There was a halt at last. I took a turn. A shadow was silhouetted in front of me:

"Sergeant!"

"Who goes there?"

Oh, I recognised him....

"That you, Donnadieu?"

It was my corporal, the voluntary casualty of Mangiennes!

"I've come back, Sergeant," he said. "Sergeant...."

He stopped, choking....

"Did you tell the others?"