Thisadvanceoftheenemyhadseemedtotheyouthlikearuthlesshunting. Hebegantofumewithrageandexasperation. Hebeathisfootupontheground,andscowledwithhateattheswirlingsmokethatwasapproachinglikeaphantomflood. Therewasamaddeningqualityinthisseemingresolutionofthefoetogivehimnorest,togivehimnotimetositdownandthink. Yesterdayhehadfoughtandhadfledrapidly.Therehadbeenmanyadventures. Forto-dayhefeltthathehadearnedopportunitiesforcontemplativerepose. Hecouldhaveenjoyedportrayingtouninitiatedlistenersvariousscenesatwhichhehadbeenawitnessorablydiscussingtheprocessesofwarwithotherprovedmen. Tooitwasimportantthatheshouldhavetimeforphysicalrecuperation. Hewassoreandstifffromhisexperiences. Hehadreceivedhisfillofallexertions,andhewishedtorest. Butthoseothermenseemednevertogrowweary;theywerefightingwiththeiroldspeed. Hehadawildhatefortherelentlessfoe. Yesterday,whenhehadimaginedtheuniversetobeagainsthim,hehadhatedit,littlegodsandbiggods;to-dayhehatedthearmyofthefoewiththesamegreathatred. Hewasnotgoingtobebadgeredofhislife,likeakittenchasedbyboys,hesaid. Itwasnotwelltodrivemenintofinalcorners;atthosemomentstheycouldalldevelopteethandclaws. Heleanedandspokeintohisfriend’sear.Hemenacedthewoodswithagesture.“Iftheykeeponchasingus,byGawd,they’dbetterwatchout.Can’tstandTOOmuch.” Thefriendtwistedhisheadandmadeacalmreply.“Iftheykeepona-chasin’usthey’lldriveusallintehth’river.” Theyouthcriedoutsavagelyatthisstatement. Hecrouchedbehindalittletree,withhiseyesburninghatefullyandhisteethsetinacurlikesnarl. Theawkwardbandagewasstillabouthishead,anduponit,overhiswound,therewasaspotofdryblood. Hishairwaswondrouslytousled,andsomestraggling,movinglockshungovertheclothofthebandagedowntowardhisforehead. Hisjacketandshirtwereopenatthethroat,andexposedhisyoungbronzedneck. Therecouldbeseenspasmodicgulpingsathisthroat. Hisfingerstwinednervouslyabouthisrifle. Hewishedthatitwasanengineofannihilatingpower. Hefeltthatheandhiscompanionswerebeingtauntedandderidedfromsincereconvictionsthattheywerepoorandpuny. Hisknowledgeofhisinabilitytotakevengeanceforitmadehisrageintoadarkandstormyspecter,thatpossessedhimandmadehimdreamofabominablecruelties. Thetormentorswerefliessuckinginsolentlyathisblood,andhethoughtthathewouldhavegivenhislifeforarevengeofseeingtheirfacesinpitifulplights. Thewindsofbattlehadsweptallabouttheregiment,untiltheonerifle,instantlyfollowedbyothers,flashedinitsfront. Amomentlatertheregimentroaredforthitssuddenandvaliantretort.Adensewallofsmokesettleddown. Itwasfuriouslyslitandslashedbytheknifelikefirefromtherifles. Totheyouththefightersresembledanimalstossedforadeathstruggleintoadarkpit. Therewasasensationthatheandhisfellows,atbay,werepushingback,alwayspushingfierceonslaughtsofcreatureswhowereslippery. Theirbeamsofcrimsonseemedtogetnopurchaseuponthebodiesoftheirfoes;thelatterseemedtoevadethemwithease,andcomethrough,between,around,andaboutwithunopposedskill. When,inadream,itoccurredtotheyouththathisriflewasanimpotentstick,helostsenseofeverythingbuthishate,hisdesiretosmashintopulptheglitteringsmileofvictorywhichhecouldfeeluponthefacesofhisenemies. Thebluesmoke-swallowedlinecurledandwrithedlikeasnakesteppedupon.Itswungitsendstoandfroinanagonyoffearandrage. Theyouthwasnotconsciousthathewaserectuponhisfeet. Hedidnotknowthedirectionoftheground. Indeed,onceheevenlostthehabitofbalanceandfellheavily.Hewasupagainimmediately. Onethoughtwentthroughthechaosofhisbrainatthetime. Hewonderedifhehadfallenbecausehehadbeenshot.Butthesuspicionflewawayatonce.Hedidnotthinkmoreofit. Hehadtakenupafirstpositionbehindthelittletree,withadirectdeterminationtoholditagainsttheworld. Hehadnotdeemeditpossiblethathisarmycouldthatdaysucceed,andfromthishefelttheabilitytofightharder. Butthethronghadsurgedinallways,untilhelostdirectionsandlocations,savethatheknewwherelaytheenemy. Theflamesbithim,andthehotsmokebroiledhisskin. Hisriflebarrelgrewsohotthatordinarilyhecouldnothaveborneituponhispalms;buthekeptonstuffingcartridgesintoit,andpoundingthemwithhisclanking,bendingramrod. Ifheaimedatsomechangingformthroughthesmoke,hepulledthetriggerwithafiercegrunt,asifheweredealingablowofthefistwithallhisstrength. Whentheenemyseemedfallingbackbeforehimandhisfellows,hewentinstantlyforward,likeadogwho,seeinghisfoeslagging,turnsandinsistsuponbeingpursued. Andwhenhewascompelledtoretireagain,hediditslowly,sullenly,takingstepsofwrathfuldespair. Oncehe,inhisintenthate,wasalmostalone,andwasfiring,whenallthosenearhimhadceased.Hewassoengrossedinhisoccupationthathewasnotawareofalull. Hewasrecalledbyahoarselaughandasentencethatcametohisearsinavoiceofcontemptandamazement. “Yehinfernalfool,don’tyehknowenought’quitwhenthereain’tanythingt’shootat?GoodGawd!” Heturnedthenand,pausingwithhisriflethrownhalfintoposition,lookedatthebluelineofhiscomrades. Duringthismomentofleisuretheyseemedalltobeengagedinstaringwithastonishmentathim.Theyhadbecomespectators. Turningtothefrontagainhesaw,undertheliftedsmoke,adesertedground. Helookedbewilderedforamoment.Thenthereappearedupontheglazedvacancyofhiseyesadiamondpointofintelligence.“Oh,”hesaid,comprehending. Hereturnedtohiscomradesandthrewhimselfupontheground. Hesprawledlikeamanwhohadbeenthrashed. Hisfleshseemedstrangelyonfire,andthesoundsofthebattlecontinuedinhisears.Hegropedblindlyforhiscanteen. Thelieutenantwascrowing.Heseemeddrunkwithfighting. Hecalledouttotheyouth:“Byheavens,ifIhadtenthousandwildcatslikeyouIcouldtearth’stomachoutathiswarinless’naweek!” Hepuffedouthischestwithlargedignityashesaidit. Someofthemenmutteredandlookedattheyouthinawestruckways. Itwasplainthatashehadgoneonloadingandfiringandcursingwithoutproperintermission,theyhadfoundtimetoregardhim. Andtheynowlookeduponhimasawardevil. Thefriendcamestaggeringtohim.Therewassomefrightanddismayinhisvoice.“Areyehallright,Fleming?Doyehfeelallright?Thereain’tnothin’th’matterwithyeh,Henry,isthere?” “No,”saidtheyouthwithdifficulty.Histhroatseemedfullofknobsandburrs. Theseincidentsmadetheyouthponder.Itwasrevealedtohimthathehadbeenabarbarian,abeast. Hehadfoughtlikeapaganwhodefendshisreligion. Regardingit,hesawthatitwasfine,wild,and,insomeways,easy. Hehadbeenatremendousfigure,nodoubt. Bythisstrugglehehadovercomeobstacleswhichhehadadmittedtobemountains. Theyhadfallenlikepaperpeaks,andhewasnowwhathecalledahero. Andhehadnotbeenawareoftheprocess. Hehadslept,and,awakening,foundhimselfaknight. Helayandbaskedintheoccasionalstaresofhiscomrades. Theirfaceswerevariedindegreesofblacknessfromtheburnedpowder.Somewereutterlysmudged. Theywerereekingwithperspiration,andtheirbreathscamehardandwheezing. Andfromthesesoiledexpansestheypeeredathim. “Hotwork!Hotwork!”criedthelieutenantdeliriously.Hewalkedupanddown,restlessandeager.Sometimeshisvoicecouldbeheardinawild,incomprehensiblelaugh. Whenhehadaparticularlyprofoundthoughtuponthescienceofwarhealwaysunconsciouslyaddressedhimselftotheyouth. Therewassomegrimrejoicingbythemen.“Bythunder,Ibetthisarmy’llneverseeanothernewreg’mentlikeus!” “Adog,awoman,an’awalnuttreeTh’moreyehbeat‘em,th’bettertheybe! “Lostapilermen,theydid.Ifanol’womanswep’upth’woodsshe’dgitadustpanful.” “Yes,an’ifshe’llcomearoundag’inin‘boutanhourshe’llgetapilemore.” Theforeststillboreitsburdenofclamor. Fromoffunderthetreescametherollingclatterofthemusketry. Eachdistantthicketseemedastrangeporcupinewithquillsofflame. Acloudofdarksmoke,asfromsmolderingruins,wentuptowardthesunnowbrightandgayintheblue,enameledsky. 
