"God grant it! Continue, but more slowly, so that we need not kill any more."
Slowly, however, as he proceeded to tear up the names drawn, slowly as the drawing went on, number thirty at length came forth. He lifted it up to read the name, but remained for an instant silent.
"Who? who?" resounded on all sides.
"To the devil with it! Let whom it concerns read it," cried Brocard, flinging it upon the ground.
"I will wager it is I," said Polidoro, springing forward to pick it up. "Yes, it is indeed. The Lieutenant Polidoro!"
"Did you not make a mistake, Zanetto?" asked I. "I think it is only twenty-nine."
"Yes, yes, captain, it is only twenty-nine," cried a soldier. "Don't, for heaven's sake, decimate an officer."
"Corpo di Bacco, do you take me for a fool?" shouted Polidoro. "I counted them, and it is thirty. Come, come! Every one in his turn. No joking! Your hand, Bourdelaine. You forgive me?"
He had scarcely spoken when a signal shot was heard on the mountain, and following upon it two fierce blazes of fire crashed on our right and left and concealed our assailants in their thick smoke.