Another hour went by. I vaguely wished I could take some interest in the struggle. If only I had had a periscope or some field-glasses. I was too slack to go and borrow Henriot's. For a moment I experienced a kind of humiliation--was this all that would be required of us? Should we share in the glory of this victory without having earned it?--No one, up till then, doubted that it would be a victory--and leave the honour of the decisive attacks to those African devils? And then I must admit that this thought suddenly pleased me. I should get off easily and my friends too. Everything seemed to be turning out for the best. And De Valpic? Oh, he would recover. Then, lulled by the deafening tumult of the cannonade, with my eyes half closed, I indulged in visions of a tender face. I wandered, enchanted, in the golden mists of the future.... CHAPTER XIX HOLDING OUT I was aroused from these day-dreams by a hullabaloo. The men were on their feet shouting: "Here they come! Here they come!" I tried to impose silence on them: so much waste breath. And I was infuriated by hearing shots being fired without any orders having been given. I leaned on the parapet, but could see nothing. I shouted: "What in thunder are you shooting at?" At that moment the well-known screeches lashed the air. I flung myself down. German bullets! Bouillon said, below his breath: "The blighters! Their trenches weren't far off." When their volley was over we looked for them. They must have lain down. I consulted Lamalou: "A thousand yards, do you think?" "Eight hundred, not more." I gave the men orders to correct their sight. They had all been firing at four hundred in their surprise. A rumour spread that they were coming. "Fire! Fire!" This time we could see them. Quite a change! Nearly everywhere, at Tailly, Halles, and Beauclair we had had to fire at random. How often I had cursed their invisible uniforms! Here, again, this grey line melted into the ground tint. Never mind. Our men fired rapidly and coolly. The others threw themselves down again and their projectiles forced us to crouch down in our turn. "There are an awful lot of them, the dirty dogs!" Henriot said to me. "As many as all that?" "Yes. I've been using my field-glasses. And they advance shoulder to shoulder, looking as if they meant to swamp everything." "Oh, well, we're here!" I said. But I glanced at our sparsely covered line. Had we reserves anywhere! It was to be hoped so, but until further orders, we had only ourselves to count on. The enemy was gaining ground. However, discipline had soon been established among us. Each time the hostile mass moved, we "loosed off a belt." Everyone was cool and collected, no more panic like there had been at Mangiennes. Each _poilu_ was determined to get the most out of the good Lebel in his hands.