Then we sat together, once more in silence. The firing did not
diminish, and sometimes the bombs burst near by, quite close to us. The
earth trembled, a dark, narrow column rose up, and we were spattered
with dirt, with lumps of earth, and smoke. But neither I nor the German
stirred. We did not wish to show that we were afraid.
Toward evening the fire grew more intense. The German was now listening
to the guns.
"That was yours; that's mine; that's a 120, that's a 75, that's a 77,
that's another 75."
My arm was numb and ached severely. I said: "Will you kindly get a
flask out of my pocket? I have some cognac."
We drank some brandy, both from the same bottle. First he, then I; and
when we had drunk from the same bottle he blushed and raised his big,
blue eyes.
"You are married?"
"Yes; I am married."
"Have you any children?"
"No."
"I have--two."
He rose and said, with a wave of his hand: "I own a brickyard over
there, in Hanover. I am a peaceful man. I have managed the brickyard
all my life. I wanted peace--and I have gone to war. And now we are
living like moles. We sleep in the water. We risk our lives every
minute. People have gone mad. Black has become white, and white black.
Tell me, why are we fighting?"
"Your Wilhelm wanted it!"
"Ach! Wilhelm! And did my children want war? Wilhelm wanted it and they
did not want it. And I obeyed not them, but Wilhelm! And here I am, on
French, on foreign soil, beside you, in this hole; and perhaps I shall
die to-day. I shall die, or you will. They will kill me or you. Why?
What for? For Germany? For my brickyard? When will this war end? When
will we go home again? Or shall we not go home? Tell me, why are we
fighting?"
I wanted to answer him. I wanted to tell him that we Frenchmen were
defending our country, and that the Germans were bandits, not guests!
But I suddenly felt that I was thrown up into the air, that it had
become hot, that there was a rank smell of smoke, and that everything
about me was red. This lasted a second--or it may have been a year--and
when I came to myself I saw the blue sky overhead. I made an effort
to rise. I noticed that the crater was smashed down at the edge, and
had grown smaller and deeper. From beneath the overturned, damp earth
a pair of boots stuck forth, worn at the heel; and beside them, close
to me, lay an officer's cap, with the brim torn off. I understood--my
companion had been killed. My arm ached; I stumbled and lost
consciousness. During the night the men of my regiment picked me up.