第659章

第659章thefifthcompanywasbivouackingcloseuptothebirchcopse.animmensecamp-firewasblazingbrightlyinthemiddleofthesnow，lightinguptherime-coveredboughsofthetrees.

inthemiddleofthenightthesoldiershadheardfootstepsandthecrackingofbranchesinthecopse.

“abear，lads，”saidonesoldier.

allraisedtheirheadsandlistened；andoutofthecopsetheresteppedintothebrightlightofthefiretwostrangelygarbedhumanfiguresclingingtooneanother.theseweretwofrenchmen，whohadbeenhidinginthewood.hoarselyarticulatingsomethinginatongueincomprehensibletothesoldiers，theyapproachedthefire.one，wearinganofficer’shat，wasratherthetaller，andseemedutterlyspent.hetriedtositdownbythefire，butsankontotheground.theother，alittle，stumpyman，withakerchiefboundroundhischeeks，wasstronger.heheldhiscompanionup，andsaidsomethingpointingtohismouth.thesoldierssurroundedthefrenchmen，laidacoatunderthesickman，andbroughtbothofthemporridgeandvodka.theexhaustedfrenchofficerwasramballe；thelittlemanbandagedupinthekerchiefwashisservant，morel.

whenmorelhaddrunksomevodkaandeatenabowlofporridge，hesuddenlypassedintoastateofmorbidhilarity，andkeptupanincessantbabblewiththesoldiers，whocouldnotunderstandhim.ramballerefusedfood，andleaningononeelbowbythefire，gazeddumblywithred，vacanteyesattherussiansoldiers.atintervalsheutteredaprolongedgroanandthenwasmuteagain.morel，pointingtohisshoulders，gavethesoldierstounderstandthatthiswasanofficer，andthatheneededwarmth.arussianofficer，whohadcomeuptothefire，senttoaskthecolonelwhetherhewouldtakeafrenchofficerintohiswarmcottage.whentheycamebackandsaidthatthecolonelbadethembringtheofficer，theytoldramballetogotohim.hegotupandtriedtowalk，butered，andwouldhavefallenhadnotasoldierstandingnearcaughthim.

“what？youdon’twantto，eh？”saidasoldieraddressingramballewithajocosewink.

“eh，youfool！it’snotimeforyourfooling.apeasant，arealpeasant，”voiceswereheardonallsidesblamingthejocosesoldier.theotherssurroundedramballe.twoofthemheldhimupunderthearmsandcarriedhimtothecottage.ramballeputhisarmsroundthesoldiers’necks，andastheyliftedhimhebeganwailingplaintively.

“oyougoodfellows！omykind，kindfriends.thesearemen！omybrave，kindfriends”；andlikeachildheputhisheaddownonthesoldier’sshoulder.

meanwhilemorelwassittinginthebestplacesurroundedbythesoldiers.

morel，alittle，thicksetfrenchman，withswollen，streamingeyes，wasdressedinawoman’sjacketandhadawoman’skerchieftiedoverhisforagecap.hewasevidentlytipsy，andwithonearmthrownroundthesoldiersittingnexthim，hewassingingafrenchsonginahusky，brokenvoice.thesoldierssimplyheldtheirsidesastheylookedathim.

“nowthen，nowthen，teachitme；howdoesitgo？i’llcatchitinnotime.howwasit？”saidthesoldiermorelwasing，whowasoneofthesingersandfondofajoke.

“vivehenriquatre！viveceroivaillant！…”sangmorel，winking.“cediableàquatre…”

“vi-va-ri-ka！viff-se-ru-va-ru！si-dya-blya-ka！…”repeatedthesoldier，wavinghishandandcatchingthetunecorrectly.

“bravo！ho-ho-ho-ho！”ahoarseguffawofdelightroseonallsides.morel，wrinklinguphisface，laughedtoo.

“come，strikeup，more，more！”

“quieutletripletalentdeboire，debattre，etd’êtreunvertgalant.”

“thatsoundswelltoo.now，zaletaev！…”

“kyu，”zaletaevarticulatedwitheffort.“kyu-yu-yu…”hesang，puckeringuphislipselaborately；“le-trip-ta-la-de-boo-de-ba-ce-detra-va-ga-la.”

“that’sfine！that’safinefrenchman，tobesure！oy…ho-ho-ho.well，doyouwantsomemoretoeat？”

“givehimsomeporridge；it’lltakehimsometimetosatisfyhishunger.”

theygavehimmoreporridge，andmorel，laughing，attackedathirdbowlful.thereweregleefulsmilesonthefacesofalltheyoungsoldierswatchinghim.theoldsoldiers，consideringitbeneaththeirdignitytoshowinterestinsuchtrifles，layontheothersideofthefire，butnowandthenonewouldraisehimselfonhiselbowandglancewithasmileatmorel.

“theyaremen，too，”saidone，rollinghimselfupinhiscoat.“eventhewormwoodhasitsroots.”

“olord！whatlotsofstars！it’sasignoffrost…”andallsankintosilence.

thestars，asthoughtheyknewnoonewouldseethemnow，weretwinklingbrightlyintheblacksky.flaringupandgrowingdimagain，andquivering，theyseemedtobebusilysignallingsomejoyfulmysterytoeachother.