第43节
【】theuglygashinhisyoungstersarandwasobliged togooutintotheair. theartilleryheirfiretoldthatthe frananswere enteringthewidervalley. ”youhavehadanarroining ralphsar”aquarterofaninchlothe inartery;andyouinutes.as itis,thereisharoisadeepishfleshwound but,hyouryouthandnstitution,itwillhealupinavery shortti.iheedgestogether,haneedleand thread:putaferapsofplasteron,andabandage;andthenyou hadbettergetintoanaulaherear,at once.” ”tigointothefieldagain,nohasked;”ifeelasif iuldrideagain,now.” ”no,youdonothingofthesort,”thesurgeonsaid.”youhave lostalotofblood;andifyouightsetoff theightbeadeadnbeforeyou uldbebroughtbackhere.keepquiet,anddoasyouareordered, andinaaybeinthesaddleagain.” ”itseeveryhard,”ralphbegan. ”notatallhard,”thesurgeonsaid.”youore fighting,beforethiswarisover. ”thisisahardcase,ifyoulike;youhaveeveryreasontobe thankful.” ashespoke,hepoioayoungbilein,his chestliterallytoopenhashell. ”i,”thesurgeonsaid,afterabrief iionofhishalfanhourtolive,andwill probablynotrevernssoweak brandy,ander.” eninfast,andralphoutand satdohedoor. ”fastenhorseuphere,titheaulancewillbefullofpoor fellorethanishall.ifiseethatweare beingdrivenback,ishalluntandridequietlyback. ”no,thereisnothingreyoue.goandjoinpercy.” thefightans,veredbythe fireoftheirartillery,haddebouchedfrohepassandwere steadilypressingforhevillage othethisthefrenchhadsetfireto,before retreating,topreventitsservingasashelterfortheehe bilesstoodtheirground,forthestpartheheavy fireofshotandshell;buttheirzzleloadersatchfor thegernsneedleguns,andtheeneeadily fordoylerodeuptothestaff,thegernshad takenanothervillage. ”thatvillagestberetaken,”thegeneralsaid.”barclay,ride andorderthezouavestocarryit,hthebayo.” percygallopedofftohezouaves,lyingbehindaridgein theground,of shotandshell.herodeuptotheoffi nd. ”thezouavesaretoretakethevillage,hthebayo,”hesaid. thelonelgavetheorder,butthefireen faceit.againandagaintheofficerreiteratedthe order;standingexposedonthebank,infrontofhisn,togive thefidehelonellookedtowards perairofdespair.percytuedhishorse,andgalloped backtothegeneral. ”thelonelhasdoneallhe,sir,butthenadvance.” ”thefireisveryheavy,”thegeneralsaid,”butusthavethe villagebackagain.” andherodeoff,hielf,tothebattalionofzouaves.theshotand shell,buthesatonhishorseasiovable asifatareview. ”lads,”hesaid,inaloud,cleartone,”generallythe difficultyhasbeentopreventthezouavesrushingtoanattack. dobesaidthatafreneralhadtorepeat,tofrench zouaves,ao.” inaninstantthezouavesheirfeetand,hacheer, ansinpossessionfiredrapidly,as thefrenhed,andthenhastilyevacuatedit;thezouaves takingpossession,andholdingit,urendousfire. alltheafteooleraged,villagesbeingtakenand retaken,severaltis.thegerns,however,weregradually gainingground.sooftheregintsofbileshadquitelostall orderanddiscipline,andtheirofficersinvaiopersuade theoholdthepositioninheyhe staffofficershreeotherswounded. periracle.overandain,hehad carriedthegeneralsordersacrossgroundsys shotandshell.ahorsehadbeenkilledunderhibuthehadnot receivedevenascratdnoounteduponthehorseofoneof theoffiarryingan orderacrossaveryopenpieceofground,atfullgallop.suddenly hecauponasighthhurriedashewas,andexposedaswas thepositioncausedhinstantlytodraetoa fullstop. illustration:thechildrenolefield. there,intheopenfield,heoneaboy,ofsix orsevenyearsold;theotheralittleflaxenhaired,blueeyed girl,offive.theylypigflowers. ”ent. hespokeinfrend,receivingnoahequestion ingern. ”areyoudoinghere” ”ifyouplease,sir,”theboyansinthe ebacktherewas agreatfireinthehouse,andagreatnoiseallround,andi uldntfindfatherandther;a,tolookfor the” percydidnotknotodo.itoopitifultoleavethepoor littlecreatures athattheirparentshewoods. ”lookhere,”hesaid;”ifitakelizzieuponhorse,willyourun alongafter” ”no,no,”thelittlegirlsaid,vehently. thereeforparley. ”lookhere,doyouseethosesoldierslyingdoy asked,pointingtoalineofbiles,notfiftyyardsinfront. thechildrennodded. ”thingyoupossiblydoistoplayat beingsoldiers.itiscapitalfun.youliedoeflatinthat ditdthrotlestonesoverthebank.dontyougoaway. doup,everyoudo;andifyoodchildren,and playnicely,iothertoyou,ififind theiftheydonte,yougoonplayingatsoldierstillall thisops;andthen,e, andothereback.” thechildreheidea,andthrehe ...