"The Sergeant Gasparini!"
"Good! This is the day of the grognards," said Gasparini, making the military salute. "May I embrace Zanetto, mon capitaine?"
"Do as you will," I said; "I would rather be a hundred feet underground than here."
"Thanks, captain. We all see how this business grieves you. Thanks!"
He bent over the drummer, and the tears, spite of his proud endeavors to restrain them, dropped on his gray mustache.
"Here; take this for thy trouble, my boy," he said, giving the drummer his silver watch.
He dashed the tears from his eyes shamefacedly, and with a steady step marched to the edge of the trench.
"Ready!" cried Corporal Campana.
"Aim! Fire!" cried Gasparini.
A flash and report followed, and the old sergeant fell dead on his face in the trench, where Matteo pushed him with his foot to the place where he was to rest.