We heard the round far off; heard it draw slowly nearer. Last of
all, it turned the corner and moved into our field of vision: two
file of men and a corporal with a lantern, which he swung to and
fro, so as to cast its light in the recesses of the yards and
sheds.
'Hullo!' cried the corporal, pausing as he came by Goguelat.
He stooped with his lantern. All our hearts were flying.
'What devil's work is this?' he cried, and with a startling voice
summoned the guard.
We were all afoot upon the instant; more lanterns and soldiers
crowded in front of the shed; an officer elbowed his way in. In
the midst was the big naked body, soiled with blood. Some one had
covered him with his blanket; but as he lay there in agony, he had
partly thrown it off.
'This is murder!' cried the officer. 'You wild beasts, you will
hear of this to-morrow.'
As Goguelat was raised and laid upon a stretcher, he cried to us a
cheerful and blasphemous farewell.
CHAPTER III--MAJOR CHEVENIX COMES INTO THE STORY, AND GOGUELAT GOES
OUT
There was never any talk of a recovery, and no time was lost in
getting the man's deposition. He gave but the one account of it:
that he had committed suicide because he was sick of seeing so many
Englishmen. The doctor vowed it was impossible, the nature and
direction of the wound forbidding it.
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