Nothing could have been more uncomfortable than the stable, or rather the cattle-shed which fell to our platoon. It might even have been a pig-stye to judge by the stink4! They had contented5 themselves with throwing a thin layer of straw on the litter of dung. The men grumbled6: Loriot most of all. I went to see for myself, the others were in the same predicament. They were openly discussing the ill-feeling which was beginning to establish itself between the commanding officer and the captain. Every time there was a particularly filthy7 billet going, it would be for the 22nd!
I was hesitating about lying down when Guillaumin came up beaming.
"Breton certainly has a flair8 for comfortable quarters; there's no denying it. Do you know what they've rooted out? A hay-loft. And a clean one, too![Pg 171] We'll have it all to ourselves. We must get hold of De Valpic."
We went to find him.
He assured us, though, that he would prefer to sleep alongside some rick as it was fine to-night.
"You'll be frozen!"
"I shall get some fresh air!"
"As much as you could want!"
Guillaumin showed me the way. It was behind the outhouses. A ladder was leaning up against it. I caught sight of Playoust at the window. He drew his head in immediately. Descroix appeared.
"There's not room for two!" he shouted.
"How's that?"
Little Humel showed up beside him!
"Reserved for the first platoon! We invited Guillaumin, that's all!"
"Look here, what about me!" I said quite calmly.
"Impossible!"
I said to Guillaumin.
"You might have asked them before you came to fetch me!"
"Rot! They're fooling!" he said. "There's room in there for fifteen or twenty."
He gave me a shove.
"Get along up!"
I put my foot on the first rung and began to climb up. Humel had called for help. Descroix seized the ladder with both hands and shook it. I nearly took a toss.
I jumped down. The others up there were howling with laughter. If I was sickened by it, Guillaumin[Pg 172] appeared more offended. He set to work to blackguard them, in language very much to the point. Playoust tried to appease11 them: "Why make such a fuss! I was so fond of being alone. It was very good of them to offer him a place! Why not bring the viscount along too straight away?"
"Very well, then; why can't Dreher do the same thing!"
I considered it useless to insist. I should manage all right, I said to Guillaumin, but I advised him most strongly to take advantage of the stroke of luck—as he was so thick with them!
Not at all! He protested that nothing on earth would induce him to desert me. It was shameful13, the way they had treated me. On active service all ought to help one another. How delighted the Bosches would have been if they had witnessed the scene.
Playoust retorted by jeering14 at us and reaped an easy harvest of guffaws15 among his accomplices16. Guillaumin unexpectedly seized the ladder, and carried it off. I went with him laughing, while infuriated shouts followed us.
We got back to our stable.
"For us the dung!"
"Yes, like Job."
The smell was sickening, and the worst of it was that my place had been taken. Judsi was lying there snoring. I felt about him, he shook himself and let off an impropriety, which made me recoil17. Luckily my faithful Bouillon hailed me. He made himself small and I was able to squeeze between him and[Pg 173] Corporal Donnadieu, and with my handkerchief over my nose, I soon fell fast asleep.
There was an alarm in the middle of the night. A sudden clamour was heard in the road and the click of bayonets. To arms! To arms!
We leapt to our feet and went out. Outside there was nothing but tumult18 and bustling19, indescribable confusion, terrified creatures bumping up against each other and seizing each other by the throat. I know my heart was thumping20. A night attack? Good Heavens! It was very astounding21.... And yet the enemy was not far away....
Five minutes of disorder22 and panic. We could not have offered the slightest resistance! What was happening? The captain had come down and was whistling incessantly23. I groped about searching for my section and platoon. They were lost! This pale form! Lamalou, in shirt sleeves, by Jove, but armed, and shouting, and ready for anything....
What was the matter after all?...
At last the riddle24 was solved by De Valpic, who told us that a horse had got loose on the outskirts25 of the village, and its owner, a dragoon, had run after it shouting:
"Olga! Olga!"
We laughed ourselves hoarse28. But one person who was not at all pleased was the captain. Awakened29 at the first movements, he had come rushing up in haste, and had whistled, as I said.... Guillaumin and I were the only ones to answer. We were the only two sleeping with our men. The others were[Pg 174] in great difficulties. How were they to get down from the hay-loft without a ladder? In the dark! Jump? The regimental sergeant30-major had sprained31 his foot slightly.... What! What! Had he been up there! He was the one to get the biggest wigging32. He was horribly upset about it.
An explanation which followed between Guillaumin and Descroix nearly ended in their coming to blows. Playoust egged them on. Breton and I had all we could do to keep them apart.
One thing pleased me; a step Frémont took.
"I was with them," he said; "forgive me. They are idiots, but I couldn't get down. They're all in my platoon. They would have led me such a life. You're not annoyed with me, I hope?"
"Not at all."
The remainder of the night was calmer. From four o'clock onwards, however, the distant sinister33 rumbling34 became noticeable again. There must be something serious doing, for this music to strike up again at dawn!
We soon began to stretch and get up. Thanks to my little pocket-glass, I discovered some strange eruptions35 on my face. They worried me. What could they be?
I was at the pump in a bound, and spent quite a long time washing and soaping myself. In my absence, coffee was prepared and handed round. When I came back there was nothing left but a few lukewarm dregs.
I blamed Bouguet for it.
"In future you'll see that my coffee is kept for me!"
He kicked at this.
[Pg 175]
"I only have just enough for my section. Sergeant Donnadieu has one man less. It's his job to get yours."
I made enquiries. He was quite right.
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1
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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2
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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3
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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stink
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| vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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6
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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7
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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8
flair
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| n.天赋，本领，才华；洞察力 | |
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9
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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10
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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12
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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14
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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15
guffaws
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| n.大笑，狂笑( guffaw的名词复数 )v.大笑，狂笑( guffaw的第三人称单数 ) | |
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16
accomplices
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| 从犯，帮凶，同谋( accomplice的名词复数 ) | |
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17
recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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18
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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19
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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20
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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21
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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22
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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23
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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24
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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27
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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28
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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29
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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30
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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31
sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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32
wigging
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| n.责备，骂，叱责 | |
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33
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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34
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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35
eruptions
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| n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 ) | |
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36
jovially
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| adv.愉快地，高兴地 | |
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