We stayed that night and all that day, and when the order to march the
following evening came, all of us were surprised, including the
captain. I was with the One Hundred and Seventy-second at the time,
having some fun with a little Belgian. I had come upon him in the dark
and had watched him in growing wonder at his actions. There the little
fellow was, stamping up and down, every so often stopping, shaking
clenched fists in the air, and spouting curses. I asked him what was
the matter. "Rien, mon sergent," he replied. "Je m'excite." "Pourquoi?"
I demanded. "Ah," he told me, "look,"--pointing out toward the German
line,--"out there lies my friend, dead, with three pounds of my
chocolate in his _musette_, and when I'm good and mad, I'm going out
to get it!" I hope he got it!