Dard.
La Croix marched him up as if he had been a file; halted him like a
file, sang out to him as to a file, stentorian and unintelligible, after
the manner of sergeants.
"Private No. 4."
DARD. P-p-p-present!
LA CROIX. Advance to the word of command, and speak to the colonel.
The shivering figure became an upright statue directly, and carried one
of his mittens to his forehead. Then, suddenly recognizing the rank of
the gray-haired officer, he was morally shaken, but remained physically
erect, and stammered,--
"Colonel!--general!--colonel!"
"Don't be frightened, my lad. But look at the general and answer me."
"Yes! general! colonel!" and he levelled his eye dead at the general, as
he would a bayonet at a foe, being so commanded.
"Now answer in as few syllables as you can."
"Yes! general--colonel."
"You have been on guard in the mine."
"Yes, general."
"What did you see there?"
"Nothing; it was night down there."
"What did you feel?"
"Cold! I--was--in--water--hugh!"
"Did you hear nothing, then?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Bum! bum! bum!"
"Are you sure you did not hear particles of earth fall at the end of the
trench?"
"I think it did, and this (touching his musket) sounded of its own
accord.
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