Perdosa, out of forty or fifty mis-fires, got one feeble sputter, and a tremendous bang which blew up his piece, leaving only the stock in his hand.

Half dreaming, he heard the sharp sputter of a launchbearing belated comers to the ball, no doubtbut he paid no attention to it.

Through the dark curtain of the sky in a parabola rising from the German trenches swept the brilliant sputter of red light of a German flare.