I am now able to rise, and, with the aid of a stick, go to all four musters2 of the company. I recognize the heaps of dung, the geese, ducks and cows, and the snivelling little children. My comrades in the section regard me as "the one who has seen fire."
Sunday, 30th August.
We are assured this morning that the Germans are in Amiens.
Monday, 31st August.
I go to Langres to restore my outfit4, for I have nothing left. All I had so carefully prepared or bought in Paris the few days preceding my departure—foot-gear, linen5, repairing materials, field-dressing, tobacco, chocolate, toilet bag and writing-paper—utterly disappeared in the Vosges on the 25th.
I take a real bath in a real bathroom, and the sensation is glorious. Former baths I had[Pg 52] always taken in mechanical fashion, without thinking, but now I savour and relish6 the joy and delight of it.
The most contradictory7 rumours8 are abroad; some proclaim great victories, others a rapid advance of the Germans by the north. There is entire confidence, however.
Tuesday, 1st September.
Réveillé at three o'clock. The men who are well trained and ready to leave, and those who are weakly and more or less raw, are divided out into separate companies.
The lieutenant9 delivers an energetic little discourse10 on the subject of discipline; the new-comers, unaccustomed to being harangued11 by their commanders, regard him as some bloodthirsty tiger.
They murmur12 sadly to one another—
"What beastly luck to fall in with such a tartar!"
Useless to explain that the lieutenant is a charming fellow, and that this is only his way, the new-comers sorrowfully shake their heads.
Five hundred men are to leave to-day. Verrier is one of the number, so we make due preparations for his departure.
At seven in the evening the detachment leaves Humes. Shall we ever see Verrier again? Where is he going, and what is taking place? Reymond and I return to the hotel with downcast mien3. Just one drink before climbing the ladder up[Pg 53] into the loft13. Assuredly it is sadder to stay behind than to depart.
Wednesday, 2nd September.
Whenever we are free we have interesting conversations under the apple-tree with Lieutenant Roberty. The month of September will decide the war. On the 1st of November we shall all be back home.
In the Paris journals of the 29th August we read of "the situation of our front from the Somme to the Vosges...."
The Somme! We thought this phrase was simply a local canard14, that by a typographical error the word Somme had replaced the word Sambre. We imagined that fighting was still going on in Belgium. And the communiqué of the 30th states that the Imperial Guard received a check at Guise15....
We read, without any great interest, details upon the constitution of the new ministry16. No doubt the situation is serious. There is no infatuation here. We are still in quarters, with just the ordinary drill.
Thursday, 3rd September.
We muster1. The 27th is drawn17 up for marching, so we shall not be here long.
Three from the 28th pass into our squadron: Varlet, an electrician, a short, dark fellow with a large, pointed18 nose and faithful, intelligent eyes; Jacquard, a little man who vainly tries to shout[Pg 54] as loudly as Varlet, whose voice is that of a mob orator19; lastly, Charensac, who comes from Auvergne, and resembles Sancho Panza in being as broad as he is tall. The latter man has a roguish little dark moustache, and a beard that covers his neck. He wears his képi on the back of his head, over his neck. His paunch protrudes20 in the same extravagant21 fashion. The fellow seems determined22 to treat the war as a huge joke. These three march in the second rank; Reymond and I in the first, along with Corporal Bernier and a Doctor of Law named Maxence.
The latter four have rather long legs, whereas Varlet, Jacquard, and Charensac have short ones.
The result is that we hear them grumbling23 as they march—
"Not so fast; we cannot follow you. One would think you had been feeding on gazelle's flesh!"
The tall ones take longer strides than ever. When we halt for a moment words are bandied about, and a quarrel seems imminent24.
Friday, 4th September.
This morning I was able to march twenty kilometres. I have regained25 my old form.
Out in the streets there is talk of a possible departure for Paris. The depot26 may be transferred to some town in the centre of France.
We learn that the Government has left Paris for Bordeaux.... This is rather astonishing news.
[Pg 55]
When will this life in depots27 and barracks come to an end? When others are fighting and being killed, to mount guard by the watering-trough for the purpose of preventing soldiers from washing their socks is intolerable.
Saturday, 5th September.
No marching or drill to-day, since the order to leave may arrive any moment.
The English, says the communiqué, have taken ten cannon28 in the forest of Compiègne....
The Germans at Compiègne?... The train from Paris did not arrive this morning. It is becoming quite stifling29 here.
What is worse than the official dispatches is the multiplication30 of fantastic news. A famous airman has been shot as a spy; a mined forest in the neighbourhood of Lunéville has been fired, destroying three German army corps31....
From Brittany a telegram reaches me dated 31st August. It has been only five days on the road!
Just now there returned to the depot with a bullet in his arm a man who left on the 23rd August, like myself. He has been a sergeant-major, belonging to Class 1886, who gave up his stripes and joined again. As I had seen him fall, I imagined he was dead. Like a couple of old soldiers, we recall the plain strewn with projectiles32 and all the incidents of that day on the battlefield. On the evening of the 25th he counted seventeen villages in flames.
[Pg 56]
Whilst boasting of our campaigns, Reymond, who is just behind us, recites—
Dost remember, Viscount, that half-lune we captured from the enemy at the siege of Arras?
What's that thou say'st? A half-lune indeed! It was a full lune, I tell thee....
Sunday, 6th September.
At the seven o'clock muster the quartermaster reads out the orders for the day—
"Sunday, rest and labour [travaux] incidental to the cleanliness of the body."
The word travaux will give some faint indication of the trouble needed to get the dirt out of one's skin.
Washing of clothes and a bathe in the Mouche. Eager perusal33, beneath the apple-tree, of letters and journals three days old.
Endless discussion and jokes on the "considerable factor" of which Lord Kitchener can say nothing more than that it will come to the help of the Allies. At Humes the watchword is "Cherchez le facteur!" ("Find the postman!")
No defeat has been announced, and yet the Germans are at Senlis! No use trying to understand, as we used to say in barracks. Fighting and killing34 is going on whilst we are doing nothing but chatter35 beneath the apple-tree.
Monday, 7th September.
A comrade receives a letter from his mother telling him of the possible entry of the Germans[Pg 57] into Paris. Most improbable; how are we to believe such a thing? And yet the terms of the letter are most distinct and detailed36. By common consent we leave this subject of conversation and begin to speak of the Russian victories.
Tuesday, 8th September.
We now form part of a detachment of five hundred men with our friend Roberty in command. We shall proceed to the front either this evening or to-morrow.
This morning an engine-driver told us at the station that in the neighbourhood of Reims the French have made great hecatombs of Germans. He saw the corpses37 heaped up in piles. One piece of good news at all events.
I take my leave of the Girardot family; we shake hands and drink healths. Then I fondle and caress38 the huge dog, the chien à sonnettes, whose bell gives forth39 a more melancholy40 tinkle41 than ever.
The campaign at Humes is ended.
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1
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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musters
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的第三人称单数 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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3
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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6
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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7
contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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8
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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10
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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11
harangued
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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13
loft
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| n.阁楼，顶楼 | |
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14
canard
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| n.虚报；谣言；v.流传 | |
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15
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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16
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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17
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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18
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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20
protrudes
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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23
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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25
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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26
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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27
depots
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| 仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库 | |
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28
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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30
multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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31
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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32
projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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33
perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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34
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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35
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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36
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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37
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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38
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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39
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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40
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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41
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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