English
Thetreesbegansoftlytosingahymnoftwilight.
Thesunsankuntilslantedbronzeraysstrucktheforest.
Therewasalullinthenoisesofinsectsasiftheyhadbowedtheirbeaksandweremakingadevotionalpause.
Therewassilencesaveforthechantedchorusofthetrees.
Then,uponthisstillness,theresuddenlybrokeatremendousclangorofsounds.Acrimsonroarcamefromthedistance.
Theyouthstopped.Hewastransfixedbythisterrificmedleyofallnoises.Itwasasifworldswerebeingrended.Therewastherippingsoundofmusketryandthebreakingcrashoftheartillery.
Hismindflewinalldirections.Heconceivedthetwoarmiestobeateachotherpantherfashion.Helistenedforatime.
Thenhebegantoruninthedirectionofthebattle.
Hesawthatitwasanironicalthingforhimtoberunningthustowardthatwhichhehadbeenatsuchpainstoavoid.
Buthesaid,insubstance,tohimselfthatiftheearthandthemoonwereabouttoclash,manypersonswoulddoubtlessplantogetupontheroofstowitnessthecollision.
Asheran,hebecameawarethattheforesthadstoppeditsmusic,asifatlastbecomingcapableofhearingtheforeginsounds.Thetreeshushedandstoodmotionless.
Everythingseemedtobelisteningtothecrackleandclatterandearthshakingthunder.Thechoruspeakedoverthestillearth.
Itsuddenlyoccurredtotheyouththatthefightinwhichhehadbeenwas,afterall,butperfunctorypopping.
Inthehearingofthispresentdinhewasdoubtfulifhehadseenrealbattlescenes.
Thisuproarexplainedacelestialbattle;itwastumblinghordesa-struggleintheair.
Reflecting,hesawasortofahumorinthepointofviewofhimselfandhisfellowsduringthelateencounter.
Theyhadtakenthemselvesandtheenemyveryseriouslyandhadimaginedthattheyweredecidingthewar.
Individualsmusthavesupposedthattheywerecuttingthelettersoftheirnamesdeepintoeverlastingtabletsofbrass,orenshriningtheirreputationsforeverintheheartsoftheircountrymen,while,astofact,theaffairwouldappearinprintedreportsunderameekandimmaterialtitle.
Buthesawthatitwasgood,else,hesaid,inbattleeveryonewouldsurelyrunsaveforlornhopesandtheirilk.
Hewentrapidlyon.Hewishedtocometotheedgeoftheforestthathemightpeerout.
Ashehastened,therepassedthroughhismindpicturesofstupendousconflicts.
Hisaccumulatedthoughtuponsuchsubjectswasusedtoformscenes.
Thenoisewasasthevoiceofaneloquentbeing,describing.
Sometimesthebramblesformedchainsandtriedtoholdhimback.
Trees,confrontinghim,stretchedouttheirarmsandforbadehimtopass.
Afteritsprevioushostilitythisnewresistanceoftheforestfilledhimwithafinebitterness.
ItseemedthatNaturecouldnotbequitereadytokillhim.
Butheobstinatelytookroundaboutways,andpresentlyhewaswherehecouldseelonggraywallsofvaporwherelaybattlelines.Thevoicesofcannonshookhim.
Themusketrysoundedinlongirregularsurgesthatplayedhavocwithhisears.Hestoodregardantforamoment.Hiseyeshadanawestruckexpression.Hegawkedinthedirectionofthfight.
Presentlyheproceededagainonhisforwardway.
Thebattlewaslikethegrindingofanimmenseandterriblemachinetohim.
Itscomplexitiesandpowers,itsgrimprocesses,fascinatedhim.
Hemustgocloseandseeitproducecorpses.
Hecametoafenceandclamberedoverit.
Onthefarside,thegroundwaslitteredwithclothesandguns.
Anewspaper,foldedup,layinthedirt.
Adeadsoldierwasstretchedwithhisfacehiddeninhisarm.
Fartherofftherewasagroupoffourorfivecorpseskeepingmournfulcompany.Ahotsunhadblazeduponthisspot.
Inthisplacetheyouthfeltthathewasaninvader.
Thisforgottenpartofthebattlegroundwasownedbythedeadmen,andhehurried,inthevagueapprehensionthatoneoftheswollenformswouldriseandtellhimtobegone.
Hecamefinallytoaroadfromwhichhecouldseeinthedistancedarkandagitatedbodiesoftroops,smoke-fringed.
Inthelanewasablood-stainedcrowdstreamingtotherear.
Thewoundedmenwerecursing,groaning,andwailing.
Intheair,always,wasamightyswellofsoundthatitseemedcouldswaytheearth.
Withthecourageouswordsoftheartilleryandthespitefulsentencesofthemusketrymingledredcheers.
Andfromthisregionofnoisescamethesteadycurrentofthemaimed.
Oneofthewoundedmenhadashoefulofblood.Hehoppedlikeaschoolboyinagame.Hewaslaughinghysterically.
Onewasswearingthathehadbeenshotinthearmthroughthecommandinggeneral’smismanagementofthearmy.
Onewasmarchingwithanairimitativeofsomesublimedrummajor.
Uponhisfeatureswasanunholymixtureofmerrimentandagony.
Ashemarchedhesangabitofdoggerelinahighandquaveringvoice:
“Singasong‘avic’try,
Apocketful‘abullets,
Fivean’twentydeadmen
Bakedina—pie.”
Partsoftheprocessionlimpedandstaggeredtothistune.
Anotherhadthegraysealofdeathalreadyuponhisface.
