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He did not finish. Just then there was a whistle in the air;

nearer and nearer, faster and louder, louder and faster, a cannon

ball, as if it had not finished saying what was necessary,

thudded into the ground near the shed with super human force,

throwing up a mass of earth. The ground seemed to groan at the

terrible impact.

And immediately Tushin, with a short pipe in the corner of his

mouth and his kind, intelligent face rather pale, rushed out of

the shed followed by the owner of the manly voice, a dashing

infantry officer who hurried off to his company, buttoning up his

coat as he ran.

CHAPTER XVII