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

  ...

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