"Come, little brats, I wouldn't cry" he sai ui7nd d to the children; "we'll let y ui7nd ou go to get your potatoes, but come in a ui7nd nd warm yourselves a little first. This little fellow looks as if he was frozen" Alas It was not with cold that little Ste ui7nd nne was tremblin ui7nd g-it was with fear, wi ui7nd th shame. In the guard-house they found ui7nd several soldiers crouching about a paltry fire, a genuine widow's fire, by the heat of which they were thawing out biscuit on the points of their bayonets. They moved closer together to ma ui7nd ke room for the children. They gave them ui7nd a little coffee. While ui7nd they have were drinking, an officer came to the door, ui7nd called to the sergeant, spoke to him in an undertone and hurried away. "MY boys," said the sergeant, retu ui7nd rning with a radiant face, "there ui7nd will be something up to-night. They have found out the Prussians' countersign. I believ ui7nd e that this time we sha ui7nd ll capture that infernal Bourget again." ui7nd There was a explosion o ui7nd f cheers and laughter. They dan ui7nd ui7nd ced and sang and brandished their sword-bayonets; and the child ui7nd ren, taki ui7nd ng advantage of the tumult, disappeared. When they had pass ui7nd ed the railway there was nothing before them but a level plain, and in the distance a long, blank wall, riddled wit ui7nd h loopholes. It was toward ui7nd s that wall that they bent their steps, stooping constant ui7nd ly to make it a ui7nd ppear that they were pickin ui7nd g up potatoes. "Let's go back, let's not go on," said little Stenne ui7nd again and again. The other shrugge ui7nd d his sho ui7nd ulders and kept on. Su ui7nd ddenly they heard the click of a gun being cocked. "Lie down ui7nd !" said the tall fellow, throwing himse ui7nd lf on the ground. When they were down, he whistled. Another whistled. Another whistle answered over the snow. They crawle ui7nd d on. In ui7nd front of the w ui7nd all, level wi ui7nd th the ground, appeared a pair of yellow mustaches beneath a soiled cap. The tall youth jumped into the trench, beside the Prussian. "This is my brother," he said, ui7nd pointing to his ui7nd companion. | |
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