Thefriendcamestaggeringtohim。Therewassomefrightanddismayinhisvoice。\"Areyehallright,Fleming?Doyehfeelallright?Thereain’tnothin’th’matterwithyeh,Henry,isthere?\"
\"No,\"saidtheyouthwithdifficulty。Histhroatseemedfullofknobsandburs。
Theseincidentsmadetheyouthponder。Itwasrevealedtohimthathehadbeenabarbarian,abeast。Hehadfoughtlikeapaganwhode—
fendshisreligion。Regardingit,hesawthatitwasfine,wild,and,insomeways,easy。Hehadbeenatremendousfigure,nodoubt。Bythisstrugglehehadovercomeobstacleswhichhehadadmittedtobemountains。Theyhadfallenlikepaperpeaks,andhewasnowwhathecalledahero。Andhehadnotbeenawareofthepro—
cess。Hehadsleptand,awakening,foundhim—
selfaknight。
Helayandbaskedintheoccasionalstaresofhiscomrades。Theirfaceswerevariedinde—
greesofblacknessfromtheburnedpowder。
Somewereutterlysmudged。Theywerereek—
ingwithperspiration,andtheirbreathscamehardandwheezing。Andfromthesesoiledex—
pansestheypeeredathim。
\"Hotwork!Hotwork!\"criedthelieu—
tenantdeliriously。Hewalkedupanddown,restlessandeager。Sometimeshisvoicecouldbeheardinawild,incomprehensiblelaugh。
Whenhehadaparticularlyprofoundthoughtuponthescienceofwarhealwaysunconsciouslyaddressedhimselftotheyouth。
Therewassomegrimrejoicingbythemen。
\"Bythunder,Ibetthisarmy’llneverseeanothernewreg’mentlikeus!\"
\"Youbet!\"
\"Adog,awoman,an’awalnuttree,Th’moreyehbeat’em,th’bettertheybe!
That’slikeus。\"
\"Lostapilermen,theydid。Ifan’ol’womanswep’upth’woodsshe’dgitadustpanful。\"
\"Yes,an’ifshe’llcomearoundag’inin’boutan’hourshe’llgitapilemore。\"
Theforeststillboreitsburdenofclamor。
Fromoffunderthetreescametherollingclatterofthemusketry。Eachdistantthicketseemedastrangeporcupinewithquillsofflame。Acloudofdarksmoke,asfromsmolderingruins,wentuptowardthesunnowbrightandgayintheblue,enameledsky。
chapter18
CHAPTERXVIII。
THEraggedlinehadrespiteforsomemin—
utes,butduringitspausethestruggleintheforestbecamemagnifieduntilthetreesseemedtoquiverfromthefiringandthegroundtoshakefromtherushingofthemen。Thevoicesofthecannonweremingledinalongandinterminablerow。Itseemeddifficulttoliveinsuchanatmos—
phere。Thechestsofthemenstrainedforabitoffreshness,andtheirthroatscravedwater。
Therewasoneshotthroughthebody,whoraisedacryofbitterlamentationwhencamethislull。Perhapshehadbeencallingoutduringthefightingalso,butatthattimenoonehadheardhim。Butnowthementurnedatthewoe—
fulcomplaintsofhimupontheground。
\"Whoisit?Whoisit?\"
\"It’sJimmieRogers。JimmieRogers。\"
Whentheireyesfirstencounteredhimtherewasasuddenhalt,asiftheyfearedtogonear。
Hewasthrashingaboutinthegrass,twistinghis171
shudderingbodyintomanystrangepostures。
Hewasscreamingloudly。Thisinstant’shesita—
tionseemedtofillhimwithatremendous,fantas—
ticcontempt,andhedamnedtheminshriekedsentences。
Theyouth’sfriendhadageographicalillusionconcerningastream,andheobtainedpermissiontogoforsomewater。Immediatelycanteenswereshowereduponhim。\"Fillmine,willyeh?\"\"Bringmesome,too。\"\"Andme,too。\"
Hedeparted,ladened。Theyouthwentwithhisfriend,feelingadesiretothrowhisheatedbodyontothestreamand,soakingthere,drinkquarts。
Theymadeahurriedsearchforthesupposedstream,butdidnotfindit。\"Nowaterhere,\"
saidtheyouth。Theyturnedwithoutdelayandbegantoretracetheirsteps。
Fromtheirpositionastheyagainfacedto—
wardtheplaceofthefighting,theycouldofcoursecomprehendagreateramountofthebat—
tlethanwhentheirvisionshadbeenblurredbythehurlingsmokeoftheline。Theycouldseedarkstretcheswindingalongtheland,andononeclearedspacetherewasarowofgunsmak—
inggrayclouds,whichwerefilledwithlargeflashesoforange—coloredflame。Oversomefoli—
agetheycouldseetheroofofahouse。Onewin—
dow,glowingadeepmurderred,shonesquarelythroughtheleaves。Fromtheedificeatalllean—
ingtowerofsmokewentfarintothesky。
Lookingovertheirowntroops,theysawmixedmassesslowlygettingintoregularform。
Thesunlightmadetwinklingpointsofthebrightsteel。Tothereartherewasaglimpseofadis—
tantroadwayasitcurvedoveraslope。Itwascrowdedwithretreatinginfantry。Fromalltheinterwovenforestarosethesmokeandblusterofthebattle。Theairwasalwaysoccupiedbyablaring。
Nearwheretheystoodshellswereflip—flap—
pingandhooting。Occasionalbulletsbuzzedintheairandspangedintotreetrunks。Woundedmenandotherstragglerswereslinkingthroughthewoods。
Lookingdownanaisleofthegrove,theyouthandhiscompanionsawajanglinggeneralandhisstaffalmostrideuponawoundedman,whowascrawlingonhishandsandknees。Thegeneralreinedstronglyathischarger’sopenedandfoamymouthandguideditwithdexteroushorsemanshippasttheman。Thelatterscram—
bledinwildandtorturinghaste。Hisstrengthevidentlyfailedhimashereachedaplaceofsafety。Oneofhisarmssuddenlyweakened,andhefell,slidingoveruponhisback。Helaystretchedout,breathinggently。
Amomentlaterthesmall,creakingcavalcadewasdirectlyinfrontofthetwosoldiers。An—
otherofficer,ridingwiththeskillfulabandonofacowboy,gallopedhishorsetoapositiondirectlybeforethegeneral。Thetwounnoticedfootsol—
diersmadealittleshowofgoingon,buttheylingerednearinthedesiretooverhearthecon—
versation。Perhaps,theythought,somegreatinnerhistoricalthingswouldbesaid。
Thegeneral,whomtheboysknewasthecom—
manderoftheirdivision,lookedattheotherofficerandspokecoolly,asifhewerecriticisinghisclothes。\"Th’enemy’sformin’overthereforanothercharge,\"hesaid。\"It’llbedirectedagainstWhiterside,an’Ifearthey’llbreakthroughthereunlessweworklikethundert’stopthem。\"
Theothersworeathisrestivehorse,andthenclearedhisthroat。Hemadeagesturetowardhiscap。\"It’llbehellt’paystoppin’them,\"hesaidshortly。
\"Ipresumeso,\"remarkedthegeneral。Thenhebegantotalkrapidlyandinalowertone。Hefrequentlyillustratedhiswordswithapointingfinger。Thetwoinfantrymencouldhearnothinguntilfinallyheasked:\"Whattroopscanyouspare?\"
Theofficerwhorodelikeacowboyreflectedforaninstant。\"Well,\"hesaid,\"Ihadtoorderinth’12thtohelpth’76th,an’Ihaven’treallygotany。Butthere’sth’304th。Theyfightlikealot’amuledrivers。Icansparethembestofany。\"
Theyouthandhisfriendexchangedglancesofastonishment。
Thegeneralspokesharply。\"Get’emready,then。I’llwatchdevelopmentsfromhere,an’
sendyouwordwhent’startthem。It’llhappeninfiveminutes。\"
Astheotherofficertossedhisfingerstowardhiscapandwheelinghishorse,startedaway,thegeneralcalledouttohiminasobervoice:\"I
don’tbelievemanyofyourmuledriverswillgetback。\"
Theothershoutedsomethinginreply。Hesmiled。
Withscaredfaces,theyouthandhiscompan—
ionhurriedbacktotheline。
Thesehappeningshadoccupiedanincrediblyshorttime,yettheyouthfeltthatinthemhehadbeenmadeaged。Neweyesweregiventohim。
Andthemoststartlingthingwastolearnsud—
denlythathewasveryinsignificant。Theofficerspokeoftheregimentasifhereferredtoabroom。Somepartofthewoodsneededsweep—
ing,perhaps,andhemerelyindicatedabroominatoneproperlyindifferenttoitsfate。Itwaswar,nodoubt,butitappearedstrange。
Asthetwoboysapproachedtheline,thelieu—
tenantperceivedthemandswelledwithwrath。
\"Fleming——Wilson——howlongdoesittakeyehtogitwater,anyhow——whereyehbeento。\"
Buthisorationceasedashesawtheireyes,whichwerelargewithgreattales。\"We’regoin’
t’charge——we’regoin’t’charge!\"criedtheyouth’sfriend,hasteningwithhisnews。
\"Charge?\"saidthelieutenant。\"Charge?
