AN ALARM
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! 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!"