Theyouthcringedasifdiscoveredinacrime.Byheavens,theyhadwonafterall!Theimbecilelinehadremainedandbecomevictors.Hecouldhearcheering. Heliftedhimselfuponhistoesandlookedinthedirectionofthefight.Ayellowfoglaywallowingonthetreetops.Frombeneathitcametheclatterofmusketry.Hoarsecriestoldofanadvance. Heturnedawayamazedandangry.Hefeltthathehadbeenwronged. Hehadfled,hetoldhimself,becauseannihilationapproached. Hehaddoneagoodpartinsavinghimself,whowasalittlepieceofthearmy. Hehadconsideredthetime,hesaid,tobeoneinwhichitwasthedutyofeverylittlepiecetorescueitselfifpossible. Latertheofficerscouldfitthelittlepiecestogetheragain,andmakeabattlefront. Ifnoneofthelittlepieceswerewiseenoughtosavethemselvesfromtheflurryofdeathatsuchatime,why,then,wherewouldbethearmy? Itwasallplainthathehadproceededaccordingtoverycorrectandcommendablerules.Hisactionshadbeensagaciousthings.Theyhadbeenfullofstrategy.Theyweretheworkofamaster’slegs. Thoughtsofhiscomradescametohim.Thebrittlebluelinehadwithstoodtheblowsandwon.Hegrewbitteroverit. Itseemedthattheblindignoranceandstupidityofthoselittlepieceshadbetrayedhim. Hehadbeenoverturnedandcrushedbytheirlackofsenseinholdingtheposition,whenintelligentdeliberationwouldhaveconvincedthemthatitwasimpossible. He,theenlightenedmanwholooksafarinthedark,hadfledbecauseofhissuperiorperceptionsandknowledge. Hefeltagreatangeragainsthiscomrades. Heknewitcouldbeprovedthattheyhadbeenfools. Hewonderedwhattheywouldremarkwhenlaterheappearedincamp.Hismindheardhowlsofderision.Theirdensitywouldnotenablethemtounderstandhissharperpointofview. Hebegantopityhimselfacutely.Hewasillused. Hewastroddenbeneaththefeetofanironinjustice. Hehadproceededwithwisdomandfromthemostrighteousmotivesunderheaven’sblueonlytobefrustratedbyhatefulcircumstances. Adull,animal-likerebellionagainsthisfellows,warintheabstract,andfategrewwithinhim. Heshambledalongwithbowedhead,hisbraininatumultofagonyanddespair. Whenhelookedloweringlyup,quiveringateachsound,hiseyeshadtheexpressionofthoseofacriminalwhothinkshisguiltlittleandhispunishmentgreat,andknowsthathecanfindnowords. Hewentfromthefieldsintoathickwoods,asifresolvedtoburyhimself.Hewishedtogetoutofhearingofthecracklingshotswhichweretohimlikevoices. Thegroundwasclutteredwithvinesandbushes,andthetreesgrewcloseandspreadoutlikebouquets. Hewasobligedtoforcehiswaywithmuchnoise. Thecreepers,catchingagainsthislegs,criedoutharshlyastheirspraysweretornfromthebarksoftrees. Theswishingsaplingstriedtomakeknownhispresencetotheworld.Hecouldnotconciliatetheforest. Ashemadehisway,itwasalwayscallingoutprotestations. Whenheseparatedembracesoftreesandvinesthedisturbedfoliageswavedtheirarmsandturnedtheirfaceleavestowardhim. Hedreadedlestthesenoisymotionsandcriesshouldbringmentolookathim. Sohewentfar,seekingdarkandintricateplaces. Afteratimethesoundofmusketrygrewfaintandthecannonboomedinthedistance. Thesun,suddenlyapparent,blazedamongthetrees. Theinsectsweremakingrhythmicalnoises. Theyseemedtobegrindingtheirteethinunison. Awoodpeckerstuckhisimpudentheadaroundthesideofatree.Abirdflewonlightheartedwing. Offwastherumbleofdeath.ItseemednowthatNaturehadnoears. Thislandscapegavehimassurance.Afairfieldholdinglife.Itwasthereligionofpeace. Itwoulddieifitstimideyeswerecompelledtoseeblood. HeconceivedNaturetobeawomanwithadeepaversiontotragedy. Hethrewapineconeatajovialsquirrel,andheranwithchatteringfear.Highinatreetophestopped,and,pokinghisheadcautiouslyfrombehindabranch,lookeddownwithanairoftrepidation. Theyouthfelttriumphantatthisexhibition.Therewasthelaw,hesaid.Naturehadgivenhimasign. Thesquirrel,immediatelyuponrecognizingdanger,hadtakentohislegswithoutado. Hedidnotstandstolidlybaringhisfurrybellytothemissile,anddiewithanupwardglanceatthesympatheticheavens. Onthecontrary,hehadfledasfastashislegscouldcarryhim;andhewasbutanordinarysquirrel,too—doubtlessnophilosopherofhisrace. Theyouthwended,feelingthatNaturewasofhismind. Shere-enforcedhisargumentwithproofsthatlivedwherethesunshone. Oncehefoundhimselfalmostintoaswamp. Hewasobligedtowalkuponbogtuftsandwatchhisfeettokeepfromtheoilymire. Pausingatonetimetolookabouthimhesaw,outatsomeblackwater,asmallanimalpounceinandemergedirectlywithagleamingfish. Theyouthwentagainintothedeepthickets.Thebrushedbranchesmadeanoisethatdrownedthesoundsofcannon.Hewalkedon,goingfromobscurityintopromisesofagreaterobscurity. Atlengthhereachedaplacewherethehigh,archingboughsmadeachapel. Hesoftlypushedthegreendoorsasideandentered. Pineneedleswereagentlebrowncarpet.Therewasareligioushalflight. Nearthethresholdhestopped,horror-strickenatthesightofathing. Hewasbeinglookedatbyadeadmanwhowasseatedwithhisbackagainstacolumnliketree. Thecorpsewasdressedinauniformthathadoncebeenblue,butwasnowfadedtoamelancholyshadeofgreen. Theeyes,staringattheyouth,hadchangedtothedullhuetobeseenonthesideofadeadfish.Themouthwasopen. Itsredhadchangedtoanappallingyellow. Overthegrayskinofthefaceranlittleants. Onewastrundlingsomesortofbundlealongtheupperlip. Theyouthgaveashriekasheconfrontedthething. Hewasformomentsturnedtostonebeforeit. Heremainedstaringintotheliquid-lookingeyes. Thedeadmanandthelivingmanexchangedalonglook. Thentheyouthcautiouslyputonehandbehindhimandbroughtitagainstatree. Leaninguponthisheretreated,stepbystep,withhisfacestilltowardthething. Hefearedthatifheturnedhisbackthebodymightspringupandstealthilypursuehim. Thebranches,pushingagainsthim,threatenedtothrowhimoveruponit. Hisunguidedfeet,too,caughtaggravatinglyinbrambles;andwithitallhereceivedasubtlesuggestiontotouchthecorpse. Ashethoughtofhishanduponitheshudderedprofoundly. Atlastheburstthebondswhichhadfastenedhimtothespotandfled,unheedingtheunderbrush. Hewaspursuedbythesightofblackantsswarminggreedilyuponthegrayfaceandventuringhorriblyneartotheeyes. Afteratimehepaused,and,breathlessandpanting,listened.Heimaginedsomestrangevoicewouldcomefromthedeadthroatandsquawkafterhiminhorriblemenaces. Thetreesabouttheportalofthechapelmovedsoughinglyinasoftwind.Asadsilencewasuponthelittleguardingedifice. 
