ng more and more with his foot, of which the heel
was badly inflamed. He limped along in such a pitiable state that Jean's
sympathy was aroused.

"Does it hurt? is it no better, eh?" And as the men were halted just
then for a breathing spell, he gave him a bit of good advice. "Take off
your shoe and go barefoot; the cool earth will ease the pain."

And in that way Maurice found that he could keep up with his comrades
with some degree of comfort; he experienced a sentiment of deep
gratitude. It was a piece of great good luck that their squad had a
corporal like him, a man who had seen service and knew all the tricks of
the trade: he was an uncultivated peasant, of course, but a good fellow
all the same.

It was late when they reached their place of bivouac at Contreuve, after
marching a long time on the Chalons and Vouziers road and descending by
a steep path into the valley of the Semide, up which they came through
a stretch of narrow meadows. The landscape had undergone a change; they
were now in the Ardennes, and from the lofty hills above the village
where the engineers had staked off the ground for the 7th corps' camp,
the valley of the Aisne was dimly visible in the distance, veiled in the
pale mists of the passing shower.

Six o'clock came and there had been no distribution of rations, whereon
Jean, in order to keep occupied, apprehensive also of the consequences
that might result from the high wind that was springing up, determined
to attend in person to the setting up of the tent. He showed his men how
it should be done, selecting a bit of ground that sloped away a little
to one side, setting the pegs at the proper angle, and digging a little
trench around the whole to carry off the water. Maurice was excused
from the usual nightly drudgery on account of his sore foot, and was an
interested witness of the intelligence and handiness of the big young
fellow whose general appearance was so stolid and ungainly. He was
completely knocked up with fatigue, but the confidence that they were
now advancing with a definite end in view served to sustain him. They
had had a hard time of it since they left Rheims, making nearly forty
miles in two days' marching; if they could maintain the pace and if they
kept straight on in the direction they were pursuing, there could be
no doubt that they would destroy the second German army and effect a
junction with Bazaine before the third, the Crown Prince of Prussia's,
which was s