"You shall be mine," said he to himself; "won't Sapience be astonished, that's all!"
All the others envied him. He seized the horse by the bridle, and got upon his back. But judge of the general astonishment, and that of Riffi above all, when the noble animal set off at full gallop towards his friends the Germans.
The little tailor raised his hands to heaven, invoking all the saints.
Materne had half a mind to fire, but he was afraid, as the horse was going at such a furious pace.
They were no sooner in the midst of the enemy's bayonets than Riffi vanished out of sight.
Every one thought he had been massacred; an hour after, however, they saw him passing down the principal street of Grandfontaine with his hands tied behind his back, and corporal schlague behind him with his uplifted cane.
Poor Riffi! he alone was not fated to share in the day's triumph; and his comrades were even led to laugh at his unhappy fate, just as if it had happened to a Kaiserlick.
Such is the nature of men; provided they are happy themselves, the misery of others concerns them but little.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] Drum-major.