the choir invisible-第24节

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emories　that　were　as　sword…points　broken　off　in　the　body；　with　glory　to　brighten　more　and　more；　as　time　went　on；　but　with　starvation　close　at　hand。　Virginia　willing　to　pay　her　heroes　but　having　naught　wherewith　to　pay；　until　the　news　comes　from　afar；　that　while　all　this　has　been　going　on　in　the　East；　in　the　West　the　rude　border…folk；　the　backwoodsmen　of　the　Blue　Ridge　and　the　Alleghanies；　without　generals；　without　commands；　without　help　or　pay；　or　reward　of　any　kind；　but　fighting　of　their　own　free　will　and　dyeing　every　step　of　their　advance　with　their　blood；　had　entered　and　conquered　the　great　neutral　game…park　of　the　Northern　and　the　Southern　Indians；　and　were　holding　it　against　all　plots：　in　the　teeth　of　all　comers　and　against　the　frantic　Indians　themselves；　against　England；　France；　Spain；a　new　land　as　good　as　the　best　of　old　EnglandKentucky！　Into　which　already　thousands　upon　thousands　were　hurrying　in　search　of　homes　a　new　movement　of　the　raceits　first　spreading…out　over　the　mighty　continent　upon　its　mightier　destiny。

So　had　come　about　her　hasty　marriage　with　her　young　officer；　whom　Virginia　rewarded　for　his　service　with　land；　so　had　followed　the　breaking　of　all　ties；　to　journey　by　his　side　into　the　wilderness；　there　to　undergo　hardship；　perhaps　death　itself　after　captivity　and　torture　such　that　no　man　who　has　ever　loved　a　woman　can　even　look　another　man　in　the　face　and　name。

Thus　ever　on　and　on　unwittingly　he　wove　the　fibres　of　her　life　about　him　as　his　shirt　of　destiny：　following　the　threads　nearer；　always　nearer；　toward　the　present；　until　he　reached　the　day　on　which　he　had　first　met　her　on　his　in　the　wilderness。　From　that　time；　he　no　longer　relied　upon　hearsay；　but　drew　from　his　own　knowledge　of　her　to　fill　out　and　so　far　to　end　all　these　fond　tapestries　of　his　memory　and　imagination。

But　as　one　who　has　traversed　a　long　gallery　of　pictures；　and；　turning　to　look　back　upon　all　that　he　has　passed；　sees　a　straight　track　narrowing　away　into　the　dimming　distance；　and　only　the　last　few　life　scenes　standing　out　lustrous　and　clear；　so　the　school…master；　gazing　down　this　long　vista；　beheld　at　the　far　end　of　it　a　little　girl；　whom　he　did　not　know；　playing　on　the　silvery　ancestral　lawns　of　the　James；　at　the　near　end；　watching　by　his　bedside　on　this　rude　border　of　the　West；　a　woman　who　had　become　indispensable　to　his　friendship。

More　days　passed；　and　still　she　did　not　return。　His　eagerness　for　her　rose　and　followed；　and　sorrowfully　set　with　every　sun。

Meantime　he　read　the　book；　beginning　it　with　an　effort　through　finding　it　hard　to　withdraw　his　mind　from　his　present。　But　soon　he　was　clutching　it　with　a　forgotten　hand　and　lay　on　his　bed　for　hours　joined　fast　to　it　with　unreleasing　eyes；　draining　its　last　words　into　his　heart；　with　a　thirst　newly　begotten　and　growing　always　the　more　quenchless　as　it　was　always　being　quenched。　So　that　having　finished　it；　he　read　it　again；　now　seeing　the　high　end　of　it　all　from　the　low　beginning。　And　then　a　third　time；　more　clingingly；　more　yearningly　yet；　thrice　lighting　the　fire　in　his　blood　with　the　same　straw。　Like　a　vital　fire　it　was　left　in　him　at　last；　a　red　and　white　of　flame；　the　two　flames　forever　hostile；　and　seeking　each　to　burn　the　other　out。　And　while　it　stayed　in　him　thus　as　a　fire；　it　had　also　filled　all　tissues　of　his　being　as　water　fills　a　spongenot　dead　water　a　dead　spongebut　as　a　living　sap　runs　through　the　living　sponges　of　a　young　oak　on　the　edge　of　its　summer。　So　that　never　should　he　be　able　to　forget　it；　never　henceforth　be　the　same　in　knowledge　or　heart　or　conscience；　and　nevermore　was　the　lone　spiritual　battle　of　his　life；　if　haply　waged　at　all；　to　be　fought　out　by　him　with　the　earlier；　simpler　weapons　of　his　innocence　and　his　youth；　but　with　all　the　might　of　a　tempted　man's　high　faith　in　the　beauty　and　the　right　and　the　divine　supremacy　of　goodness。

