This, however, was his last moment of weakness. "Wait. Let us
compare watches first."
He pulled out his own. The officer with the chipped nose went over to
borrow the watch of General Feraud. They bent their heads over them for
a time.
"That's it. At four minutes to six by yours. Seven to by mine."
It was the cuirassier who remained by the side of General D'Hubert,
keeping his one eye fixed immovably on the white face of the watch he
held in the palm of his hand. He opened his mouth, waiting for the beat
of the last second long before he snapped out the word, "Avancez."
General D'Hubert moved on, passing from the glaring sunshine of the
Provencal morning into the cool and aromatic shade of the pines. The
ground was clear between the reddish trunks, whose multitude, leaning at
slightly different angles, confused his eye at first. It was like going
into battle. The commanding quality of confidence in himself woke up in
his breast. He was all to his affair. The problem was how to kill the
adversary. Nothing short of that would free him from this imbecile
nightmare.
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