"
"No matter," said the colonel. "Give me a piece of bread instead."
La Croix went for it himself, and on his return found Cadel sitting on
one side of Death's Alley, and Dard with his head bound up on the other.
They had got a bottle which each put up in turn wherever he fancied
the next round shot would strike, and they were betting their afternoon
rations which would get the Prussians to hit the bottle first.
La Croix pulled both their ears playfully.
"Time is up for playing marbles," said he. "Be off, and play at duty,"
and he bundled them into the battery.
It was an hour past midnight: a cloudy night. The moon was up, but seen
only by fitful gleams. A calm, peaceful silence reigned.
Dard was sentinel in the battery.
An officer going his rounds found the said sentinel flat instead of
vertical. He stirred him with his scabbard, and up jumped Dard.
"It's all right, sergeant. O Lord! it's the colonel. I wasn't asleep,
colonel."
"I have not accused you. But you will explain what you were doing."
"Colonel," said Dard, all in a flutter, "I was taking a squint at them,
because I saw something.
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