the red badge of courage(红色英勇勋章)-第17节
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a little awestruck voice。 〃A reg'lar jim…dandy。〃 He thoughtfully poked
one of the docile hands with his foot。 〃I wonner where he got 'is stren'th
from？ I never seen a man do like that before。 It was a funny thing。
Well； he was a reg'lar jim…dandy。〃
The youth desired to screech out his grief。 He was stabbed； but his
tongue lay dead in the tomb of his mouth。 He threw himself again upon
the ground and began to brood。
The tattered man stood musing。
〃Look…a…here； pardner；〃 he said； after a time。 He regarded the corpse as
he spoke。 〃He 's up an' gone； ain't 'e； an' we might as well begin t' look
out fer ol' number one。 This here thing is all over。 He 's up an' gone；
ain't 'e？ An' he 's all right here。 Nobody won't bother 'im。 An' I must
say I ain't enjoying any great health m'self these days。〃
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The youth； awakened by the tattered soldier's tone； looked quickly up。
He saw that he was swinging uncertainly on his legs and that his face had
turned to a shade of blue。
〃Good Lord！〃 he cried； 〃you ain't goin' t' not you； too。〃
The tattered man waved his hand。 〃Nary die；〃 he said。 〃All I want
is some pea soup an' a good bed。 Some pea soup；〃 he repeated
dreamfully。
The youth arose from the ground。 〃I wonder where he came from。 I
left him over there。〃 He pointed。 〃And now I find 'im here。 And he was
coming from over there； too。〃 He in… dicated a new direction。 They
both turned toward the body as if to ask of it a question。
〃Well；〃 at length spoke the tattered man； 〃there ain't no use in our
stayin' here an' tryin' t' ask him anything。〃
The youth nodded an assent wearily。 They both turned to gaze for a
moment at the corpse。
The youth murmured something。
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〃Well； he was a jim…dandy； wa'n't 'e？〃 said the tattered man as if in
response。
They turned their backs upon it and started away。 For a time they
stole softly； treading with their toes。 It remained laughing there in the
grass。
〃I'm commencin' t' feel pretty bad；〃 said the tattered man； suddenly
breaking one of his little silences。 〃I'm commencin' t' feel pretty damn'
bad。〃
The youth groaned。 〃O Lord！〃 He won… dered if he was to be the
tortured witness of another grim encounter。
But his companion waved his hand reassur… ingly。 〃Oh； I'm not goin'
t' die yit！ There too much dependin' on me fer me t' die yit。 No； sir！
Nary die！ I CAN'T！ Ye'd oughta see th' swad a' chil'ren I've got； an' all
like that。〃
The youth glancing at his companion could see by the shadow of a
smile that he was making some kind of fun。
As they plodded on the tattered soldier con… tinued to talk。 〃Besides；
if I died； I wouldn't die th' way that feller did。 That was th' funniest thing。
I'd jest flop down； I would。 I never seen a feller die th' way that feller
did。
〃Yeh know Tom Jamison； he lives next door t' me up home。 He's a
nice feller； he is； an' we was allus good friends。 Smart； too。 Smart as a
steel trap。 Well； when we was a…fightin' this atternoon； all…of…a…sudden
he begin t' rip up an' cuss an' beller at me。 'Yer shot； yeh blamed
infernal！'he swear horriblehe ses t' me。 I put up m' hand t' m' head an'
when I looked at m' fingers； I seen； sure 'nough； I was shot。 I give a
holler an' begin t' run； but b'fore I could git away another one hit me in th'
arm an' whirl' me clean 'round。 I got skeared when they was all a…
shootin' b'hind me an' I run t' beat all； but I cotch it pretty bad。 I've an
idee I'd a' been fightin' yit； if t'was n't fer Tom Jami… son。〃
Then he made a calm announcement： 〃There's two of 'emlittle ones
but they 're beginnin' t' have fun with me now。 I don't b'lieve I kin walk
much furder。〃
They went slowly on in silence。 〃Yeh look pretty peek…ed yerself；〃
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said the tattered man at last。 〃I bet yeh 've got a worser one than yeh
think。 Ye'd better take keer of yer hurt。 It don't do t' let sech things go。
It might be inside mostly； an' them plays thunder。 Where is it located？〃
But he continued his harangue with… out waiting for a reply。 〃I see 'a
feller git hit plum in th' head when my reg'ment was a…standin' at ease onct。
An' everybody yelled out to 'im： Hurt； John？ Are yeh hurt much？ 'No；〃
ses he。 He looked kinder surprised； an' he went on tellin' 'em how he felt。
He sed he didn't feel nothin'。 But； by dad； th' first thing that feller knowed
he was dead。 Yes； he was deadstone dead。 So； yeh wanta watch out。
Yeh might have some queer kind 'a hurt yerself。 Yeh can't never tell。
Where is your'n located？〃
The youth had been wriggling since the intro… duction of this topic。
He now gave a cry of ex… asperation and made a furious motion with his
hand。 〃Oh； don't bother me！〃 he said。 He was enraged against the
tattered man； and could have strangled him。 His companions seemed
ever to play intolerable parts。 They were ever uprais… ing the ghost of
shame on the stick of their curiosity。 He turned toward the tattered man
as one at bay。 〃Now； don't bother me；〃 he re… peated with desperate
menace。
〃Well； Lord knows I don't wanta bother any… body；〃 said the other。
There was a little accent of despair in his voice as he replied； 〃Lord knows
I 've gota 'nough m' own t' tend to。〃
The youth； who had been holding a bitter de… bate with himself and
casting glances of hatred and contempt at the tattered man； here spoke in a
hard voice。 〃Good…by；〃 he said。
The tattered man looked at him in gaping amazement。 〃Whywhy；
pardner； where yeh goin'？〃 he asked unsteadily。 The youth looking at
him； could see that he； too； like that other one； was beginning to act dumb
and animal…like。 His thoughts seemed to be floundering about in his
head。 〃Nownowlookahere； you Tom JamisonnowI won't have
thisthis here won't do。 Wherewhere yeh goin'？〃
The youth pointed vaguely。 〃Over there；〃 he replied。
〃Well； now lookaherenow；〃 said the tattered man； rambling on in
idiot fashion。 His head was hanging forward and his words were slurred。
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〃This thing won't do； now； Tom Jami… son。 It won't do。 I know yeh； yeh
pig…headed devil。 Yeh wanta go trompin' off with a bad hurt。 It ain't
rightnowTom Jamisonit ain't。 Yeh wanta leave me take keer of yeh；
Tom Jami… son。 It ain'trightit ain'tfer yeh t' go trompin' offwith a
bad hurtit ain'tain't ain't rightit ain't。〃
In reply the youth climbed a fence and started away。 He could hear
the tattered man bleating plaintively。
Once he faced about angrily。 〃What？〃
〃Lookahere； now； Tom Jamisonnow it ain't〃
The youth went on。 Turning at a distance he saw the tattered man
wandering about helplessly in the field。
He now thought that he wished he was dead。 He believed that he
envied those men whose bodies lay strewn over the grass of the fields and
on the fallen leaves of the forest。
The simple questions of the tattered man had been knife thrusts to him。
They asserted a society that probes pitilessly at secrets until all is apparent。
His late companion's chance persist… ency made him feel that he could not
keep his crime concealed in his bosom。 It was sure to be brought plain
by one of those arrows which cloud the air and a
