He explained: "You see, as long as we stayed in the trench, things went all right. We managed to hold the Bosches. They weren't particularly keen to face the bayonet. But at night we had no more ammunition. The men got unstrung and wanted to do a bunk. Delafosse opposed it--as you may imagine. Some of them began to slope off. The lieutenant made up his mind to it, and we followed them. But the Bosches got wind of it and opened fire at us. That's when we got cut up--not one out of four got away." "The lieutenant?" "Knocked out, disappeared." Another name was on the tip of my tongue. Humel understood, and lowered his voice! "Descroix? He stayed behind, too." I, in my turn, told him of Henriot's death, and about Playoust. I saw his forehead wrinkle. He said nothing. I took his arm. "Well, we're here!" "Not for long," he murmured, downheartedly. "Yes! Yes! I swear that you, you, you understand, will get through!" What did I know of it? But I had said it with such assurance that I felt it had given him new heart. There was a short whistle--the captain calling up the N.C. O's. "Well, my friends," he said, "we have been complimented on our resistance the other night, and up till four o'clock yesterday in front of the Montrolle woods. Apparently we did not do badly!" He waited for a minute. "That is not all. We are asked, or I should say commanded, to intervene again. A great honour for the regiment!" We were all hanging on his lips. "Mind you remember this date," he said, "in case we come back. This is the night, the 9th to the 10th, that the battle is to be won. We are attacking all along the line, and I think I may be allowed to tell you, in confidence, that some of our comrades alongside have just entered Silly-le-Long. At the other extremity the Zouaves have taken Lizy-sur-Ourcq. The enemy is apparently still in possession of a little hill near here. What we've got to do is to oust them from it." His voice trembled. He must have been trying to find a last word of encouragement. Not succeeding, he added: "We start in five minutes!" A remark not lacking in eloquence. I joined De Valpic in the darkness. His cough had made me aware of his presence. Guillaumin, who ran against us, said, in a joking tone: "Well, if we aren't polished off this time!" And then, a little more gravely: "If only it's of some use." "Do you doubt it?" "I? What do you think? I wouldn't change places. Those who have missed this----" He rummaged in his pocket, pulled out a sou, and threw it into the air! "Heads we win!" "And if it's the reverse?" "A reverse for the Bosches!" He hunted about in the dark. "Can't you find it?" "It never fell. It went straight up into the sky! The best sign of all." We did not touch upon any more serious topics. We assembled, and started off. De Valpic left us to join his platoon. "Good-bye." We shook hands. We were never to see him again.