"Close! Testudos!"
A few actually remembered what to do—Lamalou and Bouillon. They stuck their heads between the legs of the men kneeling in front of them. Their neighbours imitated them.
I had been the last to get down, at the head of my small column. There was no one for me to shelter behind, so I ran a greater risk than any of the others.
"Get back here, Sergeant," said Corporal Bouguet, "we'll make room for you!"
I crawled back, and slipped in between him and Trichet.
"Thanks!"
I was guilty of a little bit of bluff and stuck my head out. There was a regular hurricane going on. All round us there were great spurts of smoke and dust, and clods of earth were hurled against us. But the pack seemed a great protection, and I felt that we were not very vulnerable really. Some shells did not burst, and I made a remark to that effect.
I had to watch the movements of the neighbouring sections in order to conform to them.
They were going on again.
"Advance!"