y fell
to the ground, a living man immured there in the darkness with the
dying. He made no further effort to escape from this last trial. The
entire frightful disaster arose before his mind, from the time of their
departure from Rheims to the crushing defeat of Sedan. It seemed to
him that in that night, in the inky blackness of that cellar, where
the groans of two dying soldiers drove sleep from the eyelids of their
comrades, the ordeal of the army of Chalons had reached its climax. At
each of the stations of its passion the army of despair, the expiatory
band, driven forward to the sacrifice, had spent its life-blood in
atonement for the faults of others; and now, unhonored amid disaster,
covered with contumely, it was enduring martyrdom in that cruel
scourging, the severity of which it had done nothing to deserve. He felt
it was too much; he was heartsick with rage and grief, hungering for
justice, burning with a fierce desire to be avenged on destiny.

When daylight appeared one of the soldiers was dead, the other was
lingering on in protracted agony.

"Come along, little one," Jean gently said; "we'll go and get a breath
of fresh air; it will do us good."

But when the pair emerged into the pure, warm morning air and, pursuing
the river bank, were near the village of Iges, Maurice grew flightier
still, and extending his hand toward the vast expanse of sunlit
battlefield, the plateau of Illy in front of them, Saint-Menges to the
left, the wood of la Garenne to the right, he cried:

"No, I cannot, I cannot bear to look on it! The sight pierces my heart
and drives me mad. Take me away, oh! take me away, at once, at once!"

It was Sunday once more; the bells were pealing from the steeples of
Sedan, while the music of a German military band floated on the air in
the distance. There were still no orders for their regiment to move, and
Jean, alarmed to see Maurice's deliriousness increasing, determined to
attempt the execution of a plan that he had been maturing in his mind
for the last twenty-four hours. On the road before the tents of the
Prussians another regiment, the 5th of the line, was drawn up in
readiness for departure. Great confusion prevailed in the column, and an
officer, whose knowledge of the French language was imperfect, had been
unable to complete the roster of the prisoners. Then the two friends,
having first torn from their uniform coat the collar and buttons in
order that the number might not be