“Zounds!” cried Randmer, “I must amuse them with Bollar’s story.”
“Comrades,” he added, advancing to meet them; “have you heard the news? Poor Frederic d’Ahlefeld has been eaten alive by the barbarous Hans of Iceland.”
As he said these words, he could not repress a burst of laughter, which, to his great surprise, was received by the new-comers almost with shouts of indignation.
“What! can you laugh? I did not think, Randmer, that you would repeat such a dreadful piece of news so lightly. How can you laugh at such a misfortune?”
“What!” said Randmer, much confused, “is it really true?”
“Why, you just told us of it yourself!” was the general cry. “Don’t you believe your own words?”
“But I thought it was one of Bollar’s jokes.”
An old officer interposed.
“Such a joke would be in very bad taste; but unfortunately it is no joke. Baron Vœthaün, our colonel, has just received the sad news.”
“A fearful affair! It is really awful!” repeated a dozen voices.