"
"Ah! my prudent colonel, I thought we should not talk long without your
coming out in your true light. If ever a man secretly enjoyed risking
his life, it is you."
"No, general," said Dujardin looking gloomily down; "I enjoy neither
that nor anything else. Live or die, it is all one to me; but to the
lives of my soldiers I am not indifferent, and never will be while I
live. My apparent rashness of last night was pure prudence."
Raimbaut's eye twinkled with suppressed irony. "No doubt!" said he; "no
doubt!"
The impassive colonel would not notice the other's irony; he went calmly
on:--
"I suspected something; I went to confute, or confirm that suspicion. I
confirmed it."
Rat! tat! tat! tat! tat! tat! tat! was heard a drum. Relieving guard in
the mine.
Colonel Dujardin interrupted himself.
"That comes apropos," said he. "I expect one proof more from that
quarter. Sergeant, send me the sentinel they are relieving."
Sergeant La Croix soon came back, as pompous as a hen with one chick,
predominating with a grand military air over a droll figure that
chattered with cold, and held its musket in hands clothed in great
mittens.
Pages:
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489