Qu'il fait bon dormir._"

"Down with the war! Who can sing the 'Internationale'?"

"Not so much noise, I beg you, gentlemen," came the withered woman's
whining voice. "It's after hours. Last week I was fined. Next time I'll
be closed up."

The night was black when Martin and Randolph, after lengthy and
elaborate farewells, started down the muddy road towards the hospital.
They staggered along the slippery footpath beside the road, splashed
every instant with mud by camions, huge and dark, that roared grindingly
by. They ran and skipped arm-in-arm and shouted at the top of their
lungs:

"_Aupres de ma blonde,
Qu'il fait bon, fait bon, fait bon,
Aupres de ma blonde,
Qu'il fait bon dormir._"

A stench of sweat and filth and formaldehyde caught them by the throat
as they went into the hospital tent, gave them a sense of feverish
bodies of men stretched all about them, stirring in pain.

* * * * *

"A car for la Bassee, Ambulance 4," said the orderly.

Howe got himself up off the hospital stretcher, shoving his flannel
shirt back into his breeches, put on his coat and belt and felt his way
to the door, stumbling over the legs of sleeping brancardiers as he
went. Men swore in their sleep and turned over heavily. At the door he
waited a minute, then shouted:

"Coming, Tom?"

"Too damn sleepy," came Randolph's voice from under a blanket.

"I've got cigarettes, Tom. I'll smoke 'em all up if you don't come."

"All right, I'll come."

"Less noise, name of God!" cried a man, sitting up on his stretcher.

After the hospital, smelling of chloride and blankets and reeking
clothes, the night air was unbelievably sweet. Like a gilt fringe on a
dark shawl, a little band of brightness had appeared in the east.

"Some dawn, Howe, ain't it?"

As they were going off, their motor chugging regularly, an orderly said:

"It's a special case. Go for orders to the commandant."

Colours formed gradually out of chaotic grey as the day brightened. At
the dressing-station an attendant ran up to the car.

"Oh, you're for the special case? Have you anything to tie a man with?"

"No, why?"

"It's nothing. He just tried to stab the sergeant-major."

The attendant raised a fist and tapped on his head as if knocking on a
door. "It's nothing. He's quieter now."

"What caused it?"

"Who knows? There is so much.... He says he must kill everyone...."

"Are you ready?"

A lieut