The Frontier

The captain said, clearly, and the order was repeated to the end of the garden:"Fire as you please.... Sight at three hundred yards...."There were a few seconds of solemn waiting ... then the terrible word:"Fire!"Yonder, along the barrel of his rifle, near an old oak in whose branches he once used toclimb, Philippe saw a great lubber in uniform throw up his hands, bend his legs one afterthe other and stretch himself along the ground, slowly, as though to sleep....