selected writings-第48节

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of　Arc　made　us　do　formerly！　Come；　I'd　make　a　bet　that　if　a　pretty

woman　had　taken　command　of　the　army　on　the　eve　of　Sedan；　when

Marshal　MacMahon　was　wounded；　we　should　have　broken　through　the

Prussian　lines；　by　Jove！　and　have　had　a　drink　out　of　their　guns。



〃It　was　not　Trochu；　but　Saint　Genevieve；　who　was　required　in

Paris；　and　I　remember　a　little　anecdote　of　the　war　which　proves

that　we　are　capable　of　everything　in　the　presence　of　a　woman。



〃I　was　a　captain；　a　simple　captain；　at　the　time；　and　was　in

command　of　a　detachment　of　scouts　who　were　retreating　through　a

district　swarming　with　Prussians。　We　were　surrounded；　pursued；

tired　out；　and　half　dead　with　fatigue　and　hunger；　and　by　the　next

day　we　had　to　reach　Bar…sur…Tain；　otherwise　we　should　be　done

for；　cut　off　from　the　main　body　and　killed。　I　do　not　know　how　we

managed　to　escape　so　far。　However；　we　had　ten　leagues　to　go

during　the　night；　ten　leagues　through　the　snow；　and　upon　empty

stomachs。　I　thought　to　myself：



〃　'It　is　all　over；　my　poor　fellows　will　never　be　able　to　do　it。'



〃We　had　eaten　nothing　since　the　day　before；　and　the　whole　day

long　we　remained　hidden　in　a　barn；　huddled　close　together；　so　as

not　to　feel　the　cold　so　much；　we　did　not　venture　to　speak　or　even

move；　and　we　slept　by　fits　and　starts；　like　you　sleep　when　you

are　worn　out　with　fatigue。



〃It　was　dark　by　five　o'clock；　that　wan　darkness　caused　by　the

snow；　and　I　shook　up　my　men。　Some　of　them　would　not　get　up；　they

were　almost　incapable　of　moving　or　of　standing　upright；　and　their

joints　were　stiff　from　the　cold　and　want　of　motion。



〃In　front　of　us　there　was　a　large　expanse　of　flat；　bare　country；

the　snow　was　still　falling　like　a　curtain；　in　large；　white

flakes；　which　concealed　everything　under　a　heavy；　thick；　frozen

mantle；　a　mattress　of　ice。　You　would　have　thought　that　it　was　the

end　of　things。



〃　'Come；　my　lads；　let　us　start。'



〃They　looked　at　the　thick；　white　dust　which　was　coming　down；　and

seemed　to　think：　'We　have　had　enough　of　this；　we　may　just　as　well

die　here！'　Then　I　took　out　my　revolver；　and　said：



〃　'I　will　shoot　the　first　man　who　flinches。'　And　so　they　set　off；

but　very　slowly；　like　men　whose　legs　were　of　very　little　use　to

them。　I　sent　four　of　them　three　hundred　yards　ahead；　to　scout；

and　the　others　followed　pellmell；　walking　at　random　and　without

any　order。　I　put　the　strongest　in　the　rear；　with　orders　to

quicken　the　pace　of　the　sluggards　with　the　points　of　their

bayonets　in　the　back。



〃The　snow　seemed　as　if　it　were　going　to　bury　us　alive；　it

powdered　our　kepis＇1＇　and　cloaks　without　melting；　and　made

phantoms　of　us；　ghosts　of　worn…out　soldiers　who　were　very　tired；

and　I　said　to　myself：　'We　shall　never　get　out　of　this；　except　by

a　miracle。'



＇1＇　Forage…caps。



〃Sometimes　we　had　to　stop　for　a　few　minutes；　on　account　of　those

who　could　not　follow　us；　hearing　nothing　but　the　falling　snow；

that　vague；　almost　indiscernible　sound　which　the　flakes　make；　as

they　come　down　together。　Some　of　the　men　shook　themselves；　but

others　did　not　move；　and　so　I　gave　the　order　to　set　off　again；

they　shouldered　their　rifles；　and　with　weary　feet　we　set　out

again；　when　suddenly　the　scouts　fell　back。　Something　had　alarmed

them；　　they　had　heard　voices　in　front　of　them；　and　so　I　sent　six

men　and　a　sergeant　on　ahead；　and　waited。



〃All　at　once　a　shrill　cry；　a　woman's　cry；　pierced　through　the

heavy　silence　of　the　snow；　and　in　a　few　minutes　they　brought　back

two　prisoners；　an　old　man　and　a　girl；　whom　I　questioned　in　a　low

voice。　They　were　escaping　from　the　Prussians；　who　had　occupied

their　house　during　the　evening；　and　who　had　got　drunk。　The　father

had　become　alarmed　on　his　daughter's　account；　and；　without　even

telling　their　servants；　they　had　made　their　escape　into　the

darkness。　I　saw　immediately　that　they　belonged　to　the　upper

classes；　and；　as　I　should　have　done　in　any　case；　I　invited　them

to　come　with　us。　So　we　started　off　together；　and　as　the　old　man

knew　the　road；　he　acted　as　our　guide。



〃It　had　ceased　snowing；　the　stars　appeared；　and　the　cold　became

intense。　The　girl；　who　was　leaning　on　her　father's　arm；　walked

wearily　and　with　jerks；　and　several　times　she　murmured：



〃　'I　have　no　feeling　at　all　in　my　feet。'　I　suffered　more　than　she

did；　I　believe；　to　see　that　poor　little　woman　dragging　herself

like　that　through　the　snow。　But　suddenly　she　stopped；　and　said：



〃　'Father；　I　am　so　tired　that　I　cannot　go　any　further。'



