"Seen Joseph this morning?" says Volpatte. "He doesn't look very
grand, poor lad."
"He'll do something daft, certain sure. He's as good as a goner,
that lad, mind you. First chance he has he'll jump in front of a
bullet. I can see he will."
"It'd give any one the pip for the rest of his natural. There were
six brothers of 'em, you know; four of 'em killed; two in Alsace,
one in Champagne, one in Argonne. If Andre's killed he's the
fifth."
"If he'd been killed they'd have found his body--they'd have seen it
from the observation-post; you can't lose the rump and the thighs.
My idea is that the night they went on patrol he went astray coming
back--crawled right round, poor devil, and fell right into the Boche
lines."
"Perhaps he got sewn up in their wire."
"I tell you they'd have found him if he'd been done in; you know
jolly well the Boches wouldn't have brought the body in. And we
looked everywhere. As long as he's not been found you can take it
from me that he's got away somewhere on his feet, wounded or
unwounded."
This so logical theory finds favor, and now it is known that Mesnil
Andre is a prisoner there is less interest in him. But his
brother continues to be a pitiable object--"Poor old chap, he's so
young!" And the men of the squad look at him secretly.
"I've got a twist!" says Cocon suddenly. The hour of dinner has gone
past and we are demanding it. There appears to be only the remains
of what was brought the night before.
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