bruce-第22节

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he　merely　glanced　up　abstractedly　from　his　writing；　at　sight　of

Bruce's　silken　head　at　his　side。　He　unfastened　the　message；　read

it；　frowned　and　went　on　with　his　report。



Bruce　continued　to　wag　his　tail　and　to　look　up　wistfully　for　the

wonted　petting　and　word　of　commendation。　But　the　colonel　had

forgotten　his　existence。　So　presently　the　collie　wearied　of

waiting　for　a　caress　from　a　man　whose　caresses；　at　best；　he　did

not　greatly　value。　He　turned　and　strolled　out　of　the　shed。　His

message　delivered；　he　knew　he　was　at　liberty　to　amuse　himself　as

he　might　choose　to；　until　such　time　as　he　must　carry　back　to　his

general　a　reply　to　the　dispatch　he　had　brought。



From　outside　came　the　voices　of　tired　and　lounging　soldiers。　A

traveling　kitchen　had　just　been　set　up　near　by。　From　it　arose　a

blend　of　smells　that　were　mighty　tempting　to　a　healthily　hungry

dog。　Thither；　at　a　decorous　but　expectant　pace；　Bruce　bent　his

steps。



Top…Sergeant　Mahan　was　gazing　with　solicitous　interest　upon　the

toil　of　the　cooks　at　the　wheeled　kitchen。　Beside　him；　sharing　his

concern　in　the　supper　preparations；　was　Mahan's　closest　crony；

old　Sergeant　Vivier。　The　wizened　little　Frenchman；　as　a　boy；　had

been　in　the　surrender　of　Sedan。　Nightly；　ever　since；　he　had

besought　the　saints　to　give　him；　some　day；　a　tiny　share　in　the

avenging　of　that　black　disgrace。



Mahan　and　Vivier　were　the　warmest　of　Bruce's　many　admirers　in　the

〃Here…We…Comes。〃　Ordinarily　a　dual　whoop　of　joy　from　them　would

have　greeted　his　advent。　This　afternoon　they　merely　chirped

abstractedly　at　him；　and　Mahan　patted　him　carelessly　on　the　head

before　returning　to　the　inspection　of　the　cooking　food。



Since　an　hour　before　dawn；　both　men　had　been　in　hot　action。　The

command　for　the　〃Here…We…Comes〃　to　turn　aside　and　bivouac　for　the

night　had　been　a　sharp　disappointment　to　them；　as　well　as　to

every　unwounded　man　in　the　regiment。



When　a　gambler　is　in　the　middle　of　a　winning　streak；　when　an

athlete　feels　he　has　the　race　in　his　own　hands；　when　a　business

man　has　all　but　closed　the　deal　that　means　fortune　to　himat

such　crises　it　is　maddening　to　be　halted　at　the　very　verge　of

triumph。　But　to　soldiers　who；　after　months　of　reverses；　at　last

have　their　hated　foe　on　the　run；　such　a　check　does　odd　things　to

temper　and　to　nerves。



In　such　plight　were　the　men　of　the　〃Here…We…Comes；〃　on　this　late

afternoon。　Mahan　and　Vivier　were　too　seasoned　and　too　sane　to

give　way　to　the　bursts　of　temper　and　the　swirls　of　blasphemy　that

swayed　so　many　of　their　comrades。　Nevertheless　they　were　glum　and

silent　and　had　no　heart　for　jolly　welcomings；even　to　so　dear　a

friend　as　Bruce。



Experience　told　them　that　a　square　meal　would　work　miracles　in

the　way　of　calming　and　bracing　them。　Hence；　apart　from　stark

hunger；　their　interest　in　the　cooking　of　supper。



Bruce　was　too　much　a　philosopherand　not　devoted　enough　to　his

soldier　friendsto　be　hurt　at　the　lack　of　warmth　in　the

greeting。　With　the　air　of　an　epicure；　he　sniffed　at　the　contents

of　one　of　the　kitchen's　bubbling　kettles。　Then　he　walked　off　and

curled　himself　comfortably　on　a　pile　of　bedding；　there　to　rest

until　supper　should　be　ready。



Several　times；　as　he　lay　there；　soldiers　passed　and　repassed。　One

or　two　of　them　snapped　their　fingers　at　the　dog　or　even　stooped；

in　passing；　to　stroke　his　head。　But　on　the　faces　of　all　of　them

was　unrest　and　a　certain　wolfish　eagerness；　which　precluded

playing　with　pets　at　such　a　time。　The　hot　zest　of　the　man…hunt

was　upon　them。　It　was　gnawing　in　the　veins　of　the　newest　recruit；



ever；　as　in　the　heart　of　the　usually　self…contained　colonel　of

the　regiment。



The　colonel；　in　fact；　had　been　so　carried　away　by　the　joy　of

seeing　his　men　drive　the　hated　graycoats　before　them　that　day

that　he　had　overstepped　the　spirit　of　his　own　orders　from　the

division　commander。



In　brief；　he　had　made　no　effort　to　〃dress〃　his　command；　in　the

advance；　upon　the　regiments　to　either　side　of　it。　As　a　result；

when　the　signal　to　bivouac　for　the　night　was　given；　the　〃Here…We…

Comes〃　were　something　like　a　mile　ahead　of　the　regiment　which

should　have　been　at　their　immediate　right；　and　nearly　two　miles

in　front　of　the　brigade　at　their　left。



In　other　words；　the　〃Here…We…Comes〃　now　occupied　a　salient　of

their　own；　ahead　of　the　rest　of　the　FrancoAmerican　line。　It　was

in　rebuke　for　this　bit　of　good　progress　and　bad　tactics　that　the