Well,b’Gawd!Now,thisisrealfightin’。\"Overhissoiledcountenancetherewentaboastfulsmile。\"Charge?Well,b’Gawd!\"
Alittlegroupofsoldierssurroundedthetwoyouths。\"Arewe,sure’nough?Well,I’llbederned!Charge?Whatfer?Whatat?Wil—
son,you’relyin’。\"
\"Ihopetodie,\"saidtheyouth,pitchinghistonestothekeyofangryremonstrance。\"Sureasshooting,Itellyou。\"
Andhisfriendspokeinre—enforcement。\"Notbyablamesight,heain’tlyin’。Weheard’emtalkin’。\"
Theycaughtsightoftwomountedfiguresashortdistancefromthem。Onewasthecoloneloftheregimentandtheotherwastheofficerwhohadreceivedordersfromthecommanderofthedivision。Theyweregesticulatingateachother。
Thesoldier,pointingatthem,interpretedthescene。
Onemanhadafinalobjection:\"Howcouldyehhear’emtalkin’?\"Butthemen,foralargepart,nodded,admittingthatpreviouslythetwofriendshadspokentruth。
Theysettledbackintoreposefulattitudeswithairsofhavingacceptedthematter。Andtheymuseduponit,withahundredvarietiesofexpression。Itwasanengrossingthingtothinkabout。Manytightenedtheirbeltscarefullyandhitchedattheirtrousers。
Amomentlatertheofficersbegantobustleamongthemen,pushingthemintoamorecom—
pactmassandintoabetteralignment。Theychasedthosethatstraggledandfumedatafewmenwhoseemedtoshowbytheirattitudesthattheyhaddecidedtoremainatthatspot。Theywerelikecriticalshepherdsstrugglingwithsheep。
Presently,theregimentseemedtodrawitselfupandheaveadeepbreath。Noneofthemen’sfacesweremirrorsoflargethoughts。Thesol—
dierswerebendedandstoopedlikesprintersbe—
foreasignal。Manypairsofglintingeyespeeredfromthegrimyfacestowardthecurtainsofthedeeperwoods。Theyseemedtobeengagedindeepcalculationsoftimeanddistance。
Theyweresurroundedbythenoisesofthemonstrousaltercationbetweenthetwoarmies。
Theworldwasfullyinterestedinothermatters。
Apparently,theregimenthaditssmallaffairtoitself。
Theyouth,turning,shotaquick,inquiringglanceathisfriend。Thelatterreturnedtohimthesamemanneroflook。Theyweretheonlyoneswhopossessedaninnerknowledge。\"Muledrivers——hellt’pay——don’tbelievemanywillgetback。\"Itwasanironicalsecret。Still,theysawnohesitationineachother’sfaces,andtheynod—
dedamuteandunprotestingassentwhenashag—
gymannearthemsaidinameekvoice:\"We’llgitswallowed。\"
chapter19
CHAPTERXIX。
THEyouthstaredatthelandinfrontofhim。
Itsfoliagesnowseemedtoveilpowersandhor—
rors。Hewasunawareofthemachineryofordersthatstartedthecharge,althoughfromthecor—
nersofhiseyeshesawanofficer,wholookedlikeaboya—horseback,comegalloping,wavinghishat。Suddenlyhefeltastrainingandheavingamongthemen。Thelinefellslowlyforwardlikeatopplingwall,and,withaconvulsivegaspthatwasintendedforacheer,theregimentbeganitsjourney。Theyouthwaspushedandjostledforamomentbeforeheunderstoodthemove—
mentatall,butdirectlyhelungedaheadandbegantorun。
Hefixedhiseyeuponadistantandpromi—
nentclumpoftreeswherehehadconcludedtheenemyweretobemet,andherantowarditastowardagoal。Hehadbelievedthroughoutthatitwasamerequestionofgettingoveranunpleas—
antmatterasquicklyaspossible,andheran179
desperately,asifpursuedforamurder。Hisfacewasdrawnhardandtightwiththestressofhisendeavor。Hiseyeswerefixedinaluridglare。Andwithhissoiledanddisordereddress,hisredandinflamedfeaturessurmountedbythedingyragwithitsspotofblood,hiswildlyswingingrifleandbangingaccouterments,helookedtobeaninsanesoldier。
Astheregimentswungfromitspositionoutintoaclearedspacethewoodsandthicketsbe—
foreitawakened。Yellowflamesleapedtowarditfrommanydirections。Theforestmadeatre—
mendousobjection。
Thelinelurchedstraightforamoment。Thentherightwingswungforward;itinturnwassurpassedbytheleft。Afterwardthecentercareeredtothefrontuntiltheregimentwasawedge—shapedmass,butaninstantlatertheoppositionofthebushes,trees,andunevenplacesonthegroundsplitthecommandandscattereditintodetachedclusters。
Theyouth,light—footed,wasunconsciouslyinadvance。Hiseyesstillkeptnoteoftheclumpoftrees。Fromallplacesnearittheclannishyelloftheenemycouldbeheard。Thelittleflamesofriflesleapedfromit。Thesongofthebulletswasintheairandshellssnarledamongthetree—
tops。Onetumbleddirectlyintothemiddleofahurryinggroupandexplodedincrimsonfury。
Therewasaninstant’sspectacleofaman,almostoverit,throwinguphishandstoshieldhiseyes。
Othermen,punchedbybullets,fellingro—
tesqueagonies。Theregimentleftacoherenttrailofbodies。
Theyhadpassedintoacleareratmosphere。
Therewasaneffectlikearevelationinthenewappearanceofthelandscape。Somemenwork—
ingmadlyatabatterywereplaintothem,andtheopposinginfantry’slinesweredefinedbythegraywallsandfringesofsmoke。
Itseemedtotheyouththathesawevery—
thing。Eachbladeofthegreengrasswasboldandclear。Hethoughtthathewasawareofeverychangeinthethin,transparentvaporthatfloatedidlyinsheets。Thebrownorgraytrunksofthetreesshowedeachroughnessoftheirsur—
faces。Andthemenoftheregiment,withtheirstartingeyesandsweatingfaces,runningmadly,orfalling,asifthrownheadlong,toqueer,heaped—upcorpses——allwerecomprehended。Hismindtookamechanicalbutfirmimpression,sothatafterwardeverythingwaspicturedandex—
plainedtohim,savewhyhehimselfwasthere。
Buttherewasafrenzymadefromthisfuriousrush。Themen,pitchingforwardinsanely,hadburstintocheerings,moblikeandbarbaric,buttunedinstrangekeysthatcanarousethedullardandthestoic。Itmadeamadenthusiasmthat,itseemed,wouldbeincapableofcheckingitselfbeforegraniteandbrass。Therewasthedeli—
riumthatencountersdespairanddeath,andisheedlessandblindtotheodds。Itisatemporarybutsublimeabsenceofselfishness。Andbecauseitwasofthisorderwasthereason,perhaps,whytheyouthwondered,afterward,whatreasonshecouldhavehadforbeingthere。
Presentlythestrainingpaceateuptheener—
giesofthemen。Asifbyagreement,theleadersbegantoslackentheirspeed。Thevolleysdi—
rectedagainstthemhadhadaseemingwindlikeeffect。Theregimentsnortedandblew。Amongsomestolidtreesitbegantofalterandhesitate。
Themen,staringintently,begantowaitforsomeofthedistantwallsofsmoketomoveanddis—
closetothemthescene。Sincemuchoftheirstrengthandtheirbreathhadvanished,theyre—
turnedtocaution。Theywerebecomemenagain。
Theyouthhadavaguebeliefthathehadrunmiles,andhethought,inaway,thathewasnowinsomenewandunknownland。
Themomenttheregimentceaseditsadvancetheprotestingsplutterofmusketrybecameasteadiedroar。Longandaccuratefringesofsmokespreadout。Fromthetopofasmallhillcamelevelbelchingsofyellowflamethatcausedaninhumanwhistlingintheair。
Themen,halted,hadopportunitytoseesomeoftheircomradesdroppingwithmoansandshrieks。Afewlayunderfoot,stillorwailing。
Andnowforaninstantthemenstood,theirriflesslackintheirhands,andwatchedtheregimentdwindle。Theyappeareddazedandstupid。Thisspectacleseemedtoparalyzethem,overcomethemwithafatalfascination。Theystaredwood—
enlyatthesights,and,loweringtheireyes,lookedfromfacetoface。Itwasastrangepause,andastrangesilence。
Then,abovethesoundsoftheoutsidecommo—
tion,arosetheroarofthelieutenant。Hestrodesuddenlyforth,hisinfantilefeaturesblackwithrage。
\"Comeon,yehfools!\"hebellowed。\"Comeon!Yehcan’tstayhere。Yehmustcomeon。\"
Hesaidmore,butmuchofitcouldnotbeunder—
stood。
Hestartedrapidlyforward,withhisheadturnedtowardthemen。\"Comeon,\"hewasshouting。Themenstaredwithblankandyokel—
likeeyesathim。Hewasobligedtohaltandretracehissteps。Hestoodthenwithhisbacktotheenemyanddeliveredgiganticcursesintothefacesofthemen。Hisbodyvibratedfromtheweightandforceofhisimprecations。Andhecouldstringoathswiththefacilityofamaidenwhostringsbeads。
Thefriendoftheyoutharoused。Lurchingsuddenlyforwardanddroppingtohisknees,hefiredanangryshotatthepersistentwoods。Thisactionawakenedthemen。Theyhuddlednomorelikesheep。Theyseemedsuddenlytobe—
thinkthemoftheirweapons,andatoncecom—
mencedfiring。Belaboredbytheirofficers,theybegantomoveforward。Theregiment,involvedlikeacartinvolvedinmudandmuddle,startedunevenlywithmanyjoltsandjerks。Themenstoppednoweveryfewpacestofireandload,andinthismannermovedslowlyonfromtreestotrees。
Theflamingoppositionintheirfrontgrewwiththeiradvanceuntilitseemedthatallfor—
wardwayswerebarredbythethinleapingtongues,andofftotherightanominousdemon—
strationcouldsometimesbedimlydiscerned。
Thesmokelatelygeneratedwasinconfusingcloudsthatmadeitdifficultfortheregimenttoproceedwithintelligence。Ashepassedthrougheachcurlingmasstheyouthwonderedwhatwouldconfronthimonthefartherside。
Thecommandwentpainfullyforwarduntilanopenspaceinterposedbetweenthemandtheluridlines。Here,crouchingandcoweringbe—
