bruce-第17节

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because　of　their　difference　in　diet　as　well　as　for　certain　other

and　more　cogent　reasonshave　by　no　means　the　same　odor；　to　a

collie's　trained　scent；　nor　to　that　of　other　breeds　of　war…dogs。

Official　records　of　dog…sentinels　prove　that。



Aliens　were　nearing　Bruce's　friends。　And　the　dog's　ruff　began　to

stand　up。　But　Mahan　and　the　rest　seemed　in　no　way　concerned　in

spirit　therebythough；　to　the　dog's　understanding；　they　must

surely　be　aware　of　the　approach。　So　Bruce　gave　no　further　sign　of

displeasure。　He　was　out　for　a　walk；　as　a　guest。　He　was　not　on

sentry…duty。



But　when　the　nearest　German　was　almost　upon　them；　and　all　twelve

Americans　dropped　to　the　ground；　the　collie　became　interested

once　more。　A　German　stepped　on　the　hand　of　one　of　his　newest

friends。　And　the　friend　yelled　in　pain。　Whereat　the　German　made

as　if　to　strike　the　stepped…on　man。



This　was　quite　enough　for　loyal　Bruce。　Without　so　much　as　a　growl

of　warning；　he　jumped　at　the　offender。



Dog　and　man　tumbled　earthward　together。　Then　after　an　instant　of

flurry　and　noise；　Bruce　felt　Mahan's　fingers　on　his　shoulder　and

heard　the　stark　appeal　of　Mahan's　whispered　voice。　Instantly　the

dog　was　a　professional　soldier　once　morealertly　obedient　and

resourceful。



〃Catch　hold　my　left　arm；　Lieutenant！〃　Mahan　was　exhorting。　〃Close

up；　there；　boysevery　man's　hand　grabbing　tight　to　the　shoulder

of　the　man　on　his　left！　Pass　the　word。　And　you；　Missouri；　hang

onto　the　Lieutenant！　Quick；　there！　And　tread　soft　and　tread　fast；

and　don't　let　go；　whatever　happens！　Not　a　sound　out　of　any　one！

I'm　leading　the　way。　And　Bruce　is　going　to　lead　me。〃



There　was　a　scurrying　scramble　as　the　men　groped　for　one　another。

Mahan　tightened　his　hold　on　Bruce's　mane。



〃Bruce！〃　he　said；　very　low；　but　with　a　strength　of　appeal　that

was　not　lost　on　the　listening　dog。　〃Bruce！　Camp！　Back　to　CAMP！

And　keep　QUIET！　Back　to　camp；　boy！　CAMP！〃



He　had　no　need　to　repeat　his　command　so　often　and　so　strenuously。

Bruce　was　a　trained　courier。　The　one　word　〃Camp！〃　was　quite

enough　to　tell　him　what　he　was　to　do。



Turning；　he　faced　the　American　lines　and　tried　to　break　into　a

gallop。　His　scent　and　his　knowledge　of　direction　were　all　the

guides　he　needed。　A　dog　always　relies　on　his　nose　first　and　his

eyes　last。　The　fog　was　no　obstacle　at　all　to　the　collie。　He

understood　the　Sergeant's　order；　and　he　set　out　at　once　to　obey

it。



But　at　the　very　first　step；　he　was　checked。　Mahan　did　not　release

that　feverishly　tight　hold　on　his　mane；　but　merely　shifted　to　his

collar。



Bruce　glanced　back；　impatient　at　the　delay。　But　Mahan　did　not　let

go。　Instead　he　said　once　more：



〃CAMP；　boy！〃



And　Bruce　understood　he　was　expected　to　make　his　way　to　camp；

with　Mahan　hanging　on　to　his　collar。



Bruce　did　not　enjoy　this　mode　of　locomotion。　It　was　inconvenient；

and　there　seemed　no　sense　in　it；　but　there　were　many　things　about

this　strenuous　war…trade　that　Bruce　neither　enjoyed　nor

comprehended；　yet　which　he　performed　at　command。



So　again　he　turned　campward；　Mahan　at　his　collar　and　an

annoyingly　hindering　tail　of　men　stumbling　silently　on　behind

them。　All　around　were　the　Germansbutting　drunkenly　through　the

blanket…dense　fog；　swinging　their　rifles　like　flails；　shouting

confused　orders；　occasionally　firing。　Now　and　then　two　or　more　of

them　would　collide　and　would　wrestle　in　blind　fury；　thinking　they

had　encountered　an　American。



Impeded　by　their　own　sightlessly　swarming　numbers；　as　much　as　by

the　impenetrable　darkness；　they　sought　the　foe。　And　but　for　Bruce

they　must　quickly　have　found　what　they　sought。　Even　in　compact

form；　the　Americans　could　not　have　had　the　sheer　luck　to　dodge

every　scattered　contingent　of　Huns　which　starred　the　German　end

of　No　Man's　Landmost　of　them　between　the　fugitives　and　the

American　lines。



But　Bruce　was　on　dispatch　duty。　It　was　his　work　to　obey　commands

and　to　get　back　to　camp　at　once。　It　was　bad　enough　to　be

handicapped　by　Mahan's　grasp　on　his　collar。　He　was　not　minded　to

suffer　further　delay　by　running　into　any　of　the　clumps　of

gesticulating　and　cabbage…reeking　Germans　between　him　and　his

goal。　So　he　steered　clear　of　such　groups；　making　several　wide

detours　in　order　to　do　so。　Once　or　twice　he　stopped　short　to　let

some　of　the　Germans　grope　past　him；　not　six　feet　away。　Again　he

veered　sharply　to　the　leftincreasing　his　pace　and　forcing　Mahan

and　the　rest　to　increase　theirsto　avoid　a　squad　of　thirty　men

