the seven poor travellers-第4节

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man's。　　A　common　soldier；　poor　brute　though　you　called　him　just　now；

has　this　advantage　in　the　stormy　times　we　live　in；　that　he　always

does　his　duty　before　a　host　of　sympathising　witnesses。　　Do　you　doubt

that　he　may　so　do　it　as　to　be　extolled　through　a　whole　regiment；

through　a　whole　army；　through　a　whole　country？　　Turn　while　you　may

yet　retrieve　the　past；　and　try。〃



〃I　will！　　I　ask　for　only　one　witness；　sir；〃　cried　Richard；　with　a

bursting　heart。



〃I　understand　you。　　I　will　be　a　watchful　and　a　faithful　one。〃



I　have　heard　from　Private　Richard　Doubledick's　own　lips；　that　he

dropped　down　upon　his　knee；　kissed　that　officer's　hand；　arose；　and

went　out　of　the　light　of　the　dark；　bright　eyes；　an　altered　man。



In　that　year；　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…nine；　the　French

were　in　Egypt；　in　Italy；　in　Germany；　where　not？　　Napoleon　Bonaparte

had　likewise　begun　to　stir　against　us　in　India；　and　most　men　could

read　the　signs　of　the　great　troubles　that　were　coming　on。　　In　the

very　next　year；　when　we　formed　an　alliance　with　Austria　against　him；

Captain　Taunton's　regiment　was　on　service　in　India。　　And　there　was

not　a　finer　non…commissioned　officer　in　it；no；　nor　in　the　whole

linethan　Corporal　Richard　Doubledick。



In　eighteen　hundred　and　one；　the　Indian　army　were　on　the　coast　of

Egypt。　　Next　year　was　the　year　of　the　proclamation　of　the　short

peace；　and　they　were　recalled。　　It　had　then　become　well　known　to

thousands　of　men；　that　wherever　Captain　Taunton；　with　the　dark；

bright　eyes；　led；　there；　close　to　him；　ever　at　his　side；　firm　as　a

rock；　true　as　the　sun；　and　brave　as　Mars；　would　be　certain　to　be

found；　while　life　beat　in　their　hearts；　that　famous　soldier；

Sergeant　Richard　Doubledick。



Eighteen　hundred　and　five；　besides　being　the　great　year　of

Trafalgar；　was　a　year　of　hard　fighting　in　India。　　That　year　saw　such

wonders　done　by　a　Sergeant…Major；　who　cut　his　way　single…handed

through　a　solid　mass　of　men；　recovered　the　colours　of　his　regiment；

which　had　been　seized　from　the　hand　of　a　poor　boy　shot　through　the

heart；　and　rescued　his　wounded　Captain；　who　was　down；　and　in　a　very

jungle　of　horses'　hoofs　and　sabres；saw　such　wonders　done；　I　say；

by　this　brave　Sergeant…Major；　that　he　was　specially　made　the　bearer

of　the　colours　he　had　won；　and　Ensign　Richard　Doubledick　had　risen

from　the　ranks。



Sorely　cut　up　in　every　battle；　but　always　reinforced　by　the　bravest

of　men；for　the　fame　of　following　the　old　colours；　shot　through　and

through；　which　Ensign　Richard　Doubledick　had　saved；　inspired　all

breasts；this　regiment　fought　its　way　through　the　Peninsular　war；

up　to　the　investment　of　Badajos　in　eighteen　hundred　and　twelve。

Again　and　again　it　had　been　cheered　through　the　British　ranks　until

the　tears　had　sprung　into　men's　eyes　at　the　mere　hearing　of　the

mighty　British　voice；　so　exultant　in　their　valour；　and　there　was　not

a　drummer…boy　but　knew　the　legend；　that　wherever　the　two　friends；

Major　Taunton；　with　the　dark；　bright　eyes；　and　Ensign　Richard

Doubledick；　who　was　devoted　to　him；　were　seen　to　go；　there　the

boldest　spirits　in　the　English　army　became　wild　to　follow。



One　day；　at　Badajos；not　in　the　great　storming；　but　in　repelling　a

hot　sally　of　the　besieged　upon　our　men　at　work　in　the　trenches；　who

had　given　way；the　two　officers　found　themselves　hurrying　forward；

face　to　face；　against　a　party　of　French　infantry；　who　made　a　stand。

There　was　an　officer　at　their　head；　encouraging　his　men；a

courageous；　handsome；　gallant　officer　of　five…and…thirty；　whom

Doubledick　saw　hurriedly；　almost　momentarily；　but　saw　well。　　He

particularly　noticed　this　officer　waving　his　sword；　and　rallying　his

men　with　an　eager　and　excited　cry；　when　they　fired　in　obedience　to

his　gesture；　and　Major　Taunton　dropped。



It　was　over　in　ten　minutes　more；　and　Doubledick　returned　to　the　spot

where　he　had　laid　the　best　friend　man　ever　had　on　a　coat　spread　upon

the　wet　clay。　　Major　Taunton's　uniform　was　opened　at　the　breast；　and

on　his　shirt　were　three　little　spots　of　blood。



〃Dear　Doubledick；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　dying。〃



〃For　the　love　of　Heaven；　no！〃　exclaimed　the　other；　kneeling　down

beside　him；　and　passing　his　arm　round　his　neck　to　raise　his　head。

〃Taunton！　　My　preserver；　my　guardian　angel；　my　witness！　　Dearest；

truest；　kindest　of　human　beings！　　Taunton！　　For　God's　sake！〃



The　bright；　dark　eyesso　very；　very　dark　now；　in　the　pale　face

