in and Wilhelm were now the only remaining officers of the
battalion. The former cried: "Who--will volunteer?" and was surrounded
by a dozen brave fellows. Wilhelm was not among them. He stood leaning
on his sword against the half-frozen side of the pit, observing with
sorrowful expression what was going on around him. The captain threw
him a strange look, in which contempt and reproach were mingled, then
he drew out his watch, as if to note the last moment of his life, and
with the cry "Forward!" disappeared in the evening light. He did not
reach the spot where the corpses lay thickest. The factory went on
spitting fire, and crashing everything down over the heap. The shots,
however, came more slowly, and pauses came between them. A shriek was
heard, not far distant. Evidently it was one of the wounded who lay on
the ground. At the same time a form could be distinguished raising
itself up and then sinking again. Heedless of the balls which whistled
round his ears, Wilhelm raised his head out of the sandpit and looked
over the field. Then he worked himself out on his hands and knees, and
to the astonishment of the soldiers in the pit moved away toward the
wounded, alone and without hurry or excitement. Over there on the other
side they saw him, and although the artillery did not fire on him, he
received a brisk volley of single shots without, however, being hit,
and he reached the first group of wounded. A hasty glance showed him
only stiffened limbs and stony faces. He went on searching, and then he
heard close by him a feeble voice saying: "Here!" and a hand was
stretched out to him. With one bound he was near the wounded man, and
recognized the captain.

"Are you seriously hurt?" he asked, while as quickly as possible he
raised the wounded man on his shoulder, who answered almost inaudibly:

"A ball through the chest, and one in my foot. I am in awful pain."

As Wilhelm went slowly back with his burden, he looked so fantastic in
the growing darkness, that the French did not know what to make of the
strange apparition, and began to fire afresh. "Wilhelm, however,
reached the sandpit safely, where friendly arms were stretched out to
help him, and relieve him of the captain. He stayed to breathe a
moment, and then said:

"If any one will come with me, we might bring in one or two more poor
devils who have still life in them."

He was soon surrounded by five or six figures, and he was going with
them to search for w