hindsometrees,themenclungwithdesperation,asifthreatenedbyawave。Theylookedwild—
eyed,andasifamazedatthisfuriousdisturbancetheyhadstirred。Inthestormtherewasanironicalexpressionoftheirimportance。Thefacesofthemen,too,showedalackofacertainfeelingofresponsibilityforbeingthere。Itwasasiftheyhadbeendriven。Itwasthedominantanimalfailingtorememberinthesuprememo—
mentstheforcefulcausesofvarioussuperficialqualities。Thewholeaffairseemedincompre—
hensibletomanyofthem。
Astheyhaltedthusthelieutenantagainbe—
gantobellowprofanely。Regardlessofthevin—
dictivethreatsofthebullets,hewentaboutcoaxing,berating,andbedamning。Hislips,thatwerehabituallyinasoftandchildlikecurve,werenowwrithedintounholycontortions。Hesworebyallpossibledeities。
Oncehegrabbedtheyouthbythearm。
\"Comeon,yehlunkhead!\"heroared。\"Comeon!We’llallgitkilledifwestayhere。We’veon’ygott’goacrossthatlot。An’then\"——theremainderofhisideadisappearedinabluehazeofcurses。
Theyouthstretchedforthhisarm。\"Crossthere?\"Hismouthwaspuckeredindoubtandawe。
\"Certainly。Jest’crossth’lot!Wecan’tstayhere,\"screamedthelieutenant。Hepokedhisfaceclosetotheyouthandwavedhisban—
dagedhand。\"Comeon!\"Presentlyhegrap—
pledwithhimasifforawrestlingbout。Itwasasifheplannedtodragtheyouthbytheearontotheassault。
Theprivatefeltasuddenunspeakableindig—
nationagainsthisofficer。Hewrenchedfiercelyandshookhimoff。
\"Comeonherself,then,\"heyelled。Therewasabitterchallengeinhisvoice。
Theygallopedtogetherdowntheregimentalfront。Thefriendscrambledafterthem。Infrontofthecolorsthethreemenbegantobawl:
\"Comeon!comeon!\"Theydancedandgy—
ratedliketorturedsavages。
Theflag,obedienttotheseappeals,bendeditsglitteringformandswepttowardthem。Themenwaveredinindecisionforamoment,andthenwithalong,wailfulcrythedilapidatedregimentsurgedforwardandbeganitsnewjourney。
Overthefieldwentthescurryingmass。Itwasahandfulofmensplatteredintothefacesoftheenemy。Towarditinstantlysprangtheyel—
lowtongues。Avastquantityofbluesmokehungbeforethem。Amightybangingmadeearsvalueless。
Theyouthranlikeamadmantoreachthewoodsbeforeabulletcoulddiscoverhim。Heduckedhisheadlow,likeafootballplayer。Inhishastehiseyesalmostclosed,andthescenewasawildblur。Pulsatingsalivastoodatthecornersofhismouth。
Withinhim,ashehurledhimselfforward,wasbornalove,adespairingfondnessforthisflagwhichwasnearhim。Itwasacreationofbeautyandinvulnerability。Itwasagoddess,radiant,thatbendeditsformwithanimperiousgesturetohim。Itwasawoman,redandwhite,hatingandloving,thatcalledhimwiththevoiceofhishopes。Becausenoharmcouldcometoitheen—
doweditwithpower。Hekeptnear,asifitcouldbeasaveroflives,andanimploringcrywentfromhismind。
Inthemadscramblehewasawarethatthecolorsergeantflinchedsuddenly,asifstruckbyabludgeon。Hefaltered,andthenbecamemotion—
less,saveforhisquiveringknees。
Hemadeaspringandaclutchatthepole。
Atthesameinstanthisfriendgrabbeditfromtheotherside。Theyjerkedatit,stoutandfurious,butthecolorsergeantwasdead,andthecorpsewouldnotrelinquishitstrust。Foramomenttherewasagrimencounter。Thedeadman,swingingwithbendedback,seemedtobeobsti—
natelytugging,inludicrousandawfulways,forthepossessionoftheflag。
Itwaspastinaninstantoftime。Theywrenchedtheflagfuriouslyfromthedeadman,and,astheyturnedagain,thecorpseswayedfor—
wardwithbowedhead。Onearmswunghigh,andthecurvedhandfellwithheavyprotestonthefriend’sunheedingshoulder。
chapter20
CHAPTERXX。
WHENthetwoyouthsturnedwiththeflagtheysawthatmuchoftheregimenthadcrum—
bledaway,andthedejectedremnantwascomingslowlyback。Themen,havinghurledthemselvesinprojectilefashion,hadpresentlyexpendedtheirforces。Theyslowlyretreated,withtheirfacesstilltowardthesplutteringwoods,andtheirhotriflesstillreplyingtothedin。Severalofficersweregivingorders,theirvoiceskeyedtoscreams。
\"Whereinhellyehgoin’?\"thelieutenantwasaskinginasarcastichowl。Andared—beardedofficer,whosevoiceoftriplebrasscouldplainlybeheard,wascommanding:\"Shootinto’em!
Shootinto’em,Gawddamntheirsouls!\"Therewasameleeofscreeches,inwhichthemenwereorderedtodoconflictingandimpossiblethings。
Theyouthandhisfriendhadasmallscuffleovertheflag。\"Giveitt’me!\"\"No,letmekeepit!\"Eachfeltsatisfiedwiththeother’spos—
sessionofit,buteachfeltboundtodeclare,by189
anoffertocarrytheemblem,hiswillingnesstofurtherriskhimself。Theyouthroughlypushedhisfriendaway。
Theregimentfellbacktothestolidtrees。
Thereithaltedforamomenttoblazeatsomedarkformsthathadbeguntostealuponitstrack。
Presentlyitresumeditsmarchagain,curvingamongthetreetrunks。Bythetimethedepletedregimenthadagainreachedthefirstopenspacetheywerereceivingafastandmercilessfire。
Thereseemedtobemobsallaboutthem。
Thegreaterpartofthemen,discouraged,theirspiritswornbytheturmoil,actedasifstunned。Theyacceptedthepeltingofthebul—
letswithbowedandwearyheads。Itwasofnopurposetostriveagainstwalls。Itwasofnousetobatterthemselvesagainstgranite。Andfromthisconsciousnessthattheyhadattemptedtoconqueranunconquerablethingthereseemedtoariseafeelingthattheyhadbeenbetrayed。
Theygloweredwithbentbrows,butdanger—
ously,uponsomeoftheofficers,moreparticu—
larlyuponthered—beardedonewiththevoiceoftriplebrass。
However,therearoftheregimentwasfringedwithmen,whocontinuedtoshootirritablyattheadvancingfoes。Theyseemedresolvedtomakeeverytrouble。Theyouthfullieutenantwasper—
hapsthelastmaninthedisorderedmass。Hisforgottenbackwastowardtheenemy。Hehadbeenshotinthearm。Ithungstraightandrigid。
Occasionallyhewouldceasetorememberit,andbeabouttoemphasizeanoathwithasweepinggesture。Themultipliedpaincausedhimtoswearwithincrediblepower。
Theyouthwentalongwithslipping,uncertainfeet。Hekeptwatchfuleyesrearward。Ascowlofmortificationandragewasuponhisface。Hehadthoughtofafinerevengeupontheofficerwhohadreferredtohimandhisfellowsasmuledrivers。Buthesawthatitcouldnotcometopass。Hisdreamshadcollapsedwhenthemuledrivers,dwindlingrapidly,hadwaveredandhes—
itatedonthelittleclearing,andthenhadrecoiled。
Andnowtheretreatofthemuledriverswasamarchofshametohim。
Adagger—pointedgazefromwithouthisblack—
enedfacewasheldtowardtheenemy,buthisgreaterhatredwasrivetedupontheman,who,notknowinghim,hadcalledhimamuledriver。
Whenheknewthatheandhiscomradeshadfailedtodoanythinginsuccessfulwaysthatmightbringthelittlepangsofakindofremorseupontheofficer,theyouthallowedtherageofthebaf—
fledtopossesshim。Thiscoldofficeruponamonument,whodroppedepithetsunconcernedlydown,wouldbefinerasadeadman,hethought。
Sogrievousdidhethinkitthathecouldneverpossessthesecretrighttotaunttrulyinanswer。
Hehadpicturedredlettersofcuriousrevenge。
\"WeAREmuledrivers,arewe?\"Andnowhewascompelledtothrowthemaway。
Hepresentlywrappedhisheartinthecloakofhisprideandkepttheflagerect。Heha—
ranguedhisfellows,pushingagainsttheirchestswithhisfreehand。Tothoseheknewwellhemadefranticappeals,beseechingthembyname。
Betweenhimandthelieutenant,scoldingandneartolosinghismindwithrage,therewasfeltasubtlefellowshipandequality。Theysupportedeachotherinallmannerofhoarse,howlingpro—
tests。
Buttheregimentwasamachinerundown。
Thetwomenbabbledataforcelessthing。Thesoldierswhohadhearttogoslowlywerecon—
tinuallyshakenintheirresolvesbyaknowledgethatcomradeswereslippingwithspeedbacktothelines。Itwasdifficulttothinkofreputationwhenotherswerethinkingofskins。Woundedmenwereleftcryingonthisblackjourney。
Thesmokefringesandflamesblusteredal—
ways。Theyouth,peeringoncethroughasud—
denriftinacloud,sawabrownmassoftroops,interwovenandmagnifieduntiltheyappearedtobethousands。Afierce—huedflagflashedbeforehisvision。
Immediately,asiftheupliftingofthesmokehadbeenprearranged,thediscoveredtroopsburstintoaraspingyell,andahundredflamesjettedtowardtheretreatingband。Arollinggraycloudagaininterposedastheregimentdog—
gedlyreplied。Theyouthhadtodependagainuponhismisusedears,whichweretremblingandbuzzingfromthemeleeofmusketryandyells。
Thewayseemedeternal。Inthecloudedhazemenbecamepanicstrickenwiththethoughtthattheregimenthadlostitspath,andwasproceed—
inginaperilousdirection。Oncethemenwhoheadedthewildprocessionturnedandcamepush—
ingbackagainsttheircomrades,screamingthattheywerebeingfireduponfrompointswhichtheyhadconsideredtobetowardtheirownlines。
Atthiscryahystericalfearanddismaybesetthetroops。Asoldier,whoheretoforehadbeenam—
bitioustomaketheregimentintoawiselittlebandthatwouldproceedcalmlyamidthehuge—
