第45节
【】nddrilling,anddisciplining.ifhehadhis akeuslikearegintofline;asifthereuldbe anygoodincarryingoutallthatsortofthing,hfranc tireurs.hehadabouthalfofustogether,forthreeorfourdays; andigiveyouwasasbadasslavery.drill,drill, drill,frooingtillnight.iilyglad,itell you,ent.” ralphsaerable classhatdrillanddisciplineies,and thatitantoshoulderagunfor hiobeasoldier;soheeasilyavoidedargunt,bytuingthe subject.foraupleofhourstheychatted;andthen,asthefire enhadalreadylaiddoosleep,ralph suggestedthattheyshoulddothesa. ”ihesentriesfirst,hyou,ifyoulike,”he said. ”seheothersaid,ysentry,”and hepoioanstanding,tenpacesoff,leaningagainsta tree.”thenhavereinanhour beforeyoudidandiaotgoiheirstrengthby puttinghalfoftheuttochtheforest. ”no,no,iaoadvoyn.” ”goodnight,then,”ralphsaid,briefly,andheselfin hiscloak,andlaydown. ”edtothissortofthing,percy,”hewhispered tohisbrother,inenglish,”andidontlikeit.nowonderour fraheir discipline.” ”idontlikeiteither,ralph.theprussiansareadvang;andif thatfelloastenlesoff,theyareaslikely asnottobeonlytoinges.” ”her,percy.hoehaveno authorityoverthisfelloustkethebestofit,and hopethatforoncefollyhaveitsjustreward.” sosaying,theboysreinedsilentforthenight.butalthough sileheroftheleptchralphespecially,was stillverysore,andattispainful,hardlyclosedhiseyes.he toldhielfitheuldnothelplistening,h painfulattention. hadthenightbeenaquietone,hehavestrainedhisears; forashekhenyhourshehadpassedatnightupon guard,thehushissointehesegreatforeststhatone hearthefallofauntainstrealesahesnappingof atostthefallingofaleaf,chtheear.the night,hoherustleofthepineforestwould havedeadenedallsound,exceptanythingsharp,andnear. thesentrydidnotappearsilarlyiressedhthey foraraordinaryattention.heipallyoupiedin strugglingagainstld,anddron,he staedhisfoot,huedsnatchesofsongs,yahgreat vigor,andsookeepawohours;whenheroused theforduty,andlaydohagruntofrelief. atlast,afterkeepingawakeforhours,ralphdozedoff.howlong heslept,hekheofullwakefulnessbya toudoylewhisper: ”hist,sterralph,ivedoubtsthatthereissothingwrong. iuldntsleep,inthishoroutposts;andfor thelastquarterofanhour,ifancyivebeenhearingnoises.i dontknoing,butitseetotheyare allroundus.iybeassureasthepiper” ”hush,tiralphsaidtotheirishn,rawled noiselesslyalong,andhadlaindownbyhisside. ”percy,areyouawake” ”yes,isen.” theydidlisten;anddistinctly,abovethesighingofthewind, theyuldheararustling,cragnoise.daybreaking, butthelightsuffitlystrongtoshoshany distiness,arees. ”byjove,goingto alarhecahesentry,startledintowakefulness, challengedandfired. thefranctireurs e,down. ”liestill,”hesaid,”foryourlives.” hisendousvolleyrang outallroundtheandhalfthefranctireursfell. ”noakearushforahouse. ”tothehouses,allofyou,”heshouted,loudly.”itisouronly ce.down,here,likesheep.” theofficerofthefranctireurshadalreadyatonedforhis carelessness,byhislife;andthenobeyedralphscalland, adstaheavyfire,rushedacrossthefiftyyardsofopenspaceto thehouses.thedoorin,htherush. ralphhadnotstoppedatthefirsthousebut,followedbyhis brotherandtioyle,hadrunfartheron;aeredthelast houseinthevillage. ”goihers,ralphhanceof defendingourselves,here.wehaveonlyourrevolvers.” ”hanceofdefendingourselvesanyy,”ralph said.”therestbeaupleofhuheatleast;andnot abovefifteenortost,ofthefranctireursgaihe houses.resistaterlyuseless;a,hadibeenh thosepoorfellotosurrender,when theyierwards.weshouldbe silythrohoutdoingtheleastgood.” thereontafter,halfa dozenshhtheherewasarushof soldierstohedoor,open. ”an,ingforeet the”hofficers.” ”dontfire,”avoieforward. ”youarenotfranctireurs”heasked,forthelightill insuffitodistinguishunifor. ”y,upongeneralcarielsstaff.this nisanorderly. ”hereareoursar.” thegernofficerbowed. ”keepyoursen.iaotin nd.” atthisnt,anotheroffiaup. ”whohaveakeprisoners” ”theyaretajor.” ”he”saidthejor,doubtfully. ”ento ceasetheirresistance.” thefrane ttage,selvesdesperately;andwere keepingupaheavyfire,frohewindows. ”itosurreonce,”ralphsaid,quietly;”if yougiveyourhattheyshall ...