and galloping
thud of flying squadrons, urged on with savage oath and triumphant
cheer, filled the air; when the gurgling groan of the death-agony and
moan of painless pain, made the treble of the devil-music, to the
thundering sustained bass of the cannon roar, and the growling arpeggio
accompaniment of the mitrailleuse!

But, when, after one last fearful combined volley, in which every single
piece of ordnance on the field seemed to take part, the hideous turmoil
of sound ceased as if by mutual consent. A sort of solemn hush, in
company with the night, caused comparative stillness to brood over the
scene, in contrast to the pandemoniacal noise that had previously
reigned so fiendishly. Then, all of a sudden, Fritz appeared to awake
suddenly from a disturbed dream or phantom-haunted night-mare, in which
all the powers of evil were tearing at his heart and brain. The war
fever, for him, had exhausted its final paroxysm. The red mist had been
withdrawn from his eyes. The thirst for blood from his soul. He was
himself again; but a strangely altered self, for he felt weak and ill,
and as languid and worn-out as if he had just recovered from a fainting
fit.

It was at this moment that Hermann his comrade had been struck down by a
chassepot ball, winging its murderous mission from some unknown point;
and when Fritz had sat down by the side of the body, covering over the
face of the dead man, he did not seem to feel any desire to live or even
to rise up again, he was so utterly powerless and lacking in energy.
The majority of his fellow-soldiers appeared, too, to be in the same
mood, stretching their weary limbs on the ground in listless apathy, as
if caring for nothing; they did not either seem to be affected by hunger
or thirst, although it was more than twelve hours since they had broken
their fast; the fury of the fight had satiated them, taking away all
stamina and appetite.

Presently, however, an ambulance detachment, passing by on their
merciful errand to seek for the wounded, besought aid; and Fritz, with
others, at once sprang up and volunteered assistance to bear away those
to whom the surgeon's care could do any good to the field hospitals,
where their hurts could be attended to in a general way. The number of
wounded men was so great that it was simply impossible for the doctors
to hunt after individual cases and treat them properly.

The battlefield was now covered by a dense cloud, illuminated at eit