the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第89节

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In　the　distance；　the　earth's　surface　seemed　trembling　with　white；　fluttering　things　resembling　a　band　of　butterflies　poised　on　the　furrows。　　On　one　of　the　fields　the　swarm　was　of　great　size；　on　others；　it　was　broken　into　small　groups。

As　the　machine　approached　these　white　butterflies；　they　seemed　to　be　taking　on　other　colors。　　One　wing　was　turning　blue；　another　flesh…　colored。　。　。　。　　They　were　little　flags；　by　the　hundreds；　by　the　thousands　which　palpitated　night　and　day；　in　the　mild；　sunny；　morning　breeze；　in　the　damp　drip　of　the　dull　mornings；　in　the　biting　cold　of　the　interminable　nights。　　The　rains　had　washed　and　re…washed　them；　stealing　away　the　most　of　their　color。　　Some　of　the　borders　of　the　restless　little　strips　were　mildewed　by　the　dampness　while　others　were　scorched　by　the　sun；　like　insects　which　have　just　grazed　the　flames。

In　the　midst　of　the　fluttering　flags　could　be　seen　the　black　crosses　of　wood。　　On　these　were　hanging　dark　kepis；　red　caps；　and　helmets　topped　with　tufts　of　horsehair；　slowly　disintegrating　and　weeping　atmospheric　tears　at　every　point。

〃How　many　are　dead！〃　sighed　Don　Marcelo's　voice　from　the　automobile。

And　Rene；　who　was　seated　in　front　of　him；　sadly　nodded　his　head。　Dona　Luisa　was　looking　at　the　mournful　plain　while　her　lips　trembled　slightly　in　constant　prayer。　　Chichi　turned　her　great　eyes　in　astonishment　from　one　side　to　the　other。　　She　appeared　larger；　more　capable　in　spite　of　the　pallor　which　blanched　her　olive　skin。

The　two　ladies　were　dressed　in　deepest　mourning。　　The　father；　too；　was　in　mourning；　huddled　down　in　the　seat　in　a　crushed　attitude；　his　legs　carefully　covered　with　the　great　fur　rugs。　　Rene　was　wearing　his　campaign　uniform　under　his　storm　coat。　　In　spite　of　his　injuries；　he　had　not　wished　to　retire　from　the　army。　　He　had　been　transferred　to　a　technical　office　till　the　termination　of　the　war。

The　Desnoyers　family　were　on　the　way　to　carry　out　their　long…　cherished　hope。

Upon　recovering　consciousness　after　the　fatal　news；　the　father　had　concentrated　all　his　will　power　in　one　petition。

〃I　must　see　him。　。　。　。　　Oh；　my　son！　。　。　。　　My　son！〃

Vain　were　the　senator's　efforts　to　show　him　the　impossibility　of　such　a　journey。　　The　fighting　was　still　going　on　in　the　zone　where　Julio　had　fallen。　　Later　on；　perhaps；　it　might　be　possible　to　visit　it。　　〃I　want　to　see　it！〃　persisted　the　broken…hearted　old　man。　　It　was　necessary　for　him　to　see　his　son's　grave　before　dying　himself；　and　Lacour　had　to　requisition　all　his　powers；　for　four　long　months　formulating　requests　and　overcoming　much　opposition；　in　order　that　Don　Marcelo　might　be　permitted　to　make　the　trip。

Finally　a　military　automobile　came　one　morning　for　the　entire　Desnoyers　family。　　The　senator　could　not　accompany　them。　　Rumors　of　an　approaching　change　in　the　cabinet　were　floating　about；　and　he　felt　obliged　to　show　himself　in　the　senate　in　case　the　Republic　should　again　wish　to　avail　itself　of　his　unappreciated　services。

They　passed　the　night　in　a　provincial　city　where　there　was　a　military　post；　and　Rene　collected　considerable　information　from　officers　who　had　witnessed　the　great　combat。　　With　his　map　before　him；　he　followed　the　explanations　until　he　thought　he　could　recognize　the　very　plot　of　ground　which　Julio's　regiment　had　occupied。