One　morning　his　wounds　had　begun　to　require　attention。　　No　one　had　yet　come　to　him：　it　was　hardly　the　customary　hour：　and　moreover；　by　rising　in　bed　he　could　see　that　something　unusual　had　drawn　the　people　into　the　streets。　The　news　of　a　massacre　on　the　western　frontier；　perhaps；　the　arrival　of　the　post…rider　with　angry　despatches　from　the　East；　or　the　torch　of　revolution　thrown　far　northward　from　New　Orleans。　His　face　had　flushed　with　feverish　waiting　and　he　lay　with　his　eyes　turned　restlessly　toward　the　door。

It　was　Mrs。　Falconer　who　stepped　forward　to　it　with　hesitation。　　But　as　soon　as　she　caught　sight　of　him；　she　hurried　to　the　bed。　〃What　is　the　trouble？　Have　you　been　worse？〃

〃Oh；　nothing！　It　is　nothing。〃　〃Why　do　you　say　thatto　me？〃

〃My　shoulder。　But　it　is　hardly　time　for　them　to　come　yet。〃　She　hesitated　and　her　face　showed　how　serious　her　struggle　was。　〃Let　me；〃　she　said　firmly。

He　looked　up　quickly；　confusedly；　at　her　with　a　refusal　on　his　lips；　but　she　had　already　turned　away　to　get　the　needful　things　in　readiness；　and　he　suffered　her；　if　for　no　other　reason　than　to　avoid　letting　her　see　the　painful　rush　of　blood　to　his　face。　　As　she　moved　about　the　room；　she　spoke　only　to　ask　unavoidable　questions；　he；　only　to　answer　them；　and　neither　looked　at　the　other。

Then　he　sat　up　in　the　bed　and　bared　his　neck　and　shoulder；　one　arm　and　half　his　chest；　and　with　his　face　crimson；　turned　his　eyes　away。　She　had　been　among　the　women　in　the　fort　during　that　summer　thirteen　years　before；　when　the　battle　of　the　Blue　Licks　had　been　fought；　and　speaking　in　the　quietest；　most　natural　of　voices；　she　now　began　to　describe　how　the　wounded　had　straggled　in　from　the　battle…field；　one　rifleman　reeling　on　his　horse　and　held　in　his　seat　by　the　arm　of　a　comrade；　his　bleeding；　bandaged　head　on　that　comrade's　shoulder；　another　borne　on　a　litter　swung　between　two　horses；　others　footmenholding　out　just　long　enough　to　come　into　sight　of　the　fort；　there　to　sink　down；　one；　a　mere　youth；　fallen　a　mile　back　in　the　hot　dusty　buffalo　trace　with　an　unspoken　message　to　some　one　in　his　brave；　beautiful；　darkening　eyes。　But　before　this；　she　told　him　how　the　women　had　watched　all　that　night　and　the　day　previous　inside　the　poor　little　earth…mound　of　a　defence　against　artillery；　built　by　order　of　Jefferson　and　costing　37。5O；　the　women　taking　as　always　the　places　of　the　men　who　were　gone　away　to　the　war；　becoming　as　always　the　defenders　of　the　land；　of　the　children；　of　those　left　behind　sick　or　too　old　to　fight。　How　from　the　black　edge　of　dawn　they　had　strained　their　eyes　in　the　direction　of　the　battle　until　at　last　a　woman's　cry　of　agony　had　rent　the　air　as　the　first　of　the　wounded　had　ridden　slowly　into　sight。　How　they　had　rushed　forth　through　the　wooden　gates　and　heard　the　tidings　of　it　all　and　then　had　followed　the　scenes　and　the　things　that　could　never　be　told　for　pity　and　grief　and　love　and　sadness。

