Herr von Zehren and I were standing together. "How many are there?" he asked in a whisper.
"I cannot make out," I answered, in a similar tone; "I think more are coming up. There can hardly be less than a dozen."
"They will not advance any further in the darkness," he said.
"They are coming now," I urged.
"Halt! Who goes there!" came again from the pursuing party, who were not more than a hundred paces off, as well as could be judged in the darkness, and again a bullet or two whistled above our heads.
"I entreat you!" I said, taking his arm to urge him forward.
He let me fairly drag him a few steps. Then suddenly he seemed to awake as from a dream, and with his old voice and old manner said to me:
"How the devil did you come by this? Off with it!" and he flung down violently the pack from my shoulders.
"I have carried it the whole way," I murmured.
"Shameful!" he muttered; "shameful! But it all comes from---- My poor boy! my poor boy!"