to � so you re not in the army my boy he asked abruptly i m a foreigner the young man answered the captain seemed only half pleased with this reason he winked and smiled was pleasanter company than cannon then seeing him smile added � i m a foreigner but i can put a bullet into an apple at five hundred � see my gun s there behind you by la it may be of use to you the captain replied simply had come up trembling a little and without the people there took both the hands she held out to him and pressed them in his as if to take her under his protection the captain smiled again il added not a word he remained sitting his sword between his leg his eyes looking at as if in a dream it was already two o clock it was growing very hot there was a dead silence in the court yard the sheds the soldiers had fallen to eating their soup not a sound came from the village in which the people had their houses doors and windows a dog left alone in the road was howling from the neighboring woods and meadows motionless in the heat came a far off voice long sustained made up of every separate breath of air a was singing then the silence spread itself over the country also and in this air a shot suddenly burst forth the captain sprang up quickly the soldiers dropped their plates of soup still half full in a few seconds every man was at his post for the fight the mill was occupied from top to bottom yet the captain who had gone out upon the road could make out nothing to the right and left the road stretched out empty and all white a second shot was heard and still nothing not a shadow but on turning round he over towards between two trees a light of smoke away like the wood was still profoundly quiet the have taken to the forest he muttered they know we are here then the firing kept up harder and harder between the french soldiers stationed round the mill and the hidden behind the trees the bullets whistled across the without any loss on one side or the other the shots were irregular coming from every bush and all you saw was still the little clouds of smoke gently away by the wind this lasted for nearly two hours the officer a tune as if indifferent and who had stayed in the court yard raised themselves up on and looked over the wall they were particularly interested in watching a little soldier stationed on the brink of the behind the of an old boat he was flat on his belly watched his chance fired by � his shot then let himself slide down into a ditch a little behind him to his rifle and his movements were so droll so cunning so that it made one smile to see him he must have the head of some for he got up quickly and brought his piece to his shoulder but before he fired he gave a cry turned over upon himself and rolled into the ditch where his legs out with the momentary jerk of those of a chicken with its neck wrung the little soldier had received a bullet full in the breast he was the first man killed instinctively seized hold of s hand and squeezed it with a nervous grip don t stay there said the captain the bullets reach here as he spoke a little sharp stroke was heard in the old elm and a branch fell in through the air but the young people did not stir there by anxiety at the sight on the outskirts of the wood a came out suddenly from behind a tree as from a side scene beating the air with his arms and tumbling over backwards and then nothing stirred the two dead men seemed to sleep in the dazzling sunshine you saw no one in the landscape even the crack of the shots stopped only the kept up its silver toned whispering old looked at the captain in surprise as if to ask if it were over here it comes the latter muttered look out don t stay there he had not finished speaking when there came a terrific it was as if the great elm were down a cloud of leaves whirled about them luckily the had fired too high dragged almost carried away while old followed them crying out � go down to the little cellar the walls are solid but they did not mind him they went into the great hall where ten soldiers or so were waiting in silence with shutters closed peeping through the cracks the captain had stayed alone in the court yard crouched down behind the little wall while the furious continued the soldiers he had stationed outside yielded ground only foot by foot yet they came in one by one crawling on their faces when the enemy had them from their hiding places their orders were to by � mile gain time not to show themselves so that the might not know what numbers they had before them another hour went by and as a came up saying that there were only two or three men left outside the officer looked at his watch muttering � half after two come we must hold out four hours he had the gate of the court yard shut and all preparations were made for an energetic resistance as the were on the other side of the an immediate assault was not to be feared to be sure there was a bridge a little over a mile off but they doubtless did not know of its existence and it was hardly probable that they would try to ford the river so the officer merely 