After　a　little　pause　she　began　to　speak　of　Major　Falconer　as　the　school…master　had　never　known　her　to　speak；　tremulously　of　his　part　in　that　battle；　a　Revolutionary　officer　serving　as　a　common　backwoods　soldier；　eloquently　of　his　perfect　courage　then　and　always；　of　his　perfect　manliness；　and　she　ended　by　saying　that　the　worst　thing　that　could　ever　befall　a　woman　was　to　marry　an　unmanly　man。

〃If　any　one　single　thing　in　life　could　ever　have　killed　me；〃　she　said；　〃it　would　have　been　that。〃

With　her　last　words　she　finished　the　dressing　of　his　wounds。　　Spots　of　the　deepest　rose　were　on　her　cheeks；　her　eyes　were　lighted　with　proud　fire。　Confusedly　he　thanked　her　and；　lying　back　on　his　pillow；　closed　his　eyes　and　turned　his　face　away。

When　she　had　quickly　gone　he　sat　up　in　the　bed　again。　He　drew　the　book　guiltily　from　under　his　pillow；　looked　long　and　sorrowfully　at　it；　and　then　with　a　low　cry　of　shamethe　first　that　had　ever　burst　from　his　lipshe　hurled　it　across　the　room　and　threw　himself　violently　down　again；　with　his　forehead　against　the　logs；　his　eyes　hidden；　his　face　burning。


XIV

THE　first　day　that　John　felt　strong　enough　to　walk　as　far　as　that　end　of　the　town；　he　was　pulling　himself　unsteadily　past　the　shop　when　he　saw　Peter　and　turned　in　to　rest　and　chat。The　young　blacksmith　refused　to　speak　to　him。

〃Peter！〃　said　John　with　a　sad；　shaky　voice；　holding　out　his　hand；　〃have　I　changed　so　much？　Don't　you　know　me？〃

〃Yes；　I　know　you；〃　said　Peter。　〃I　wish　I　didn't。〃

〃I　don't　think　I　recognize　you　any　more；〃　replied　John；　after　a　moment　of　silence。　〃What's　the　matter？〃

〃Oh；　you　get　along；〃　said　Peter。　〃Clear　out！〃

John　went　inside　and　drank　a　gourd　of　water　out　of　Peter's　cool　bucket；　came　back　with　a　stool　and　sat　down　squarely　before　him。

〃Now　look　here；〃　he　said　with　the　candour　which　was　always　the　first　law　of　nature　with　him；　〃what　have　I　done　to　you？〃

Peter　would　neither　look　nor　speak；　but　being　powerless　before　kindness；　he　was　beginning　to　break　down。

〃Out　with　it；〃　said　John。　〃What　have　I　done？〃〃You　know　what　you've　said。〃

〃What　have　I　said　about　you？〃　asked　John；　now　perceiving　that　some　mischief　had　been　at　work　here。　〃Who　told　you　I　had　said　anything　about　you？〃

〃It's　no　use　for　you　to　deny　it。〃

〃Who　told　you？〃

〃O'Bannon！〃

〃O'Bannon！〃　exclaimed　John　with　a　frown。　〃I've　never　talked　to　O'Bannon　about　youabout　anything。〃

〃You　haven't　abused　me？〃　said　Peter；　wheeling　on　the　schoolmaster；