We questioned the Captain, who was also intently observing the woods which yesterday had been out of the enemy's range, and which were now being heavily shelled.
"What does that mean, sir?"
"I don't know any more than you, I'm afraid. I only obey, you know.... I go where I am told to go.... That's all!"
But Déprez insisted:
"They're turning our left again!"
The Captain's finely chiselled face was puckered with anxiety.
"Well," said he, "they're certainly bombarding woods which they weren't bombarding yesterday. But that at any rate proves that they haven't reached them. On the contrary, perhaps they've been threatened on that side by an enveloping movement of our troops.... Who knows?... Besides, if they do outflank us we aren't alone here.... We'll face them!"
He gave us a searching look with his intelligent hazel eyes, and repeated:
"We'll face them, won't we?"