension with which the list of victims is perused the day following a catastrophe. We produced a painful effect each time. At the name of Frémont a look of sincere commiseration appeared on all the faces. Everyone loved him for his charm, and his good nature, this boy with the look of a girl and the memory of his romance secretly touched all their hearts. The losses did not appear to be very serious; on the whole, our company was among those to have suffered most.