what you say, are any of your
plans feasible? Wait; to-morrow we'll see about it. Be silent!"

He, although his heart, no less than his friend's, was wrung by the
horrors that surrounded them on every side, had preserved his mental
balance amid the debilitating effects of famine, among the grisly
visions of that existence than which none could approach more nearly
the depth of human misery. And as his companion's frenzy continued to
increase and he talked of casting himself into the Meuse, he was obliged
to restrain him, even to the point of using violence, scolding and
supplicating, tears standing in his eyes. Then suddenly he said:

"See! look there!"

A splash was heard coming from the river, and they saw it was Lapoulle,
who had finally decided to attempt to escape by the stream, first
removing his capote in order that it might not hinder his movements; and
his white shirt made a spot of brightness that was distinctly visible
upon the dusky bosom of the moving water. He was swimming up-stream
with a leisurely movement, doubtless on the lookout for a place where
he might land with safety, while on the opposite shore there was no
difficulty in discerning the shadowy forms of the sentries, erect and
motionless in the semi-obscurity. There came a sudden flash that tore
the black veil of night, a report that went with bellowing echoes and
spent itself among the rocks of Montimont. The water boiled and bubbled
for an instant, as it does under the wild efforts of an unpracticed
oarsman. And that was all; Lapoulle's body, the white spot on the dusky
stream, floated away, lifeless, upon the tide.

The next day, which was Saturday, Jean aroused Maurice as soon as it was
day and they returned to the camp of the 106th, with the hope that they
might move that day, but there were no orders; it seemed as though the
regiment's existence were forgotten. Many of the troops had been sent
away, the peninsula was being depopulated, and sickness was terribly
prevalent among those who were left behind. For eight long days disease
had been germinating in that hell on earth; the rains had ceased, but
the blazing, scorching sunlight had only wrought a change of evils.
The excessive heat completed the exhaustion of the men and gave to
the numerous cases of dysentery an alarmingly epidemic character.
The excreta of that army of sick poisoned the air with their noxious
emanations. No one could approach the Meuse or the canal, owing to the
o