The guns went on growling at intervals for an hour, and then stopped. Have I explained that our company was quartered almost in the open? Too much in the open, apparently. The order came round for us to clear out, and to squeeze into the smaller of the two farms which we occupied. 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 stink! They had contented themselves with throwing a thin layer of straw on the litter of dung. The men grumbled: 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 filthy billet going, it would be for the 22nd!
I was hesitating about lying down when Guillaumin came up beaming.
"Breton certainly has a flair 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.
"Thanks, it's awfully good of you!"
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.
"The brute!"
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 appease 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?"
"De Valpic? He's going to sleep in the open air!" Humel yelped.
"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 shameful, 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 jeering at us and reaped an easy harvest of guffaws among his accomplices. Guillaumin unexpectedly seized the ladder, and carried it off. I went with him laughing, while infuriated shouts followed us.............