midday
Gee ! '' He broke off with a grunt of disgust ; nor did he so much as listen to another of the group who sought to lure him into an opinion as to whether the spy might be an inhabitant of the village or a camp-follower . Sucking at his pipe ; the Sergeant glowered moodily down the ruined street . The village drowsed under the hot midday . Here and there a soldier lounged along aimlessly or tried out his exercise-book French on some puzzled , native . Now and then an officer passed in or out of the half-unroofed mairie which served as regimental headquarters . Beyond , in the handkerchief-sized village square , a platoon was drilling .