"In the shoulder."
"Unbutton your coat and shirt and look at it."
Leon quickly complied and a moment later picked a rifle-ball out of his shoulder. It had barely broken the skin and the wound bled but little.
"That's funny," mused Leon. "How do you suppose its force became spent so soon?"
"It must have struck something else first."
Leon looked about him. "I should say it did," he exclaimed. "Look here."
He picked up Jacques' gun which was lying on the parapet. The bullet had struck the magazine of the rifle, knocked out one cartridge and torn a hole through the wooden stock.
"Pretty lucky for you," said Jacques. "If it hadn't been for that gun you'd have been done for now."
The afternoon dragged slowly along and the bombardment began to increase in severity once more. Evidently the way was being prepared for a further advance of the infantry that night.
"I'd better leave you now I guess," remarked Leon as dusk began to creep over the battlefield. "You stay here and I'll go back to your ditch."