You mustn't even try to.'
"'Well, we'll go on to-morrow, then; only we must find somewhere to
pass the night.'
"'I'll go with you,' I said, 'as far as the Pendu farm--they're not
short of room in that shop. You'll snore in there all right, and you
can start at daybreak.'
"'Right! let's get a move on so far.'
"We went out again. What a downpour! We were wet past bearing. The
water poured into our socks through the boot-soles and by the
trouser bottoms, and they too were soaked through and through up to
the knees. Before we got to this Pendu, we meet a shadow in a big
black cloak, with a lantern. The lantern is raised, and we see a
gold stripe on the sleeve, and then an angry face.
"'What the hell are you doing there?' says the shadow, drawing back
a little and putting one fist on his hip, while the rain rattled
like hail on his hood.
"'They're men on leave for Vauvelles--they can't set off again
to-night--they would like to sleep in the Pendu farm.'
"'What do you say? Sleep here?--This is the police station--I am the
officer on guard and there are Boche prisoners in the buildings.'
And I'll tell you what he said as well--'I must see you hop it from
here in less than two seconds. Bonsoir.'
"So we right about face and started back again--stumbling as if we
were boozed, slipping, puffing, splashing and bespattering
ourselves. One of the boys cried to me through the wind and rain,
'We'll go back with you as far as your home, all the same.
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