"By God!" swore Bébert, "there they are, l*****g each other's skins again!"
Then, when Trompette had passed, he replied, on the subject of Bataille:
"Oh, he's a cunning old beast! When he stops like that it's because he guesses there's something in the way, a stone or a hole, and he takes care of himself; he doesn't want to break his bones. To-day I don't know what was the matter with him down there after the door. He pushed it, and stood stock-still. Did you see anything?"
"No," said Jeanlin. "There's water, I've got it up to my knees."
The tram set out again. And, on the following journey, when he had opened the ventilation door with a blow from his head, Bataille again refused to advance, neighing and trembling. At last he made up his mind, and set off with a bound.
Jeanlin, who cl
