And what a night that was--you were along with him, Jean, and so was Chapeau.

M.
Henri was up first, I can swear to that; but it would puzzle any one to say who was second." "Yourself Louis, was as quick as any one--I marked you well.

Indeed then, said I to myself, if all our men are as forward as Louis Bourdin, the village will have a great name before the war is over." "But tell me truly now, Louis Bourdin," said a little girl, who was listening intently all the time, "when you went up into that place, were there real soldiers in armour, with guns and cannon firing at you all the time ?" "Truly then there were, Lolotte, hundreds of them," said Bourdin.
"Well, that is horrible!" said the girls all at once.
"And do you remember, Jean," continued Bourdin, "when M.Henri dashed down again, how the traitor rebels hallooed out, 'Fire upon the red scarf!' Well, I did think it was all up with him then.

You were close to him, Jean; nearer than I am to Lolotte now." "And that's quite near enough," said Lolotte, giving him a push.
"Why I'm sure I was doing nothing; I was only wanting to show you.

Jean Stein there, was, as I was saying, quite close to M.Henri; and as they leapt out of the camp together, twenty voices roared out at once, 'Fire upon the red scarf! fire upon the red scarf!' Oh! that was a fearful evening; it was dark then, and the light of the smoking, glaring torches made it five times more horrible.