〃The　old　man　wanted　to　carry　her；　but　he　could　not　even　lift　her

up；　and　she　fell　on　the　ground　with　a　deep　sigh。　We　all　came

round　her；　and　as　for　me；　I　stamped　on　the　ground；　not　knowing

what　to　do；　quite　unable　to　make　up　my　mind　to　abandon　that　man

and　girl　like　that。　Suddenly　one　of　the　soldiers；　a　Parisian；

whom　they　had　nicknamed　'Pratique；'　said：



〃　'Come；　comrades；　we　must　carry　the　young　lady；　otherwise　we

shall　not　show　ourselves　Frenchmen；　confound　it！'



〃I　really　believe　that　I　swore　with　pleasure；　and　said：　'That　is

very　good　of　you；　my　children；　I　will　take　my　share　of　the

burden。'



〃We　could　indistinctly　see　the　trees　of　a　little　wood　on　the

left；　through　the　darkness。　Several　men　went　into　it；　and　soon

came　back　with　a　bundle　of　branches　twisted　into　a　litter。



〃　'Who　will　lend　his　cloak？　It　is　for　a　pretty　girl；　comrades；'

Pratique　said；　and　ten　cloaks　were　thrown　to　him。　In　a　moment；

the　girl　was　lying；　warm　and　comfortable；　among　them；　and　was

raised　upon　six　shoulders。　I　placed　myself　at　their　head；　on　the

right；　and　very　pleased　I　was　with　my　charge。



〃We　started　off　much　more　briskly；　as　if　we　had　been　having　a

drink　of　wine；　and　I　even　heard　a　few　jokes。　A　woman　is　quite

enough　to　electrify　Frenchmen；　you　see。　The　soldiers；　who　were

reanimated　and　warm；　had　almost　reformed　their　ranks；　and　an　old

franc…tireur＇2＇　who　was　following　the　litter；　waiting　for　his

turn　to　replace　the　first　of　his　comrades　who　might　give　in；　said

to　one　of　his　neighbors；　loud　enough　for　me　to　hear：



＇2＇　Volunteers；　in　the　Franco…German　war　of　1870…71；　of　whom　the

Germans　often　made　short　work　when　caught。



〃　'I　am　not　a　young　man；　now；　but　by　Jove；　there　is　nothing　like

a　woman　to　make　you　feel　queer　from　head　to　foot！'



〃We　went　on；　almost　without　stopping；　until　three　o'clock　in　the

morning；　when　suddenly　our　scouts　fell　back　again。　Soon　the　whole

detachment　showed　nothing　but　a　vague　shadow　on　the　ground；　as

the　men　lay　on　the　snow；　and　I　gave　my　orders　in　a　low　voice；　and

heard　the　harsh；　metallic　sound　of　the　cocking　of　rifles。　There；

in　the　middle　of　the　plain；　some　strange　object　was　moving　about。

It　might　have　been　taken　for　some　enormous　animal　running　about；

which　uncoiled　itself　like　a　serpent；　or　came　together　into　a

coil；　then　suddenly　went　quickly　to　the　right　or　left；　stopped；

and　then　went　on　again。　But　presently　the　wandering　shape　came

near；　and　I　saw　a　dozen　lancers；　one　behind　the　other；　who　were

trying　to　find　their　way；　which　they　had　lost。



〃By　this　time　they　were　so　near　that　I　could　hear　the　panting　of

the　horses；　the　clink　of　the　swords；　and　the　creaking　of　the

saddles；　and　so　cried：　'Fire！'



〃Fifty　rifle…shots　broke　the　stillness　of　the　night；　then　there

were　four　or　five　reports；　and　at　last　one　single　shot　was　heard。

When　the　smoke　had　cleared　away　we　saw　that　the　twelve　men　and

nine　horses　had　fallen。　Three　of　the　animals　were　galloping　away

at　a　furious　pace。　One　of　them　was　dragging　the　body　of　its　rider

behind　it。　His　foot　had　caught　in　the　stirrup；　and　his　body

rebounded　from　the　ground　in　a　horrible　way。



〃One　of　the　soldiers　behind　me　gave　a　harsh　laugh；　and　said：

'There　are　a　few　more　widows　now！'



〃Perhaps　he　was　married。　And　another　added：　'It　did　not　take

long！'



〃A　head　was　put　out　of　the　litter：



〃　'What　is　the　matter？'　she　asked；　'you　are　fighting？'



〃　'It　is　nothing；　Mademoiselle；'　I　replied；　'we　have　got　rid　of　a

dozen　Prussians！'



〃　'Poor　fellows！'　she　said。　But　as　she　was　cold；　she　quickly

disappeared　beneath　the　cloaks　again；　and　we　started　off　once

more。　We　marched　on　for　a　long　time；　and　at　last　the　sky　began　to

grow　pale。　The　snow　became　quite　clear；　luminous；　and　bright；　and

a　rosy　tint　appeared　in　the　east。　Suddenly　a　voice　in　the

distance　cried：



〃　'Who　goes　there？'



〃The　whole　detachment　halted；　and　I　advanced　to　say　who　we　were。

We　had　reached　the　French　lines；　and　as　my　men　defiled　before　the

outpost；　a　commandant　on　horseback；　whom　I　had　informed　of　what

had　taken　place；　asked　in　a　sonorous　voice；　as　he　saw　the　litter

pass　him：



〃　'What　have　you　there？'



〃And　immediately　a　small　head；　covered　with　light　hair；　appeared；

disheveled　and　smiling；　and　replied：



〃　'It　is　I；　Monsieur。'



〃At　this；　the　men　raised　a　hearty　laugh；　and　we　felt　quite

light…hearted；　while　Pratique；　who　was　walking　by　the　side　of　the