smiled　upon　him；　and　the　hand　he　had　kissed　thirteen　years　ago　laid

itself　fondly　on　his　breast。



〃Write　to　my　mother。　　You　will　see　Home　again。　　Tell　her　how　we

became　friends。　　It　will　comfort　her；　as　it　comforts　me。〃



He　spoke　no　more；　but　faintly　signed　for　a　moment　towards　his　hair

as　it　fluttered　in　the　wind。　　The　Ensign　understood　him。　　He　smiled

again　when　he　saw　that；　and；　gently　turning　his　face　over　on　the

supporting　arm　as　if　for　rest；　died；　with　his　hand　upon　the　breast

in　which　he　had　revived　a　soul。



No　dry　eye　looked　on　Ensign　Richard　Doubledick　that　melancholy　day。

He　buried　his　friend　on　the　field；　and　became　a　lone；　bereaved　man。

Beyond　his　duty　he　appeared　to　have　but　two　remaining　cares　in

life；one；　to　preserve　the　little　packet　of　hair　he　was　to　give　to

Taunton's　mother；　the　other；　to　encounter　that　French　officer　who

had　rallied　the　men　under　whose　fire　Taunton　fell。　　A　new　legend　now

began　to　circulate　among　our　troops；　and　it　was；　that　when　he　and

the　French　officer　came　face　to　face　once　more；　there　would　be

weeping　in　France。



The　war　went　onand　through　it　went　the　exact　picture　of　the　French

officer　on　the　one　side；　and　the　bodily　reality　upon　the　other

until　the　Battle　of　Toulouse　was　fought。　　In　the　returns　sent　home

appeared　these　words：　　〃Severely　wounded；　but　not　dangerously；

Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick。〃



At　Midsummer…time；　in　the　year　eighteen　hundred　and　fourteen；

Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick；　now　a　browned　soldier；　seven…and…

thirty　years　of　age；　came　home　to　England　invalided。　　He　brought　the

hair　with　him；　near　his　heart。　　Many　a　French　officer　had　he　seen

since　that　day；　many　a　dreadful　night；　in　searching　with　men　and

lanterns　for　his　wounded；　had　he　relieved　French　officers　lying

disabled；　but　the　mental　picture　and　the　reality　had　never　come

together。



Though　he　was　weak　and　suffered　pain；　he　lost　not　an　hour　in　getting

down　to　Frome　in　Somersetshire；　where　Taunton's　mother　lived。　　In

the　sweet；　compassionate　words　that　naturally　present　themselves　to

the　mind　to…night；　〃he　was　the　only　son　of　his　mother；　and　she　was　a

widow。〃



It　was　a　Sunday　evening；　and　the　lady　sat　at　her　quiet　garden…

window；　reading　the　Bible；　reading　to　herself；　in　a　trembling　voice；

that　very　passage　in　it；　as　I　have　heard　him　tell。　　He　heard　the

words：　　〃Young　man；　I　say　unto　thee；　arise！〃



He　had　to　pass　the　window；　and　the　bright；　dark　eyes　of　his　debased

time　seemed　to　look　at　him。　　Her　heart　told　her　who　he　was；　she　came

to　the　door　quickly；　and　fell　upon　his　neck。



〃He　saved　me　from　ruin；　made　me　a　human　creature；　won　me　from　infamy

and　shame。　　O；　God　for　ever　bless　him！　　As　He　will；　He　Will！〃



〃He　will！〃　the　lady　answered。　　〃I　know　he　is　in　heaven！〃　　Then　she

piteously　cried；　〃But　O；　my　darling　boy；　my　darling　boy！〃



Never　from　the　hour　when　Private　Richard　Doubledick　enlisted　at

Chatham　had　the　Private；　Corporal；　Sergeant；　Sergeant…Major；　Ensign；

or　Lieutenant　breathed　his　right　name；　or　the　name　of　Mary　Marshall；

or　a　word　of　the　story　of　his　life；　into　any　ear　except　his

reclaimer's。　　That　previous　scene　in　his　existence　was　closed。　　He

had　firmly　resolved　that　his　expiation　should　be　to　live　unknown；　to

disturb　no　more　the　peace　that　had　long　grown　over　his　old　offences；

to　let　it　be　revealed；　when　he　was　dead；　that　he　had　striven　and

suffered；　and　had　never　forgotten；　and　then；　if　they　could　forgive

him　and　believe　himwell；　it　would　be　time　enoughtime　enough！



But　that　night；　remembering　the　words　he　had　cherished　for　two

years；　〃Tell　her　how　we　became　friends。　　It　will　comfort　her；　as　it

comforts　me；〃　he　related　everything。　　It　gradually　seemed　to　him　as

if　in　his　maturity　he　had　recovered　a　mother；　it　gradually　seemed　to

her　as　if　in　her　bereavement　she　had　found　a　son。　　During　his　stay

in　England；　the　quiet　garden　into　which　he　had　slowly　and　painfully

crept；　a　stranger；　became　the　boundary　of　his　home；　when　he　was　able

to　rejoin　his　regiment　in　the　spring；　he　left　the　garden；　thinking

was　this　indeed　the　first　time　he　had　ever　turned　his　face　towards

the　old　colours　with　a　woman's　blessing！



He　followed　themso　ragged；　so　scarred　and　pierced　now；　that　they

would　scarcely　hold　togetherto　Quatre　Bras　and　Ligny。　　He　stood

beside　them；　in　an　awful　stillness　of　many　men；　shadowy　through　the

mist　and　drizzle　of　a　wet　June　forenoon；　on　the　field　of　Waterloo。

And　down　to　that　hour　the　picture　in　his　mind　of　the　French　officer

had　never　been　compared　with　the