There was another silence while he waited.
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uddenly, his form stiffened and straightened. Then it wasshaken by a prolonged ague. He stared into space. To the twowatchers there was a curious and profound dignity in the firmlines of his awful face. He was invaded by a creeping strangeness that slowlyenveloped him. For a moment the tremor of his legs caused himto dance a sort of hideous hornpipe. His arms beat wildly abouthis head in expression of implike enthusiasm. His tall figure stretched itself to its full height. There was aslight rending sound. Then it began to swing forward, slow andstraight, in the manner of a falling tree. A swift muscularcontortion made the left shoulder strike the ground first. The body seemed to bounce a little way from the earth.“God!” said the tattered soldier. The youth had watched, spellbound, this ceremony at theplace of meeting. His face had been twisted into an expression ofevery agony he had imagined for his friend. He now sprang to his feet and, going closer, gazed upon thepastelike face. The mouth was open and the teeth showed in alaugh. As the flap of the blue jacket fell away from the body, hecould see that the side looked as if it had been chewed bywolves. The youth turned, with sudden, livid rage, toward thebattlefield. He shook his fist. He seemed about to deliver aphilippic. “Hell—”
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