appearingdifficulties,suddenlysankdownandburiedhisfaceinhisarmswithanairofbowingtoadoom。Fromanotherashrilllamentationrangoutfilledwithprofaneallusionstoageneral。
Menranhitherandthither,seekingwiththeireyesroadsofescape。Withsereneregularity,asifcontrolledbyaschedule,bulletsbuffedintomen。
Theyouthwalkedstolidlyintothemidstofthemob,andwithhisflaginhishandstookastandasifheexpectedanattempttopushhimtotheground。Heunconsciouslyassumedtheatti—
tudeofthecolorbearerinthefightofthepre—
cedingday。Hepassedoverhisbrowahandthattrembled。Hisbreathdidnotcomefreely。
Hewaschokingduringthissmallwaitforthecrisis。
Hisfriendcametohim。\"Well,Henry,I
guessthisisgood—by——John。\"
\"Oh,shutup,youdamnedfool!\"repliedtheyouth,andhewouldnotlookattheother。
Theofficerslaboredlikepoliticianstobeatthemassintoapropercircletofacethemen—
aces。Thegroundwasunevenandtorn。Themencurledintodepressionsandfittedthem—
selvessnuglybehindwhateverwouldfrustrateabullet。
Theyouthnotedwithvaguesurprisethatthelieutenantwasstandingmutelywithhislegsfarapartandhisswordheldinthemannerofacane。
Theyouthwonderedwhathadhappenedtohisvocalorgansthathenomorecursed。
Therewassomethingcuriousinthislittlein—
tentpauseofthelieutenant。Hewaslikeababewhich,havingweptitsfill,raisesitseyesandfixesuponadistanttoy。Hewasengrossedinthiscontemplation,andthesoftunderlipquiveredfromself—whisperedwords。
Somelazyandignorantsmokecurledslowly。
Themen,hidingfromthebullets,waitedanx—
iouslyforittoliftanddisclosetheplightoftheregiment。
Thesilentranksweresuddenlythrilledbytheeagervoiceoftheyouthfullieutenantbawlingout:\"Heretheycome!Rightontous,b’Gawd!\"Hisfurtherwordswerelostinaroarofwickedthunderfromthemen’srifles。
Theyouth’seyeshadinstantlyturnedinthedirectionindicatedbytheawakenedandagitatedlieutenant,andhehadseenthehazeoftreacherydisclosingabodyofsoldiersoftheenemy。Theyweresonearthathecouldseetheirfeatures。
Therewasarecognitionashelookedatthetypesoffaces。Alsoheperceivedwithdimamazementthattheiruniformswererathergayineffect,beinglightgray,accentedwithabrilliant—huedfacing。Too,theclothesseemednew。
Thesetroopshadapparentlybeengoingfor—
wardwithcaution,theirriflesheldinreadiness,whentheyouthfullieutenanthaddiscoveredthemandtheirmovementhadbeeninterruptedbythevolleyfromtheblueregiment。Fromthemoment’sglimpse,itwasderivedthattheyhadbeenunawareoftheproximityoftheirdark—
suitedfoesorhadmistakenthedirection。Al—
mostinstantlytheywereshututterlyfromtheyouth’ssightbythesmokefromtheenergeticriflesofhiscompanions。Hestrainedhisvisiontolearntheaccomplishmentofthevolley,butthesmokehungbeforehim。
Thetwobodiesoftroopsexchangedblowsinthemannerofapairofboxers。Thefastangryfiringswentbackandforth。Themeninbluewereintentwiththedespairoftheircircum—
stancesandtheyseizedupontherevengetobehadatcloserange。Theirthunderswelledloudandvaliant。Theircurvingfrontbristledwithflashesandtheplaceresoundedwiththeclangoroftheirramrods。Theyouthduckedanddodgedforatimeandachievedafewunsatisfactoryviewsoftheenemy。Thereappearedtobemanyofthemandtheywerereplyingswiftly。Theyseemedmovingtowardtheblueregiment,stepbystep。Heseatedhimselfgloomilyonthegroundwithhisflagbetweenhisknees。
Ashenotedthevicious,wolfliketemperofhiscomradeshehadasweetthoughtthatiftheenemywasabouttoswallowtheregimentalbroomasalargeprisoner,itcouldatleasthavetheconsolationofgoingdownwithbristlesfor—
ward。
Buttheblowsoftheantagonistbegantogrowmoreweak。Fewerbulletsrippedtheair,andfinally,whenthemenslackenedtolearnofthefight,theycouldseeonlydark,floatingsmoke。Theregimentlaystillandgazed。Pres—
entlysomechancewhimcametothepesteringblur,anditbegantocoilheavilyaway。Themensawagroundvacantoffighters。Itwouldhavebeenanemptystageifitwerenotforafewcorpsesthatlaythrownandtwistedintofantasticshapesuponthesward。
Atsightofthistableau,manyofthemeninbluesprangfrombehindtheircoversandmadeanungainlydanceofjoy。Theireyesburnedandahoarsecheerofelationbrokefromtheirdrylips。
Ithadbeguntoseemtothemthateventsweretryingtoprovethattheywereimpotent。Theselittlebattleshadevidentlyendeavoredtodemon—
stratethatthemencouldnotfightwell。Whenonthevergeofsubmissiontotheseopinions,thesmallduelhadshowedthemthatthepropor—
tionswerenotimpossible,andbyittheyhadrevengedthemselvesupontheirmisgivingsanduponthefoe。
Theimpetusofenthusiasmwastheirsagain。
Theygazedaboutthemwithlooksofupliftedpride,feelingnewtrustinthegrim,alwaysconfidentweaponsintheirhands。Andtheyweremen。
chapter21
CHAPTERXXI。
PRESENTLYtheyknewthatnofiringthreat—
enedthem。Allwaysseemedoncemoreopenedtothem。Thedustybluelinesoftheirfriendsweredisclosedashortdistanceaway。Inthedistancethereweremanycolossalnoises,butinallthispartofthefieldtherewasasuddenstillness。
Theyperceivedthattheywerefree。Thedepletedbanddrewalongbreathofreliefandgathereditselfintoabunchtocompleteitstrip。
Inthislastlengthofjourneythemenbegantoshowstrangeemotions。Theyhurriedwithnervousfear。Somewhohadbeendarkandun—
falteringinthegrimmestmomentsnowcouldnotconcealananxietythatmadethemfrantic。Itwasperhapsthattheydreadedtobekilledininsignificantwaysafterthetimesforpropermilitarydeathshadpassed。Or,perhaps,theythoughtitwouldbetooironicaltogetkilledat199
theportalsofsafety。Withbackwardlooksofperturbation,theyhastened。
Astheyapproachedtheirownlinestherewassomesarcasmexhibitedonthepartofagauntandbronzedregimentthatlayrestingintheshadeoftrees。Questionswerewaftedtothem。
\"Whereth’hellyehbeen?\"
\"Whatyehcomin’backfer?\"
\"Whydidn’tyehstaythere?\"
\"Wasitwarmoutthere,sonny?\"
\"Goin’homenow,boys?\"
Oneshoutedintauntingmimicry:\"Oh,mother,comequickan’lookatth’sojers!\"
Therewasnoreplyfromthebruisedandbat—
teredregiment,savethatonemanmadebroad—
castchallengestofistfightsandthered—beardedofficerwalkedrathernearandglaredingreatswashbucklerstyleatatallcaptainintheotherregiment。Butthelieutenantsuppressedthemanwhowishedtofistfight,andthetallcap—
tain,flushingatthelittlefanfareofthered—
beardedone,wasobligedtolookintentlyatsometrees。
Theyouth’stenderfleshwasdeeplystungbytheseremarks。Fromunderhiscreasedbrowshegloweredwithhateatthemockers。Hemeditateduponafewrevenges。Still,manyintheregimenthungtheirheadsincriminalfashion,sothatitcametopassthatthementrudgedwithsuddenheaviness,asiftheyboreupontheirbendedshouldersthecoffinoftheirhonor。Andtheyouthfullieutenant,recollectinghimself,be—
gantomuttersoftlyinblackcurses。
Theyturnedwhentheyarrivedattheiroldpositiontoregardthegroundoverwhichtheyhadcharged。
Theyouthinthiscontemplationwassmittenwithalargeastonishment。Hediscoveredthatthedistances,ascomparedwiththebrilliantmeasuringsofhismind,weretrivialandridicu—
lous。Thestolidtrees,wheremuchhadtakenplace,seemedincrediblynear。Thetime,too,nowthathereflected,hesawtohavebeenshort。
Hewonderedatthenumberofemotionsandeventsthathadbeencrowdedintosuchlittlespaces。Elfinthoughtsmusthaveexaggeratedandenlargedeverything,hesaid。
Itseemed,then,thattherewasbitterjusticeinthespeechesofthegauntandbronzedvet—
erans。Heveiledaglanceofdisdainathisfel—
lowswhostrewedtheground,chokingwithdust,redfromperspiration,misty—eyed,disheveled。
Theyweregulpingattheircanteens,fiercetowringeverymiteofwaterfromthem,andtheypolishedattheirswollenandwateryfeatureswithcoatsleevesandbunchesofgrass。
However,totheyouththerewasaconsider—
ablejoyinmusinguponhisperformancesduringthecharge。Hehadhadverylittletimepre—
viouslyinwhichtoappreciatehimself,sothattherewasnowmuchsatisfactioninquietlythink—
ingofhisactions。Herecalledbitsofcolorthatintheflurryhadstampedthemselvesunawaresuponhisengagedsenses。
Astheregimentlayheavingfromitshotexer—
tionstheofficerwhohadnamedthemasmuledriverscamegallopingalongtheline。Hehadlosthiscap。Histousledhairstreamedwildly,andhisfacewasdarkwithvexationandwrath。
Histemperwasdisplayedwithmoreclearnessbythewayinwhichhemanagedhishorse。Hejerkedandwrenchedsavagelyathisbridle,stop—
pingthehard—breathinganimalwithafuriouspullnearthecoloneloftheregiment。Heim—
mediatelyexplodedinreproacheswhichcameunbiddentotheearsofthemen。Theyweresuddenlyalert,beingalwayscuriousaboutblackwordsbetweenofficers。
\"Oh,thunder,MacChesnay,whatanawfulbullyoumadeofthisthing!\"begantheofficer。
Heattemptedlowtones,buthisindignationcausedcertainofthementolearnthesenseofhiswords。\"Whatanawfulmessyoumade!
