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Theraggedlinehadrespiteforsomeminutes,butduringitspausethestruggleintheforestbecamemagnifieduntilthetreesseemedtoquiverfromthefiringandthegroundtoshakefromtherushingofmen.
Thevoicesofthecannonweremingledinalongandinterminablerow.
Itseemeddifficulttoliveinsuchanatmosphere.
Thechestsofthemenstrainedforabitoffreshness,andtheirthroatscravedwater.
Therewasoneshotthroughthebody,whoraisedacryofbitterlamentationwhencamethislull.
Perhapshehadbeencallingoutduringthefightingalso,butatthattimenoonehadheardhim.
Butnowthementurnedatthewoefulcomplaintsofhimupontheground.
“Whoisit?Whoisit?”
“ItsJimmieRogers.JimmieRogers.”
Whentheireyesfirstencounteredhimtherewasasuddenhalt,asiftheyfearedtogonear.
Hewasthrashingaboutinthegrass,twistinghisshudderingbodyintomanystrangepostures.Hewasscreamingloudly.
Thisinstant’shesitationseemedtofillhimwithatremendous,fantasticcontempt,andhedamnedtheminshriekedsentences.
Theyouth’sfriendhadageographicalillusionconcerningastream,andheobtainedpermissiontogoforsomewater.Immediatelycanteenswereshowereduponhim.“Fillmine,willyeh?”
“Bringmesome,too.”
“Andme,too.”Hedeparted,ladened.Theyouthwentwithhisfriend,feelingadesiretothrowhisheatedbodyintothestreamand,soakingthere,drinkquarts.
Theymadeahurriedsearchforthesupposedstream,butdidnotfindit.“Nowaterhere,”saidtheyouth.Theyturnedwithoutdelayandbegantoretracetheirsteps.
Fromtheirpositionastheyagainfacedtowardtheplaceofthefighting,theycouldofcomprehendagreateramountofthebattlethanwhentheirvisionshadbeenblurredbythehurlingsmokeoftheline.
Theycouldseedarkstretcheswindingalongtheland,andononeclearedspacetherewasarowofgunsmakinggrayclouds,whichwerefilledwithlargeflashesoforange-coloredflame.
Oversomefoliagetheycouldseetheroofofahouse.
Onewindow,glowingadeepmurderred,shonesquarelythroughtheleaves.
Fromtheedificeatallleaningtowerofsmokewentfarintothesky.
Lookingovertheirowntroops,theysawmixedmassesslowlygettingintoregularform.
Thesunlightmadetwinklingpointsofthebrightsteel.
Tothereartherewasaglimpseofadistantroadwayasitcurvedoveraslope.
Itwascrowdedwithretreatinginfantry.
Fromalltheinterwovenforestarosethesmokeandblusterofthebattle.
Theairwasalwaysoccupiedbyablaring.
Nearwheretheystoodshellswereflip-flappingandhooting.Occasionalbulletsbuzzedintheairandspangedintotreetrunks.Woundedmenandotherstragglerswereslinkingthroughthewoods.
Lookingdownanaisleofthegrove,theyouthandhiscompanionsawajanglinggeneralandhisstaffalmostrideuponawoundedman,whowascrawlingonhishandsandknees.
Thegeneralreinedstronglyathischarger’sopenedandfoamymouthandguideditwithdexteroushorsemanshippasttheman.
Thelatterscrambledinwildandtorturinghaste.
Hisstrengthevidentlyfailedhimashereachedaplaceofsafety.
Oneofhisarmssuddenlyweakened,andhefell,slidingoveruponhisback.Helaystretchedout,breathinggently.
Amomentlaterthesmall,creakingcavalcadewasdirectlyinfrontofthetwosoldiers.
Anotherofficer,ridingwiththeskillfulabandonofacowboy,gallopedhishorsetoapositiondirectlybeforethegeneral.
Thetwounnoticedfootsoldiersmadealittleshowofgoingon,buttheylingerednearinthedesiretooverheartheconversation.
Perhaps,theythought,somegreatinnerhistoricalthingswouldbesaid.
Thegeneral,whomtheboysknewasthecommanderoftheirdivision,lookedattheotherofficerandspokecoolly,asifhewerecriticisinghisclothes.
“Th’enemy’sformin’overthereforanothercharge,”hesaid.
“It’llbedirectedagainstWhiterside,an’Ifearthey’llbreakthroughunlessweworklikethundert’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:“Idon’tbelievemanyofyourmuledriverswillgetback.”
Theothershoutedsomethinginreply.Hesmiled.
Withscaredfaces,theyouthandhiscompanionhurriedbacktotheline.
Thesehappeningshadoccupiedanincrediblyshorttime,yettheyouthfeltthatinthemhehadbeenmadeaged.Neweyesweregiventohim.
Andthemoststartlingthingwastolearnsuddenlythathewasveryinsignificant.
Theofficerspokeoftheregimentasifhereferredtoabroom.
Somepartofthewoodsneededsweeping,perhaps,andhemerelyindicatedabroominatoneproperlyindifferenttoitsfate.
Itwaswar,nodoubt,butitappearedstrange.
Asthetwoboysapproachedtheline,thelieutenantperceivedthemandswelledwithwrath.“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?Wilson,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,pushingthemintoamorecompactmassandintoabetteralignment.
Theychasedthosethatstraggledandfumedatafewmenwhoseemedtoshowbytheirattitudesthattheyhaddecidedtoremainatthatspot.
Theywerelikecriticalshepherds,strugglingwithsheep.
Presently,theregimentseemedtodrawitselfupandheaveadeepbreath.
Noneofthemen’sfacesweremirrorsoflargethoughts.
Thesoldierswerebendedandstoopedlikesprintersbeforeasignal.
Manypairsofglintingeyespeeredfromthegrimyfacestowardthecurtainsofthedeeperwoods.
Theyseemedtobeengagedindeepcalculationsoftimeanddistance.
Theyweresurroundedbythenoisesofthemonstrousaltercationbetweenthetwoarmies.Theworldwasfullyinterestedinothermatters.Apparently,theregimenthaditssmallaffairtoitself.
Theyouth,turning,shotaquick,inquiringglanceathisfriend.
Thelatterreturnedtohimthesamemanneroflook.
Theyweretheonlyoneswhopossessedaninnerknowledge.
“Muledrivers—hellt’pay—don’tbelievemanywillgetback.”Itwasanironicalsecret.
Still,theysawnohesitationineachother’sfaces,andtheynoddedamuteandunprotestingassentwhenashaggymannearthemsaidinameekvoice:“We’llgitswallowed.”
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