Judsi ducked, giving vent to Cambronne's historical exclamation. Shaking like an aspen I wiped my sleeve on the grass.
At that instant a shot rang out among our men. What clumsiness! Beside myself, I shouted:
"Donnadieu!"
The corporal answered from his half-section. Was he there? Yes, I caught sight of him and went up to him.
"Donnadieu," I said excitedly, "I'm going on with some of the men. You'll shove the others along, see?... Kick them if necessary."
He looked down, and muttered something. I caught the word "wounded."
"What wounded? You wounded?"
This expression of misery and terror on his face ... his rifle lying on the ground. With his right hand he took hold of the other fist, and raised it with difficulty to show me....
Blood was dripping from his hand. The middle finger was in a horrid mess and hung down limply, by a strand of skin; a fragment of bone was sticking out.
"Poor old chap ..." I began.