who　were　quartering　the　field　in　close　formation；　and　who　all　but

jostled　the　dog　as　they　strode　sightlessly　by。　An　occasional

rifle…shot　spat　forth　its　challenge。　From　both　trench…lines　men

were　firing　at　a　venture。　A　few　of　the　bullets　sang　nastily　close

to　the　twelve　huddled　men　and　their　canine　leader。　Once　a　German；

not　three　yards　away；　screamed　aloud　and　fell　sprawling　and

kicking；　as　one　such　chance　bullet　found　him。　Above　and　behind；

sounded　the　plop　of　star…shells　sent　up　by　the　enemy　in　futile

hope　of　penetrating　the　viscid　fog。　And　everywhere　was　heard　the

shuffle　and　stumbling　of　innumerable　boots。



At　last　the　noise　of　feet　began　to　die　away；　and　the　uneven

groping　tread　of　the　twelve　Americans　to　sound　more　distinctly

for　the　lessening　of　the　surrounding　turmoil。　And　in　another　few

seconds　Bruce　came　to　a　haltnot　to　an　abrupt　stop；　as　when　he

had　allowed　an　enemy　squad　to　pass　in　front　of　him；　but　a

leisurely　checking　of　speed；　to　denote　that　he　could　go　no

farther　with　the　load　he　was　helping　to　haul。



Mahan　put　out　his　free　hand。　It　encountered　the　American　wires。

Bruce　had　stopped　at　the　spot　where　the　party　had　cut　a　narrow

path　through　the　entanglement　on　the　outward　journey。　Alone；　the

dog　could　easily　have　passed　through　the　gap；　but　he　could　not　be

certain　of　pulling　Mahan　with　him。　Wherefore　the　halt。



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



The　last　of　the　twelve　men　scrambled　down　to　safety；　in　the

American　first…line　trench；　Bruce　among　them。　The　lieutenant　went

straight　to　his　commanding　officer；　to　make　his　report。　Sergeant

Mahan　went　straight　to　his　company　cook；　whom　he　woke　from　a

snoreful　sleep。　Presently　Mahan　ran　back　to　where　the　soldiers

were　gathered　admiringly　around　Bruce。



The　Sergeant　carried　a　chunk　of　fried　beef；　for　which　he　had　just

given　the　cook　his　entire　remaining　stock　of　cigarettes。



〃Here　you　are；　Bruce！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃The　best　in　the　shop　is

none　too　good　for　the　dog　that　got　us　safe　out　of　that　filthy

mess。　Eat　hearty！〃



Bruce　did　not　so　much　as　sniff　at　the　（more　or　less）　tempting　bit

of　meat。　Coldly　he　looked　up　at　Mahan。　Then；　with　sensitive　ears

laid　flat　against　his　silken　head；　in　token　of　strong　contempt；

he　turned　his　back　on　the　Sergeant　and　walked　away。



Which　was　Bruce's　method　of　showing　what　he　thought　of　a　human

fool　who　would　give　him　a　command　and　who　would　then　hold　so

tightly　to　him　that　the　dog　could　hardly　carry　out　the　order。







CHAPTER　V　The　Double　Cross



In　the　background　lay　a　landscape　that　had　once　been　beautiful。

In　the　middle　distance　rotted　a　village　that　had　once　been　alive。

In　the　foreground　stood　an　edifice　that　had　once　been　a　church。

The　once…beautiful　landscape　had　the　look　of　a　gigantic

pockmarked　face；　so　scored　was　it　by　shell…scar　and　crater。　Its

vegetation　was　swept　away。　Its　trees　were　shattered　stumps。　Its

farmsteads　were　charred　piles　of　rubble。



The　village　was　unlike　the　general　landscape；　in　that　it　had

never　been　beautiful。　In　spite　of　globe…trotters'　sentimental

gush；　not　all　villages　of　northern　France　were　beautiful。　Many

were　built　for　thrift　and　for　comfort　and　for　expediency；　not　for

architectural　or　natural　loveliness。



But　this　village　of　Meran…en…Laye　was　not　merely　deprived　of　what

beauty　it　once　might　or　might　not　have　possessed。　Except　by

courtesy　it　was　no　longer　a　village　at　all。　It　was　a　double　row

of　squalid　ruins；　zig…zagging　along　the　two　sides　of　what　was

left　of　its　main　street。　Here　and　there　a　cottage　or　tiny　shop　or

shed　was　still　habitable。　The　rest　was　debris。



The　church　in　the　foreground　was　recognizable　as　such　by　the

shape　and　size　of　its　ragged　walls；　and　by　a　half…smashed　image

of　the　Virgin　and　Child　which　slanted　out　at　a　perilous　angle

above　its　fa？ade。



Yet；　miserable　as　the　ruined　hamlet　seemed　to　the　casual　eye；　it

was　at　present　a　vacation…resortand　a　decidedly　welcome　oneto

no　less　than　three　thousand　tired　men。　The　wrecked　church　was　an

impromptu　hospital　beneath　whose　shattered　roof　dozens　of　these

men　lay　helpless　on　makeshift　cots。



For　the　mixed　American　and　French　regiment　known　as　the　〃Here…We…

Comes〃　was　billeted　at　Meran…en…Laye　during　a　respite　from　the

rigors　and　perils　of　the　front…line　trenches。



The　rest　and　the　freedom　from　risks；　supposed　to　be　a　part　of　the

〃billeting〃　system；　were　not　wholly　the　portion　of　the　〃Here…We



Comes。〃　MeranenLaye　w