division　commander　had　written　to　the　colonel；　in　the　dispatch

which　Bruce　had　brought。



German　airmen；　sailing　far　above；　and　dodging　as　best　they　could

the　charges　of　the　Allied　'planes；　had　just　noted　that　the　〃Here…

We…Comes〃　〃salient〃　was　really　no　salient　at　all。　So　far　had　it

advanced　that；　for　the　moment；　it　was　out　of　touch　with　the　rest

of　the　division。　It　was；　indeed；　in　an　excellent　position　to　be

cut　off　and　demolished　by　a　dashing　nightattack。　And　a　report　to

this　effect　was　delivered　to　a　fumingly　distracted　German　major

general；　who　yearned　for　a　chance　to　atone　in　some　way　for　the

day's　shameful　reverses。



〃If　they　hadn't　halted　us　and　made　us　call　it　a　day；　just　as　we

were　getting　into　our　stride；〃　loudly　grumbled　one　Yankee　private

to　another　as　the　two　clumped　up　to　the　kitchen；　〃we'd　have　been

in　Fere…en…Tardenois　by　now。　What　lazy　guy　is　running　this　drive；

anyhow？〃



〃The　same　lazy　guy　that　will　stick　you　into　the　hoosgow　for

insubordination　and　leave　you　to　do　your　bit　there　while　the　rest

of　us　stroll　on　to　Berlin！〃　snapped　Top…Sergeant　Mahan；　wheeling

upon　the　grumbler。　〃Till　you　learn　how　to　obey　orders　without

grouching；　it　isn't　up　to　you　to　knock　wiser　men。　Shut　up！〃



Though　Mahan's　tone　of　reproof　was　professionally　harsh；　his

spirit　was　not　in　his　words。　And　the　silenced　private　knew　it。　He

knew；　too；　that　the　top…sergeant　was　as　savage　over　the　early

halt　as　were　the　rest　of　the　men。



Bruce；　as　a　rule；　when　he　honored　the　〃Here…We…Comes〃　with　a

visit；　spent　the　bulk　of　his　time　with　Mahan　and　old　Vivier。　But

to…day　neither　of　these　friends　was　an　inspiring　companion。　Nor

were　the　rest　of　Bruce's　acquaintances　disposed　to　friendliness。

Wherefore；　as　soon　as　supper　was　eaten；　the　dog　returned　to　his

heap　of　bedding；　for　the　hour　or　so　of　laziness　which　Nature

teaches　all　her　children　to　demand；　after　a　full　meal；and　which

the　so…called　〃dumb〃　animals　alone　are　intelligent　enough　to

take。



Dusk　had　merged　into　night　when　Bruce　got　to　his　feet　again。　Taps

had　just　sounded。　The　tired　men　gladly　rolled　themselves　into

their　blankets　and　fell　into　a　dead　sleep。　A　sentry…relief　set

forth　to　replace　the　first　batch　of　sentinels　with　the　second。



Mahan　was　of　the　party。　Though　the　topsergeant　had　been　a　stupid

comrade；　thus　far　to…day；　he　was　now　evidently　going　for　a　walk。

And　even　though　it　was　a　duty…walk；　yet　the　idea　of　it　appealed

to　the　dog　after　his　long　inaction。



So　Bruce　got　up　and　followed。　As　he　came　alongside　the　stiffly

marching　top…sergeant；　the　collie　so　far　subverted　discipline　as

to　thrust　his　nose；　in　friendly　greeting；　into　Mahan's　slightly

cupped　palm。　And　the　top…sergeant　so　far　abetted　the　breach　of

discipline　as　to　give　the　collie's　head　a　furtive　pat。　The　night

was　dim；　as　the　moon　had　not　risen；　so　the　mutual　contact　of

good…fellowship　was　not　visible　to　the　marching　men　on　either

side　of　Mahan　and　the　dog。　And　discipline；　therefore；　did　not

suffer　much；　after　all。



At　one　post　after　another；　a　sentinel　was　relieved　and　a　fresh

man　took　his　place。　Farthest　in　front　of　the　〃Here…We…Comes〃

lines　and　nearest　to　the　Germanwas　posted　a　lanky　Missourian

whom　Bruce　liked；　a　man　who　had　a　way　of　discovering　in　his　deep

pockets　stray　bits　of　food　which　he　had　hoarded　there　for　the

collie　and　delighted　to　dole　out　to　him。　The　Missourian　had　a

drawlingly　soft　voice　the　dog　liked；　and　he　used　to　talk　to　Bruce

as　if　the　latter　were　another　human。



For　all　these　reasonsand　because　Mahan　was　too　busy　and　too

grumpy　to　bother　with　himBruce　elected　to　stay　where　he　was；

for　a　while；　and　share　the　Missourian's　vigil。　So；　when　the　rest

of　the　party　moved　along　to　the　next　sentry…go；　the　dog　remained。

The　Missourian　was　only　too　glad　to　have　him　do　so。　It　is　tedious

and　stupid　to　pace　a　desolate　beat；　alone；　at　dead　of　night；

after　a　day　of　hard　fighting。　And　the　man　welcomed　the

companionship　of　the　dog。



For　a　time；　as　the　Missourian　paced　his　solitary　stretch　of

broken　and　shrub…grown　ground；　Bruce　gravely　paced　to　and　fro　at

his　side。　But　presently　this　aimless　promenade　began　to　wax

uninteresting。　And；　as　the　two　came　to　the　far　end　of　the　beat；

Bruce　yawned　and　lay　down。　It　was　pleasanter　to　lie　there　and　to

watch　the　sentinel　do　the　walking。



Stretched　out；　in　a　little　grass…hollow；　the　dog　followed

blinkingly　with　his　soft　brown　eyes　the　pendulumlike　progress　of

his　friend。　And　always　the　dog's　plumed　tail　would　be