Hislipswerecurledinhardlinesandhisteethwereclinched.
Hishandswerebloodyfromwherehehadpressedthemuponhiswound.
Heseemedtobeawaitingthemomentwhenheshouldpitchheadlong.
Hestalkedlikethespecterofasoldier,hiseyesburningwiththepowerofastareintotheunknown.
Thereweresomewhoproceededsullenly,fullofangerattheirwounds,andreadytoturnuponanythingasanobscurecause.
Anofficerwascarriedalongbytwoprivates.Hewaspeevish.
“Don’tjoggleso,Johnson,yehfool,”hecried.“Thinkm’legismadeofiron?
Ifyehcan’tcarrymedecent,putmedownan’letsomeoneelsedoit.”
Hebellowedatthetotteringcrowdwhoblockedthequickmarchofhisbearers.“Say,makewaythere,can’tyeh?Makeway,dickenstakeitall.”
Theysulkilypartedandwenttotheroadsides.Ashewascarriedpasttheymadepertremarkstohim.Whenheragedinreplyandthreatenedthem,theytoldhimtobedamned.
Theshoulderofoneofthetrampingbearersknockedheavilyagainstthespectralsoldierwhowasstaringintotheunknown.
Theyouthjoinedthiscrowdandmarchedalongwithit.Thetornbodiesexpressedtheawfulmachineryinwhichthemenhadbeenentangled.
Orderliesandcouriersoccasionallybrokethroughthethrongintheroadway,scatteringwoundedmenrightandleft,gallopingonfollowedbyhowls.
Themelancholymarchwascontinuallydisturbedbythemessengers,andsometimesbybustlingbatteriesthatcameswingingandthumpingdownuponthem,theofficersshoutingorderstocleartheway.
Therewasatatteredman,fouledwithdust,bloodandpowderstainfromhairtoshoes,whotrudgedquietlyattheyouth’sside.
Hewaslisteningwitheagernessandmuchhumilitytotheluriddescriptionsofabeardedsergeant.
Hisleanfeaturesworeanexpressionofaweandadmiration.
Hewaslikealistenerinacountrystoretowondroustalestoldamongthesugarbarrels.
Heeyedthestory-tellerwithunspeakablewonder.Hismouthwasagapeinyokelfashion.
Thesergeant,takingnoteofthis,gavepausetohiselaboratehistorywhileheadministeredasardoniccomment.“Bekeerful,honey,you‘llbea-ketchin’flies,”hesaid.
Thetatteredmanshrankbackabashed.
Afteratimehebegantosidleneartotheyouth,andinadiffidentwaytrytomakehimafriend.
Hisvoicewasgentleasagirl’svoiceandhiseyeswerepleading.
Theyouthsawwithsurprisethatthesoldierhadtwowounds,oneinthehead,boundwithablood-soakedrag,andtheotherinthearm,makingthatmemberdanglelikeabrokenbough.
Aftertheyhadwalkedtogetherforsometimethetatteredmanmusteredsufficientcouragetospeak.“Wasprettygoodfight,wa’n’tit?”hetimidlysaid.
Theyouth,deepinthought,glancedupatthebloodyandgrimfigurewithitslamblikeeyes.“What?”
“Wasprettygoodfight,wa’n’tit?”
“Yes,”saidtheyouthshortly.Hequickenedhispace.
Buttheotherhobbledindustriouslyafterhim.
Therewasanairofapologyinhismanner,butheevidentlythoughtthatheneededonlytotalkforatime,andtheyouthwouldperceivethathewasagoodfellow.
“Wasprettygoodfight,wa’n’tit?”hebeganinasmallvoice,andtheheachievedthefortitudetocontinue.
“DernmeifIeverseefellersfightso.Laws,howtheydidfight!
Iknowedth’boys‘dlikeitwhentheyonctgotsquareatit.
Th’boysain’thadnofairchanctupt’now,butthistimetheyshowedwhattheywas.Iknowedit‘dturnoutthisway.Yehcan’tlickthemboys.No,sir!They‘refighters,theybe.”
Hebreathedadeepbreathofhumbleadmiration.Hehadlookedattheyouthforencouragementseveraltimes.Hereceivednone,butgraduallyheseemedtogetabsorbedinhissubject.
“Iwastalkin’‘crosspicketswithaboyfromGeorgie,onct,an’thatboy,heses,‘Yourfellers‘llallrunlikehellwhentheyoncthearnagun,’heses.
‘Mebbetheywill,’Ises,‘butIdon’tb’lievenoneofit,’Ises;‘an’b’jiminey,’Isesbackt’‘um,‘mebbeyourfellers‘llallrunlikehellwhentheyoncthearnagun,’Ises.Helarfed.
Well,theydidn’trunt’day,didthey,hey?No,sir!Theyfit,an’fit,an’fit.”
Hishomelyfacewassuffusedwithalightofloveforthearmywhichwastohimallthingsbeautifulandpowerful.
Afteratimeheturnedtotheyouth.“Whereyehhit,ol’boy?”heaskedinabrotherlytone.
Theyouthfeltinstantpanicatthisquestion,althoughatfirstitsfullimportwasnotborneinuponhim.
“What?”heasked.
“Whereyehhit?”repeatedthetatteredman.
“Why,”begantheyouth,“I—I—thatis—why—I—”
Heturnedawaysuddenlyandslidthroughthecrowd.
Hisbrowwasheavilyflushed,andhisfingerswerepickingnervouslyatoneofhisbuttons.
Hebenthisheadandfastenedhiseyesstudiouslyuponthebuttonasifitwerealittleproblem.
Thetatteredmanlookedafterhiminastonishment.
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