the red badge of courage(红色英勇勋章)-第8节
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close； or to develop 'em； or something。〃
〃Huh！〃 said the loud soldier。
〃Well；〃 cried the youth； still fidgeting； 〃I'd rather do anything 'most
than go tramping 'round the country all day doing no good to nobody and
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jest tiring ourselves out。〃
〃So would I；〃 said the loud soldier。 〃It ain't right。 I tell you if
anybody with any sense was a…runnin' this army it〃
〃Oh； shut up！〃 roared the tall private。 〃You little fool。 You little
damn' cuss。 You ain't had that there coat and them pants on for six
months； and yet you talk as if〃
〃Well； I wanta do some fighting anyway；〃 interrupted the other。 〃I
didn't come here to walk。 I could 'ave walked to home'round an' 'round
the barn； if I jest wanted to walk。〃
The tall one； red…faced； swallowed another sandwich as if taking
poison in despair。
But gradually； as he chewed； his face became again quiet and
contented。 He could not rage in fierce argument in the presence of such
sand… wiches。 During his meals he always wore an air of blissful
contemplation of the food he had swal… lowed。 His spirit seemed then to
be communing with the viands。
He accepted new environment and circum… stance with great coolness；
eating from his haver… sack at every opportunity。 On the march he went
along with the stride of a hunter； object… ing to neither gait nor distance。
And he had not raised his voice when he had been ordered away from
three little protective piles of earth and stone； each of which had been an
engineer… ing feat worthy of being made sacred to the name of his
grandmother。
In the afternoon the regiment went out over the same ground it had
taken in the morn… ing。 The landscape then ceased to threaten the youth。
He had been close to it and become familiar with it。
When； however； they began to pass into a new region； his old fears of
stupidity and in… competence reassailed him； but this time he dog… gedly
let them babble。 He was occupied with his problem； and in his
desperation he concluded that the stupidity did not greatly matter。
Once he thought he had concluded that it would be better to get killed
directly and end his troubles。 Regarding death thus out of the corner of
his eye； he conceived it to be noth… ing but rest； and he was filled with a
momen… tary astonishment that he should have made an extraordinary
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commotion over the mere matter of getting killed。 He would die； he
would go to some place where he would be understood。 It was useless to
expect appreciation of his pro… found and fine senses from such men as the
lieu… tenant。 He must look to the grave for compre… hension。
The skirmish fire increased to a long chatter… ing sound。 With it was
mingled far…away cheer… ing。 A battery spoke。
Directly the youth would see the skirmishers running。 They were
pursued by the sound of musketry fire。 After a time the hot； dangerous
flashes of the rifles were visible。 Smoke clouds went slowly and
insolently across the fields like observant phantoms。 The din became
crescendo； like the roar of an oncoming train。
A brigade ahead of them and on the right went into action with a
rending roar。 It was as if it had exploded。 And thereafter it lay
stretched in the distance behind a long gray wall； that one was obliged to
look twice at to make sure that it was smoke。
The youth； forgetting his neat plan of getting killed； gazed spell bound。
His eyes grew wide and busy with the action of the scene。 His mouth
was a little ways open。
Of a sudden he felt a heavy and sad hand laid upon his shoulder。
Awakening from his trance of observation he turned and beheld the loud
soldier。
〃It's my first and last battle； old boy；〃 said the latter； with intense
gloom。 He was quite pale and his girlish lip was trembling。
〃Eh？〃 murmured the youth in great aston… ishment。
〃It's my first and last battle； old boy；〃 continued the loud soldier。
〃Something tells me〃
〃What？〃
〃I'm a gone coon this first time andand I w…want you to take these
here thingstomy folks。〃 He ended in a quavering sob of pity for
himself。 He handed the youth a little packet done up in a yellow
envelope。
〃Why； what the devil〃 began the youth again。
But the other gave him a glance as from the depths of a tomb； and
raised his limp hand in a prophetic manner and turned away。
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CHAPTER IV。
THE brigade was halted in the fringe of a grove。 The men crouched
among the trees and pointed their restless guns out at the fields。 They tried
to look beyond the smoke。
Out of this haze they could see running men。 Some shouted
information and gestured as they hurried。
The men of the new regiment watched and listened eagerly； while their
tongues ran on in gossip of the battle。 They mouthed rumors that had
flown like birds out of the unknown。
〃They say Perry has been driven in with big loss。〃
〃Yes； Carrott went t' th' hospital。 He said he was sick。 That smart
lieutenant is commanding 'G' Company。 Th' boys say they won't be
under Carrott no more if they all have t' desert。 They allus knew he was a
〃
〃Hannises' batt'ry is took。〃
〃It ain't either。 I saw Hannises' batt'ry off on th' left not more'n fifteen
minutes ago。〃
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〃Well〃
〃Th' general； he ses he is goin' t' take th' hull cammand of th' 304th
when we go inteh action； an' then he ses we'll do sech fightin' as never
another one reg'ment done。〃
〃They say we're catchin' it over on th' left。 They say th' enemy driv' our
line inteh a devil of a swamp an' took Hannises' batt'ry。〃
〃No sech thing。 Hannises' batt'ry was 'long here 'bout a minute ago。〃
〃That young Hasbrouck； he makes a good off'cer。 He ain't afraid 'a
nothin'。〃
〃I met one of th' 148th Maine boys an' he ses his brigade fit th' hull
rebel army fer four hours over on th' turnpike road an' killed about five
thousand of 'em。 He ses one more sech fight as that an' th' war 'll be
over。〃
〃Bill wasn't scared either。 No； sir！ It wasn't that。 Bill ain't a…gittin'
scared easy。 He was jest mad； that's what he was。 When that feller trod
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on his hand； he up an' sed that he was willin' t' give his hand t' his country；
but he be dumbed if he was goin' t' have every dumb bushwhacker in th'
kentry walkin' 'round on it。 Se he went t' th' hospital disregardless of th'
fight。 Three fingers was crunched。 Th' dern doctor wanted t' amputate
'm； an' Bill； he raised a heluva row； I hear。 He's a funny feller。〃
The din in front swelled to a tremendous chorus。 The youth and his
fellows were frozen to silence。 They could see a flag that tossed in the
smoke angrily。 Near it were the blurred and agitated forms of troops。
There came a turbulent stream of men across the fields。 A battery chang…
ing position at a frantic gallop scattered the stragglers right and left。
A shell screaming like a storm banshee went over the huddled heads of
the reserves。 It landed in the grove； and exploding redly flung the brown
earth。 There was a little shower of pine needles。
Bullets b