GoodLord,man,youstoppedaboutahun—
dredfeetthissideofaveryprettysuccess!Ifyourmenhadgoneahundredfeetfartheryouwouldhavemadeagreatcharge,butasitis——whatalotofmuddiggersyou’vegotany—
way!\"
Themen,listeningwithbatedbreath,nowturnedtheircuriouseyesuponthecolonel。
Theyhadaragamuffininterestinthisaffair。
Thecolonelwasseentostraightenhisformandputonehandforthinoratoricalfashion。
Heworeaninjuredair;itwasasifadeaconhadbeenaccusedofstealing。Themenwerewigglinginanecstasyofexcitement。
Butofasuddenthecolonel’smannerchangedfromthatofadeacontothatofaFrenchman。
Heshruggedhisshoulders。\"Oh,well,general,wewentasfaraswecould,\"hesaidcalmly。
\"Asfarasyoucould?Didyou,b’Gawd?\"
snortedtheother。\"Well,thatwasn’tveryfar,wasit?\"headded,withaglanceofcoldcon—
temptintotheother’seyes。\"Notveryfar,I
think。YouwereintendedtomakeadiversioninfavorofWhiterside。Howwellyousucceededyourownearscannowtellyou。\"Hewheeledhishorseandrodestifflyaway。
Thecolonel,biddentohearthejarringnoisesofanengagementinthewoodstotheleft,brokeoutinvaguedamnations。
Thelieutenant,whohadlistenedwithanairofimpotentragetotheinterview,spokesuddenlyinfirmandundauntedtones。\"Idon’tcarewhatamanis——whetherheisageneralorwhat——ifhesaysth’boysdidn’tputupagoodfightouttherehe’sadamnedfool。\"
\"Lieutenant,\"beganthecolonel,severely,\"thisismyownaffair,andI’lltroubleyou——\"
Thelieutenantmadeanobedientgesture。
\"Allright,colonel,allright,\"hesaid。Hesatdownwithanairofbeingcontentwithhim—
self。
Thenewsthattheregimenthadbeenre—
proachedwentalongtheline。Foratimethemenwerebewilderedbyit。\"Goodthunder!\"
theyejaculated,staringatthevanishingformofthegeneral。Theyconceivedittobeahugemistake。
Presently,however,theybegantobelievethatintruththeireffortshadbeencalledlight。Theyouthcouldseethisconvictionweighupontheentireregimentuntilthemenwerelikecuffedandcursedanimals,butwithalrebellious。
Thefriend,withagrievanceinhiseye,wenttotheyouth。\"Iwonderwhathedoeswant,\"hesaid。\"Hemustthinkwewentouttherean’playedmarbles!Ineverseesechaman!\"
Theyouthdevelopedatranquilphilosophyforthesemomentsofirritation。\"Oh,well,\"herejoined,\"heprobablydidn’tseenothingofitatallandgotmadasblazes,andconcludedwewerealotofsheep,justbecausewedidn’tdowhathewanteddone。It’sapityoldGrandpaHender—
songotkilledyestirday——he’dhaveknownthatwedidourbestandfoughtgood。It’sjustourawfulluck,that’swhat。\"
\"Ishouldsayso,\"repliedthefriend。Heseemedtobedeeplywoundedataninjustice。
\"Ishouldsaywedidhaveawfulluck!There’snofuninfightin’ferpeoplewheneverythingyehdo——nomatterwhat——ain’tdoneright。I
haveanotiont’staybehindnexttimean’let’emtaketheirol’chargean’got’th’devilwithit。\"
Theyouthspokesoothinglytohiscomrade。
\"Well,webothdidgood。I’dliketoseethefoolwhat’dsaywebothdidn’tdoasgoodaswecould!\"
\"Ofcoursewedid,\"declaredthefriendstoutly。\"An’I’dbreakth’feller’sneckifhewasasbigasachurch。Butwe’reallright,anyhow,forIheardonefellersaythatwetwofitth’bestinth’reg’ment,an’theyhadagreatargument’boutit。Anotherfeller,’acourse,hehadt’upan’sayitwasalie——heseenallwhatwasgoin’
onan’heneverseenusfromth’beginnin’t’th’
end。An’alotmorestruckinan’sesitwasn’talie——wedidfightlikethunder,an’theygiveusquiteasend—off。ButthisiswhatIcan’tstand——theseeverlastin’ol’soldiers,titterin’an’
laughin’,an’thenthatgeneral,he’scrazy。\"
Theyouthexclaimedwithsuddenexaspera—
tion:\"He’salunkhead!Hemakesmemad。
Iwishhe’dcomealongnexttime。We’dshow’imwhat——\"
Heceasedbecauseseveralmenhadcomehurryingup。Theirfacesexpressedabringingofgreatnews。
\"OFlem,yehjestoughtaheard!\"criedone,eagerly。
\"Heardwhat?\"saidtheyouth。
\"Yehjestoughtaheard!\"repeatedtheother,andhearrangedhimselftotellhistidings。Theothersmadeanexcitedcircle。\"Well,sir,th’
colonelmetyourlieutenantrightbyus——itwasdamnedestthingIeverheard——an’heses:’Ahem!
ahem!’heses。’Mr。Hasbrouck!’heses,’byth’way,whowasthatladwhatcarriedth’flag?’
heses。There,Flemin’,whatd’yehthink’athat?’Whowasth’ladwhatcarriedth’flag?’
heses,an’th’lieutenant,hespeaksuprightaway:’That’sFlemin’,an’he’sajimhickey,’heses,rightaway。What?Isayhedid。’Ajim—
hickey,’heses——those’rhiswords。Hedid,too。
Isayhedid。IfyoukintellthisstorybetterthanIkin,goaheadan’tellit。Well,then,keepyermouthshet。Th’lieutenant,heses:’He’sajimhickey,’an’th’colonel,heses:’Ahem!ahem!
