No detail as to the sight, or target, or the length of range. A man was missing! Guillaumin who crawled past, exclaimed:
"You ought to have been there, you see!"
Henriot now corrected himself:
"Cease firing! Advance!"
He got up and repeated the order. Nobody stirred. He lay down again and looked at us as if asking for advice. I pretended not to notice it. The men feverishly continued to bring their rifles to the shoulder, fire them, and reload.
I dropped on Moulard who was lying just behind Trichet and barely escaped hitting him at every shot he fired. Trichet drew back looking dazed, without seeming to understand.
The worthy Gaudéreaux who was beside him was firing precipitously.
But at what? At what?
In his agitation he got his lock jammed. I took hold of his rifle which burnt my hand. It took me a long while to repair the damage and I repeated:
"Why, in thunder, are you so set on playing with your trigger?"