corps: See note to page 9, line

46, 8. les territoriaux: territorials. Military service is compulsory for ail Frenchmen from the âge of twenty to forty-five. Before the Great War of 1914-1918, it was divided as follows:

3 years in the regular army; 10 years in the reserve of the regular army; 6 years in the territorial army; 6 years in the reserve of the territorial army. During the war, men of the last category were kept busy doing odd jobs such as repairing roads, picking up wounded men, etc.

47, 4. Quelle heure peut-il bien être: What time can it be , I

wonder. See note to page 7, line 17.

8. tac, tac, tac: an onomatopœia imitating the staccato-like firing of the machine guns.

16. tsic, tsic, tsic: an onomatopœia imitating the peculiar noise of bullets striking straw stacks.