heis,indeed,averygoodmant’have,ahem!Hekep’th’flag’wayt’th’front。Isaw’im。He’sagoodun,’sesth’colonel。’Youbet,’sesth’lieu—
tenant,’hean’afellernamedWilsonwasatth’
head’ath’charge,an’howlin’likeIndiansallth’
time,’heses。’Head’ath’chargeallth’time,’
heses。’AfellernamedWilson,’heses。There,Wilson,m’boy,putthatinaletteran’sendithumt’yermother,hay?’AfellernamedWil—
son,’heses。An’th’colonel,heses:’Werethey,indeed?Ahem!ahem!Mysakes!’heses。’Atth’head’ath’reg’ment?’heses。’Theywere,’
sesth’lieutenant。’Mysakes!’sesth’colonel。
Heses:’Well,well,well,’heses,’thosetwobabies?’’Theywere,’sesth’lieutenant。
’Well,well,’sesth’colonel,’theydeservet’bemajorgenerals,’heses。’Theydeservet’bemajor—generals。’
Theyouthandhisfriendhadsaid:\"Huh!\"
\"Yerlyin’,Thompson。\"\"Oh,got’blazes!\"
\"Heneversedit。\"\"Oh,whatalie!\"\"Huh!\"
Butdespitetheseyouthfulscoffingsandembar—
rassments,theyknewthattheirfacesweredeeplyflushingfromthrillsofpleasure。Theyex—
changedasecretglanceofjoyandcongratula—
tion。
Theyspeedilyforgotmanythings。Thepastheldnopicturesoferroranddisappointment。
Theywereveryhappy,andtheirheartsswelledwithgratefulaffectionforthecolonelandtheyouthfullieutenant。
chapter22
CHAPTERXXII。
WHENthewoodsagainbegantopourforththedark—huedmassesoftheenemytheyouthfeltsereneself—confidence。Hesmiledbrieflywhenhesawmendodgeandduckatthelongscreech—
ingsofshellsthatwerethrowningianthandfulsoverthem。Hestood,erectandtranquil,watch—
ingtheattackbeginagainstapartofthelinethatmadeabluecurvealongthesideofanadja—
centhill。Hisvisionbeingunmolestedbysmokefromtheriflesofhiscompanions,hehadoppor—
tunitiestoseepartsofthehardfight。Itwasarelieftoperceiveatlastfromwhencecamesomeofthesenoiseswhichhadbeenroaredintohisears。
Offashortwayhesawtworegimentsfight—
ingalittleseparatebattlewithtwootherregi—
ments。Itwasinaclearedspace,wearingaset—
apartlook。Theywereblazingasifuponawager,givingandtakingtremendousblows。
Thefiringswereincrediblyfierceandrapid。
209
Theseintentregimentsapparentlywereobliviousofalllargerpurposesofwar,andweresluggingeachotherasifatamatchedgame。
Inanotherdirectionhesawamagnificentbrigadegoingwiththeevidentintentionofdriv—
ingtheenemyfromawood。Theypassedinoutofsightandpresentlytherewasamostawe—in—
spiringracketinthewood。Thenoisewasun—
speakable。Havingstirredthisprodigiousup—
roar,and,apparently,findingittooprodigious,thebrigade,afteralittletime,camemarchingairilyoutagainwithitsfineformationinnowisedisturbed。Therewerenotracesofspeedinitsmovements。Thebrigadewasjauntyandseemedtopointaproudthumbattheyellingwood。
Onaslopetothelefttherewasalongrowofguns,gruffandmaddened,denouncingtheenemy,who,downthroughthewoods,wereformingforanotherattackinthepitilessmo—
notonyofconflicts。Theroundreddischargesfromthegunsmadeacrimsonflareandahigh,thicksmoke。Occasionalglimpsescouldbecaughtofgroupsofthetoilingartillerymen。Intherearofthisrowofgunsstoodahouse,calmandwhite,amidburstingshells。Acongregationofhorses,tiedtoalongrailing,weretuggingfrenziedlyattheirbridles。Menwererunninghitherandthither。
Thedetachedbattlebetweenthefourregi—
mentslastedforsometime。Therechancedtobenointerference,andtheysettledtheirdisputebythemselves。Theystrucksavagelyandpow—
erfullyateachotherforaperiodofminutes,andthenthelighter—huedregimentsfalteredanddrewback,leavingthedark—bluelinesshouting。
Theyouthcouldseethetwoflagsshakingwithlaughteramidthesmokeremnants。
Presentlytherewasastillness,pregnantwithmeaning。Thebluelinesshiftedandchangedatrifleandstaredexpectantlyatthesilentwoodsandfieldsbeforethem。Thehushwassolemnandchurchlike,saveforadistantbatterythat,evidentlyunabletoremainquiet,sentafaintrollingthunderovertheground。Itirritated,likethenoisesofunimpressedboys。Themenimaginedthatitwouldpreventtheirperchedearsfromhearingthefirstwordsofthenewbattle。
Ofasuddenthegunsonthesloperoaredoutamessageofwarning。Asplutteringsoundhadbeguninthewoods。Itswelledwithamazingspeedtoaprofoundclamorthatinvolvedtheearthinnoises。Thesplittingcrashessweptalongthelinesuntilaninterminableroarwasdeveloped。Tothoseinthemidstofititbecameadinfittedtotheuniverse。Itwasthewhirringandthumpingofgiganticmachinery,complica—
tionsamongthesmallerstars。Theyouth’searswerefilledup。Theywereincapableofhearingmore。
Onaninclineoverwhicharoadwoundhesawwildanddesperaterushesofmenperpet—
uallybackwardandforwardinriotoussurges。
Thesepartsoftheopposingarmiesweretwolongwavesthatpitcheduponeachothermadlyatdictatedpoints。Toandfrotheyswelled。
Sometimes,onesidebyitsyellsandcheerswouldproclaimdecisiveblows,butamomentlatertheothersidewouldbeallyellsandcheers。
Oncetheyouthsawasprayoflightformsgoinhoundlikeleapstowardthewavingbluelines。
Therewasmuchhowling,andpresentlyitwentawaywithavastmouthfulofprisoners。Again,hesawabluewavedashwithsuchthunderousforceagainstagrayobstructionthatitseemedtocleartheearthofitandleavenothingbuttrampledsod。Andalwaysintheirswiftanddeadlyrushestoandfrothemenscreamedandyelledlikemaniacs。
Particularpiecesoffenceorsecurepositionsbehindcollectionsoftreeswerewrangledover,asgoldthronesorpearlbedsteads。Thereweredesperatelungesatthesechosenspotsseeminglyeveryinstant,andmostofthemwerebandiedlikelighttoysbetweenthecontendingforces。Theyouthcouldnottellfromthebattleflagsflyinglikecrimsonfoaminmanydirectionswhichcolorofclothwaswinning。
Hisemaciatedregimentbustledforthwithundiminishedfiercenesswhenitstimecame。
Whenassaultedagainbybullets,themenburstoutinabarbariccryofrageandpain。Theybenttheirheadsinaimsofintenthatredbehindtheprojectedhammersoftheirguns。
Theirramrodsclangedloudwithfuryastheireagerarmspoundedthecartridgesintotheriflebarrels。Thefrontoftheregimentwasasmoke—
wallpenetratedbytheflashingpointsofyellowandred。
Wallowinginthefight,theywereinanastonishinglyshorttimeresmudged。Theysurpassedinstainanddirtalltheirpreviousap—
pearances。Movingtoandfrowithstrainedexertion,jabberingthewhile,theywere,withtheirswayingbodies,blackfaces,andglowingeyes,likestrangeanduglyfriendsjiggingheavilyinthesmoke。
Thelieutenant,returningfromatourafterabandage,producedfromahiddenreceptacleofhismindnewandportentousoathssuitedtotheemergency。Stringsofexpletivesheswunglashlikeoverthebacksofhismen,anditwasevidentthathispreviouseffortshadinnowiseimpairedhisresources。
Theyouth,stillthebearerofthecolors,didnotfeelhisidleness。Hewasdeeplyabsorbedasaspectator。Thecrashandswingofthegreatdramamadehimleanforward,intent—eyed,hisfaceworkinginsmallcontortions。Sometimesheprattled,wordscomingunconsciouslyfromhimingrotesqueexclamations。Hedidnotknowthathebreathed;thattheflaghungsilentlyoverhim,soabsorbedwashe。
Aformidablelineoftheenemycamewithindangerousrange。Theycouldbeseenplainly——
tall,gauntmenwithexcitedfacesrunningwithlongstridestowardawanderingfence。
Atsightofthisdangerthemensuddenlyceasedtheircursingmonotone。Therewasaninstantofstrainedsilencebeforetheythrewuptheirriflesandfiredaplumpingvolleyatthefoes。Therehadbeennoordergiven;themen,uponrecognizingthemenace,hadimmedi—
atelyletdrivetheirflockofbulletswithoutwait—
ingforwordofcommand。
Buttheenemywerequicktogaintheprotec—
tionofthewanderinglineoffence。Theysliddownbehinditwithremarkablecelerity,andfromthispositiontheybeganbrisklytosliceupthebluemen。
Theselatterbracedtheirenergiesforagreatstruggle。Often,whiteclinchedteethshonefromtheduskyfaces。Manyheadssurgedtoandfro,floatinguponapaleseaofsmoke。
Thosebehindthefencefrequentlyshoutedandyelpedintauntsandgibelikecries,buttheregi—
mentmaintainedastressedsilence。Perhaps,atthisnewassaultthemenrecalledthefactthattheyhadbeennamedmuddiggers,anditmadetheirsituationthricebitter。Theywerebreath—
lesslyintentuponkeepingthegroundandthrust—
ingawaytherejoicingbodyoftheenemy。Theyfoughtswiftlyandwithadespairingsavagenessdenotedintheirexpressions。
Theyouthhadresolvednottobudgewhat—
evershouldhappen。Somearrowsofscornthathadburiedthemselvesinhishearthadgeneratedstrangeandunspeakablehatred。Itwascleartohimthathisfinalandabsoluterevengewastobeachievedbyhisdeadbodylying,tornandgluttering,uponthefield。Thiswastobeapoignantretaliationupontheofficerwhohadsaid\"muledrivers,\"andlater\"muddiggers,\"
forinallthewildgraspingsofhismindforaunitresponsibleforhissufferingsandcommo—
