warm and dry again, like dogs who
shake the water from them when they emerge from a pond, they chaffed one
another good-naturedly on their bedraggled appearance and the splashes
of mud on their red trousers. Wherever two roads intersected another
halt was necessitated; the last one was in a little village just beyond
the walls of the city, in front of a small saloon that seemed to be
doing a thriving business. Thereon it occurred to Maurice to treat the
squad to a drink, by way of wishing them all good luck.

"Corporal, will you allow me--"

Jean, after hesitating a moment, accepted a "pony" of brandy for
himself. Loubet and Chouteau were of the party (the latter had been
watchful and submissive since that day when the corporal had evinced
a disposition to use his heavy fists), and also Pache and Lapoulle, a
couple of very decent fellows when there was no one to set them a bad
example.

"Your good health, corporal!" said Chouteau in a respectful, whining
tone.

"Thank you; here's hoping that you may bring back your head and all
your legs and arms!" Jean politely replied, while the others laughed
approvingly.

But the column was about to move; Captain Beaudoin came up with a
scandalized look on his face and a reproof at the tip of his tongue,
while Lieutenant Rochas, more indulgent to the small weaknesses of his
men, turned his head so as not to see what was going on. And now they
were stepping out at a good round pace along the Chalons road, which
stretched before them for many a long league, bordered with trees on
either side, undeviatingly straight, like a never-ending ribbon unrolled
between the fields of yellow stubble that were dotted here and there
with tall stacks and wooden windmills brandishing their lean arms. More
to the north were rows of telegraph poles, indicating the position of
other roads, on which they could distinguish the black, crawling lines
of other marching regiments. In many places the troops had left the
highway and were moving in deep columns across the open plain. To the
left and front a cavalry brigade was seen, jogging along at an easy trot
in a blaze of sunshine. The entire wide horizon, usually so silent and
deserted, was alive and populous with those streams of men, pressing
onward, onward, in long drawn, black array, like the innumerable throng
of insects from some gigantic ant-hill.

About nine o'clock the regiment left the Chalons road and wheeled to the
left into another that