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and looked at the men, who had all sat down on the ground and were smoking. Schnurrbart’s eyes were fixed upon the oceanic forest below, whose western half was already bathed in the rays of an as yet invisible sun. The mist above the trees shivered with motion and dispelled itself even as he watched. The purple of the distant hills was slowly lightening to blue; the contours of the hills merged imperceptibly with the horizon. The mood he was in alarmed him somehow. This mood was dangerous, he thought; it entered the blood and then there was no getting rid of it. It only made everything harder, the whole damned war, everything. Trying to distract himself, he concentrated on the rifle which lay at his feet. Finally he cleared his throat noisily and turned to Krüger. ‘Weird, isn’t it?’ he said to Krüger.
    The East Prussian picked at his nose. ‘If I sit here much longer,’ he said harshly, ‘I shall never get up again, believe me.’ He looked at Dietz, who was sitting open -mouthed, staring up at the sky. ‘What’s the matter with you?’ he asked. ‘Seeing angels?’
    Dietz raised his hand. ‘Sh -’ he said, closing his eyes.
    ‘He’s out of his mind,’ Krüger declared.
    Dietz shook his head violently. ‘Be still,’ he whispered. ‘Don’t you hear them?’
    Krüger gave him a suspicious look. ‘Hear what? The angels?’ 
    ‘Don’t be silly, you can’t help hearing them. The bells.’ He turned to the other men. ‘Do you hear them? There! Now—it’s perfectly clear.’
    They all stared at him. ‘What do you hear?’ Kern asked. 
    ‘Bells,’ Schnurrbart said. ‘The Child hears bells, bells in the middle of the wilderness.’
    ‘Be quiet a minute, will you,’ Krüger said, straightening up and cupping his hands behind his ears. After a while he shrugged. ‘I don’t hear a thing. He’s just trying to make fun of us.’
    ‘I don’t hear anything either,’ Kern said.
    They were all indignant and glowered at Dietz. ‘You’re just hearing things,’ Zoll growled.
    Dietz lifted his shoulders helplessly. ‘I swear I heard them,’ he said uncertainly. ‘I couldn’t be that mistaken.’
    ‘It’s easy to diddle yourself,’ Krüger said, feeling sorry for the little fellow. He turned to Dorn who was standing behind him. ‘Isn’t that true, Professor?’
    Dorn took his time about answering. He adjusted his glasses and regarded Dietz, who was looking anxiously up at him. His face was serious as he said: ‘Hallucinations.’
    ‘My God, what is that?’ Krüger asked aghast.
    'When your senses deceive you,’ Dorn said briefly.
    There was a silence. Krüger shook his head. ‘Never heard of it. Strange business.’
    Dietz turned to Steiner. ‘Didn’t you hear them?’
    Steiner, eyes half closed, took a drag on his cigarette. ‘The bells?’ he asked. ‘I did.’
    ‘There!’ Dietz fairly puffed with relief, while the others stared indignantly at Steiner.
    ‘Typical,’ Krüger whispered, turning to Schnurrbart. Schnurrbart did not answer. He had noticed long ago that Steiner had a weakness for little Dietz, who always seemed a little lost among the others. Not that Steiner showed favouritism toward him in matters like standing guard or carrying gear. His feelings came out in the almost paternal tone he sometimes adopted toward the Sudeten German. It had happened before that he took the side of Dietz in quarrels among the men; Schnurrbart recalled incidents he had observed with just the smallest touch of jealousy. Once more Steiner’s incomprehensible attitude angered him more than he would admit to himself. Naturally there had been no bells, he told himself. Bells in the middle of a forest in Russia! It was ridiculous. Irritably, he drew on his pipe, wondering whether or not to let the subject drop. But Dietz spoke first. Perhaps he had been hearing things. If Steiner hadn’t backed him up about the bells, he would have been willing to grant that it was a mistake. Perhaps