tionshealwaysseizeduponthemanwhohaddubbedhimwrongly。Anditwashisidea,vaguelyformulated,thathiscorpsewouldbeforthoseeyesagreatandsaltreproach。
Theregimentbledextravagantly。Gruntingbundlesofbluebegantodrop。Theorderlysergeantoftheyouth’scompanywasshotthroughthecheeks。Itssupportsbeinginjured,hisjawhungafardown,disclosinginthewidecavernofhismouthapulsingmassofbloodandteeth。
Andwithitallhemadeattemptstocryout。
Inhisendeavortherewasadreadfulearnestness,asifheconceivedthatonegreatshriekwouldmakehimwell。
Theyouthsawhimpresentlygorearward。
Hisstrengthseemedinnowiseimpaired。Heranswiftly,castingwildglancesforsuccor。
Othersfelldownaboutthefeetoftheircom—
panions。Someofthewoundedcrawledoutandaway,butmanylaystill,theirbodiestwistedintoimpossibleshapes。
Theyouthlookedonceforhisfriend。Hesawavehementyoungman,powder—smearedandfrowzled,whomheknewtobehim。Thelieu—
tenant,also,wasunscathedinhispositionattherear。Hehadcontinuedtocurse,butitwasnowwiththeairofamanwhowasusinghislastboxofoaths。
Forthefireoftheregimenthadbeguntowaneanddrip。Therobustvoice,thathadcomestrangelyfromthethinranks,wasgrowingrapidlyweak。
chapter23
CHAPTERXXIII。
THEcolonelcamerunningalongbackoftheline。Therewereotherofficersfollowinghim。
\"Wemustcharge’m!\"theyshouted。\"Wemustcharge’m!\"theycriedwithresentfulvoices,asifanticipatingarebellionagainstthisplanbythemen。
Theyouth,uponhearingtheshouts,begantostudythedistancebetweenhimandtheenemy。
Hemadevaguecalculations。Hesawthattobefirmsoldierstheymustgoforward。Itwouldbedeathtostayinthepresentplace,andwithallthecircumstancestogobackwardwouldexalttoomanyothers。Theirhopewastopushthegallingfoesawayfromthefence。
Heexpectedthathiscompanions,wearyandstiffened,wouldhavetobedriventothisassault,butasheturnedtowardthemheperceivedwithacertainsurprisethattheyweregivingquickandunqualifiedexpressionsofassent。Therewasanominous,clangingoverturetothecharge217
whentheshaftsofthebayonetsrattledupontheriflebarrels。Attheyelledwordsofcommandthesoldierssprangforwardineagerleaps。
Therewasnewandunexpectedforceinthemovementoftheregiment。Aknowledgeofitsfadedandjadedconditionmadethechargeap—
pearlikeaparoxysm,adisplayofthestrengththatcomesbeforeafinalfeebleness。Themenscamperedininsanefeverofhaste,racingasiftoachieveasuddensuccessbeforeanexhilaratingfluidshouldleavethem。Itwasablindandde—
spairingrushbythecollectionofmenindustyandtatteredblue,overagreenswardandunderasapphiresky,towardafence,dimlyoutlinedinsmoke,frombehindwhichsplutteredthefierceriflesofenemies。
Theyouthkeptthebrightcolorstothefront。
Hewaswavinghisfreearminfuriouscircles,thewhileshriekingmadcallsandappeals,urgingonthosethatdidnotneedtobeurged,foritseemedthatthemobofbluemenhurlingthem—
selvesonthedangerousgroupofrifleswereagaingrownsuddenlywildwithanenthusiasmofunselfishness。Fromthemanyfiringsstartingtowardthem,itlookedasiftheywouldmerelysucceedinmakingagreatsprinklingofcorpsesonthegrassbetweentheirformerpositionandthefence。Buttheywereinastateoffrenzy,perhapsbecauseofforgottenvanities,anditmadeanexhibitionofsublimerecklessness。Therewasnoobviousquestioning,norfigurings,nordia—
grams。Therewas,apparently,noconsideredloopholes。Itappearedthattheswiftwingsoftheirdesireswouldhaveshatteredagainsttheirongatesoftheimpossible。
Hehimselffeltthedaringspiritofasavagereligionmad。Hewascapableofprofoundsacri—
fices,atremendousdeath。Hehadnotimefordissections,butheknewthathethoughtofthebulletsonlyasthingsthatcouldpreventhimfromreachingtheplaceofhisendeavor。Thereweresubtleflashingsofjoywithinhimthatthusshouldbehismind。
Hestrainedallhisstrength。Hiseyesightwasshakenanddazzledbythetensionofthoughtandmuscle。Hedidnotseeanythingexceptingthemistofsmokegashedbythelittleknivesoffire,butheknewthatinitlaytheagedfenceofavanishedfarmerprotectingthesnuggledbodiesofthegraymen。
Asheranathoughtoftheshockofcontactgleamedinhismind。Heexpectedagreatcon—
cussionwhenthetwobodiesoftroopscrashedtogether。Thisbecameapartofhiswildbattlemadness。Hecouldfeeltheonwardswingoftheregimentabouthimandheconceivedofathun—
derous,crushingblowthatwouldprostratetheresistanceandspreadconsternationandamaze—
mentformiles。Theflyingregimentwasgoingtohaveacatapultianeffect。Thisdreammadehimrunfasteramonghiscomrades,whoweregivingventtohoarseandfranticcheers。
Butpresentlyhecouldseethatmanyofthemeningraydidnotintendtoabidetheblow。
Thesmoke,rolling,disclosedmenwhoran,theirfacesstillturned。Thesegrewtoacrowd,whoretiredstubbornly。Individualswheeledfre—
quentlytosendabulletatthebluewave。
Butatonepartofthelinetherewasagrimandobdurategroupthatmadenomovement。
Theyweresettledfirmlydownbehindpostsandrails。Aflag,ruffledandfierce,wavedoverthemandtheirriflesdinnedfiercely。
Thebluewhirlofmengotverynear,untilitseemedthatintruththerewouldbeacloseandfrightfulscuffle。Therewasanexpresseddisdainintheoppositionofthelittlegroup,thatchangedthemeaningofthecheersofthemeninblue。Theybecameyellsofwrath,directed,personal。Thecriesofthetwopartieswerenowinsoundaninterchangeofscathinginsults。
Theyinblueshowedtheirteeth;theireyesshoneallwhite。Theylaunchedthemselvesasatthethroatsofthosewhostoodresisting。Thespacebetweendwindledtoaninsignificantdis—
tance。
Theyouthhadcenteredthegazeofhissouluponthatotherflag。Itspossessionwouldbehighpride。Itwouldexpressbloodyminglings,nearblows。Hehadagigantichatredforthosewhomadegreatdifficultiesandcomplications。
Theycausedittobeasacravedtreasureofmy—
thology,hungamidtasksandcontrivancesofdanger。
Heplungedlikeamadhorseatit。Hewasresolveditshouldnotescapeifwildblowsanddaringsofblowscouldseizeit。Hisownem—
blem,quiveringandaflare,waswingingtowardtheother。Itseemedtherewouldshortlybeanencounterofstrangebeaksandclaws,asofeagles。
Theswirlingbodyofbluemencametoasuddenhaltatcloseanddisastrousrangeandroaredaswiftvolley。Thegroupingraywassplitandbrokenbythisfire,butitsriddledbodystillfought。Themeninblueyelledagainandrushedinuponit。
Theyouth,inhisleapings,saw,asthroughamist,apictureoffourorfivemenstretcheduponthegroundorwrithingupontheirkneeswithbowedheadsasiftheyhadbeenstrickenbyboltsfromthesky。Totteringamongthemwastherivalcolorbearer,whomtheyouthsawhadbeenbittenvitallybythebulletsofthelastformidablevolley。Heperceivedthismanfightingalaststruggle,thestruggleofonewhoselegsaregraspedbydemons。Itwasaghastlybattle。
Overhisfacewasthebleachofdeath,butsetuponitwasthedarkandhardlinesofdesperatepurpose。Withthisterriblegrinofresolutionhehuggedhispreciousflagtohimandwasstum—
blingandstaggeringinhisdesigntogothewaythatledtosafetyforit。
Buthiswoundsalwaysmadeitseemthathisfeetwereretarded,held,andhefoughtagrimfight,aswithinvisibleghoulsfastenedgreedilyuponhislimbs。Thoseinadvanceofthescam—
peringbluemen,howlingcheers,leapedatthefence。Thedespairofthelostwasinhiseyesasheglancedbackatthem。
Theyouth’sfriendwentovertheobstructioninatumblingheapandsprangattheflagasapantheratprey。Hepulledatitand,wrench—
ingitfree,swungupitsredbrilliancywithamadcryofexultationevenasthecolorbearer,gasping,lurchedoverinafinalthroeand,stiff—
eningconvulsively,turnedhisdeadfacetotheground。Therewasmuchblooduponthegrassblades。
Attheplaceofsuccesstherebeganmorewildclamoringsofcheers。Themengesticulatedandbellowedinanecstasy。Whentheyspokeitwasasiftheyconsideredtheirlistenertobeamileaway。Whathatsandcapswerelefttothemtheyoftenslunghighintheair。
Atonepartofthelinefourmenhadbeenswoopedupon,andtheynowsatasprisoners。
Somebluemenwereabouttheminaneagerandcuriouscircle。Thesoldiershadtrappedstrangebirds,andtherewasanexamination。Aflurryoffastquestionswasintheair。
Oneoftheprisonerswasnursingasuperficialwoundinthefoot。Hecuddledit,baby—wise,buthelookedupfromitoftentocursewithanastonishingutterabandonstraightatthenosesofhiscaptors。Heconsignedthemtoredregions;
hecalleduponthepestilentialwrathofstrangegods。Andwithitallhewassingularlyfreefromrecognitionofthefinerpointsofthecon—
ductofprisonersofwar。Itwasasifaclumsyclodhadtroduponhistoeandheconceivedittobehisprivilege,hisduty,tousedeep,resentfuloaths。
Another,whowasaboyinyears,tookhisplightwithgreatcalmnessandapparentgoodnature。Heconversedwiththemeninblue,studyingtheirfaceswithhisbrightandkeeneyes。Theyspokeofbattlesandconditions。
Therewasanacuteinterestinalltheirfacesdur—
ingthisexchangeofviewpoints。Itseemedagreatsatisfactiontohearvoicesfromwhereallhadbeendarknessandspeculation。
Thethirdcaptivesatwithamorosecounte—
nance。Hepreservedastoicalandcoldattitude。
Toalladvanceshemadeonereplywithoutvaria—
tion,\"Ah,got’hell!\"
Thelastofthefourwasalwayssilentand,forthemostpart,kepthisfaceturnedinun—
molesteddirections。Fromtheviewstheyouthreceivedheseemedtobeinastateofabsolutedejection。Shamewasuponhim,andwithitprofoundregretthathewas,perhaps,nomoretobecountedintheranksofhisfellows。Theyouthcoulddetectnoexpressionthatwouldallowhimtobelievethattheotherwasgivingathoughttohisnarrowedfuture,thepictureddungeons,perhaps,andstarvationsandbrutali—
ties,liabletotheimagination。Alltobeseenwasshameforcaptivityandregretfortherighttoantagonize。
Afterthemenhadcelebratedsufficientlytheysettleddownbehindtheoldrailfence,ontheoppositesidetotheonefromwhichtheirfoeshadbeendriven。Afewshotperfunctorilyatdistantmarks。
Therewassomelonggrass。Theyouthnestledinitandrested,makingaconvenientrailsupporttheflag。Hisfriend,jubilantandglori—
fied,holdinghistreasurewithvanity,cametohimthere。Theysatsidebysideandcongratu—
latedeachother。
chapter24
CHAPTERXXIV。
THEroaringsthathadstretchedinalonglineofsoundacrossthefaceoftheforestbegantogrowintermittentandweaker。Thestentorianspeechesoftheartillerycontinuedinsomedis—
tantencounter,butthecrashesofthemusketryhadalmostceased。Theyouthandhisfriendofasuddenlookedup,feelingadeadenedformofdistressatthewaningofthesenoises,whichhadbecomeapartoflife。Theycouldseechangesgoingonamongthetroops。Thereweremarch—
ingsthiswayandthatway。Abatterywheeledleisurely。Onthecrestofasmallhillwasthethickgleamofmanydepartingmuskets。
Theyoutharose。\"Well,whatnow,Iwon—
der?\"hesaid。Byhistoneheseemedtobepreparingtoresentsomenewmonstrosityinthewayofdinsandsmashes。Heshadedhiseyeswithhisgrimyhandandgazedoverthefield。
Hisfriendalsoaroseandstared。\"Ibet226
we’regoin’t’gitalongoutofthisan’backoverth’river,\"saidhe。
\"Well,Iswan!\"saidtheyouth。
Theywaited,watching。Withinalittlewhiletheregimentreceivedorderstoretraceitsway。
Themengotupgruntingfromthegrass,regret—
tingthesoftrepose。Theyjerkedtheirstiffenedlegs,andstretchedtheirarmsovertheirheads。
Onemansworeasherubbedhiseyes。Theyallgroaned\"OLord!\"Theyhadasmanyobjec—
tionstothischangeastheywouldhavehadtoaproposalforanewbattle。
Theytrampledslowlybackoverthefieldacrosswhichtheyhadruninamadscamper。
Theregimentmarcheduntilithadjoineditsfellows。Thereformedbrigade,incolumn,aimedthroughawoodattheroad。Directlytheywereinamassofdust—coveredtroops,andweretrudgingalonginawayparalleltotheenemy’slinesasthesehadbeendefinedbythepreviousturmoil。
Theypassedwithinviewofastolidwhitehouse,andsawinfrontofitgroupsoftheircom—
radeslyinginwaitbehindaneatbreastwork。A
rowofgunswereboomingatadistantenemy。
Shellsthrowninreplywereraisingcloudsofdustandsplinters。Horsemendashedalongthelineofintrenchments。
Atthispointofitsmarchthedivisioncurvedawayfromthefieldandwentwindingoffinthedirectionoftheriver。Whenthesignificanceofthismovementhadimpresseditselfupontheyouthheturnedhisheadandlookedoverhisshouldertowardthetrampledanddebris—strewedground。Hebreathedabreathofnewsatisfac—
tion。Hefinallynudgedhisfriend。\"Well,it’sallover,\"hesaidtohim。
Hisfriendgazedbackward。\"B’Gawd,itis,\"heassented。Theymused。
Foratimetheyouthwasobligedtoreflectinapuzzledanduncertainway。Hismindwasundergoingasubtlechange。Ittookmomentsforittocastoffitsbattlefulwaysandresumeitsaccustomedcourseofthought。Graduallyhisbrainemergedfromthecloggedclouds,andatlasthewasenabledtomorecloselycompre—
hendhimselfandcircumstance。
Heunderstoodthenthattheexistenceofshotandcounter—shotwasinthepast。Hehaddweltinalandofstrange,squallingupheavalsandhadcomeforth。Hehadbeenwheretherewasredofbloodandblackofpassion,andhewases—
caped。Hisfirstthoughtsweregiventorejoic—
ingsatthisfact。
Laterhebegantostudyhisdeeds,hisfail—
ures,andhisachievements。Thus,freshfromsceneswheremanyofhisusualmachinesofre—
flectionhadbeenidle,fromwherehehadpro—
ceededsheeplike,hestruggledtomarshalallhisacts。
Atlasttheymarchedbeforehimclearly。
Fromthispresentviewpointhewasenabledtolookupontheminspectatorfashionandtocriticisethemwithsomecorrectness,forhisnewconditionhadalreadydefeatedcertainsym—
pathies。
Regardinghisprocessionofmemoryhefeltgleefulandunregretting,forinithispublicdeedswereparadedingreatandshiningprominence。
Thoseperformanceswhichhadbeenwitnessedbyhisfellowsmarchednowinwidepurpleandgold,havingvariousdeflections。Theywentgaylywithmusic。Itwaspleasuretowatchthesethings。Hespentdelightfulminutesviewingthegildedimagesofmemory。
Hesawthathewasgood。Herecalledwithathrillofjoytherespectfulcommentsofhisfel—
lowsuponhisconduct。
Nevertheless,theghostofhisflightfromthefirstengagementappearedtohimanddanced。Thereweresmallshoutingsinhisbrainaboutthesematters。Foramomentheblushed,andthelightofhissoulflickeredwithshame。
Aspecterofreproachcametohim。Thereloomedthedoggingmemoryofthetatteredsoldier——hewho,goredbybulletsandfaintforblood,hadfrettedconcerninganimaginedwoundinanother;hewhohadloanedhislastofstrengthandintellectforthetallsoldier;hewho,blindwithwearinessandpain,hadbeendesertedinthefield。
Foraninstantawretchedchillofsweatwasuponhimatthethoughtthathemightbedetectedinthething。Ashestoodpersistentlybeforehisvision,hegaveventtoacryofsharpirritationandagony。
Hisfriendturned。\"What’sthematter,Henry?\"hedemanded。Theyouth’sreplywasanoutburstofcrimsonoaths。
Ashemarchedalongthelittlebranch—hungroadwayamonghisprattlingcompanionsthisvisionofcrueltybroodedoverhim。Itclungnearhimalwaysanddarkenedhisviewofthesedeedsinpurpleandgold。Whicheverwayhisthoughtsturnedtheywerefollowedbythesomberphantomofthedesertioninthefields。
Helookedstealthilyathiscompanions,feelingsurethattheymustdiscerninhisfaceevidencesofthispursuit。Buttheywereploddinginraggedarray,discussingwithquicktonguestheaccomplishmentsofthelatebattle。
\"Oh,ifamanshouldcomeupan’askme,I’dsaywegotadumgoodlickin’。\"
\"Lickin’——inyereye!Weain’tlicked,sonny。
We’regoin’downhereaways,swingaroun’,an’
comeinbehint’em。\"
\"Oh,hush,withyourcomin’inbehint’em。
I’veseenall’athatIwanta。Don’ttellmeaboutcomin’inbehint——\"
\"BillSmithers,heseshe’dratherbeenintenhundredbattlesthanbeeninthatheluvahospital。Hesestheygotshootin’inth’night—
time,an’shellsdroppedplumamong’eminth’
hospital。Hesessechhollerin’heneversee。\"
\"Hasbrouck?He’sth’bestoff’cerinthisherereg’ment。He’sawhale。\"
\"Didn’tItellyehwe’dcomearoun’inbehint’em?Didn’tItellyehso?We——\"
\"Oh,shetyehmouth!\"
Foratimethispursuingrecollectionofthetatteredmantookallelationfromtheyouth’sveins。Hesawhisvividerror,andhewasafraidthatitwouldstandbeforehimallhislife。Hetooknoshareinthechatterofhiscomrades,nordidhelookatthemorknowthem,savewhenhefeltsuddensuspicionthattheywereseeinghisthoughtsandscrutinizingeachdetailofthescenewiththetatteredsoldier。
Yetgraduallyhemusteredforcetoputthesinatadistance。Andatlasthiseyesseemedtoopentosomenewways。Hefoundthathecouldlookbackuponthebrassandbombastofhisearliergospelsandseethemtruly。Hewasgleefulwhenhediscoveredthathenowdespisedthem。
Withthisconvictioncameastoreofassur—
ance。Hefeltaquietmanhood,nonassertivebutofsturdyandstrongblood。Heknewthathewouldnomorequailbeforehisguideswher—
evertheyshouldpoint。Hehadbeentotouchthegreatdeath,andfoundthat,afterall,itwasbutthegreatdeath。Hewasaman。
Soitcametopassthatashetrudgedfromtheplaceofbloodandwrathhissoulchanged。
Hecamefromhotplowsharestoprospectsofclovertranquilly,anditwasasifhotplowshareswerenot。Scarsfadedasflowers。
Itrained。Theprocessionofwearysoldiersbecameabedraggledtrain,despondentandmuttering,marchingwithchurningeffortinatroughofliquidbrownmudunderalow,wretchedsky。Yettheyouthsmiled,forhesawthattheworldwasaworldforhim,thoughmanydiscoveredittobemadeofoathsandwalkingsticks。Hehadridhimselfoftheredsicknessofbattle。Thesultrynightmarewasinthepast。
Hehadbeenananimalblisteredandsweatingintheheatandpainofwar。Heturnednowwithalover’sthirsttoimagesoftranquilskies,freshmeadows,coolbrooks——anexistenceofsoftandeternalpeace。
Overtheriveragoldenrayofsuncamethroughthehostsofleadenrainclouds。