The　following　morning　they　renewed　their　expedition。　　A　soldier　who　had　taken　part　in　the　battle　acted　as　their　guide；　seated　beside　the　chauffeur。　　From　time　to　time；　Rene　consulted　the　map　spread　out　on　his　knees；　and　asked　questions　of　the　soldier　whose　regiment　had　fought　very　close　to　that　of　Desnoyers'；　but　he　could　not　remember　exactly　the　ground　which　they　had　gone　over　so　many　months　before。　The　landscape　had　undergone　many　transformations　and　had　presented　a　very　different　appearance　when　covered　with　men。　　Its　deserted　aspect　bewildered　him　。　。　。　and　the　motor　had　to　go　very　slowly；　veering　to　the　north　of　the　line　of　graves；　following　the　central　highway；　level　and　white；　entering　crossroads　and　winding　through　ditches　muddied　with　deep　pools　through　which　they　splashed　with　great　bounds　and　jar　on　the　springs。　　At　times；　they　drove　across　fields　from　one　plot　of　crosses　to　another；　their　pneumatic　tires　crushing　flat　from　the　furrows　opened　by　the　plowman。

Tombs　。　。　。　tombs　on　all　sides！　　The　white　locusts　of　death　were　swarming　over　the　entire　countryside。　　There　was　no　corner　free　from　their　quivering　wings。　　The　recently　plowed　earth；　the　yellowing　roads；　the　dark　woodland；　everything　was　pulsating　in　weariless　undulation。　　The　soil　seemed　to　be　clamoring；　and　its　words　were　the　vibrations　of　the　restless　little　flags。　　And　the　thousands　of　cries；　endlessly　repeated　across　the　days　and　nights；　were　intoning　in　rhythmic　chant　the　terrible　onslaught　which　this　earth　had　witnessed　and　from　which　it　still　felt　tragic　shudderings。

〃Dead　。　。　。　dead；〃　murmured　Chichi；　following　the　rows　of　crosses　incessantly　slipping　past　the　sides　of　the　automobile。

〃O　Lord；　for　them！　。　。　。　for　their　mothers；〃　moaned　Dona　Luisa；　renewing　her　prayers。

Here　had　taken　place　the　fiercest　part　of　the　battlethe　fight　in　the　old　way；　man　to　man　outside　of　the　trenches；　with　bayonets；　with　guns；　with　fists；　with　teeth。

The　guide　who　was　beginning　to　get　his　bearings　was　pointing　out　the　various　points　on　the　desolate　horizon。　　There　were　the　African　sharpshooters；　further　on；　the　chasseurs。　　The　very　large　groups　of　graves　were　where　the　light　infantry　had　charged　with　their　bayonets　on　the　sides　of　the　road。

The　automobile　came　to　a　stop。　　Rene　climbed　out　after　the　soldier　in　order　to　examine　the　inscriptions　on　a　few　of　the　crosses。　Perhaps　these　might　have　belonged　to　the　regiment　they　were　seeking。　Chichi　also　alighted　mechanically　with　the　irresistible　desire　of　aiding　her　husband。

Each　grave　contained　several　men。　　The　number　of　bodies　within　could　be　told　by　the　mouldering　kepis　or　rusting　helmets　hanging　on　the　arms　of　the　cross；　the　number　of　the　regiments　could　still　be　deciphered　between　the　rows　of　ants　crawling　over　the　caps。　　The　wreaths　with　which　affection　had　adorned　some　of　the　sepulchres　were　blackened　and　stripped　of　their　leaves。　　On　some　of　the　crucifixes；　the　names　of　the　dead　were　still　clear；　but　others　were　beginning　to　fade　out　and　soon　would　be　entirely　illegible。

〃What　a　horrible　death！　。　。　。　　What　glory！〃　thought　Chichi　sadly。

Not　even　the　names　of　the　greater　part　of　these　vigorous　men　cut　down　in　the　strength　of　their　youth　were　going　to　survive！　　Nothing　would　remain　but　the　memory　which　would　from　time　to　time　overwhelm　some　old　countrywoman　driving　her　cow　along　the　French　highway；　murmuring　between　her　sobs。　　〃My　little　one！　。　。　。　　I　wonder　where　they　buried　my　little　one！〃　　Or；　perhaps；　it　would　live　in　the　heart　of　the　village　woman　clad　in　mourning　who　did　not　know　how　to　solve　the　problem　of　existence；　or　in　the　minds　of　the　children　going　to　school　in　black　blouses　and　saying　with　ferocious　energy〃When　I　grow　up　I　am　going　to　kill　the　Boches　to　avenge　my　father's　death！〃

And　Dona　Luisa；　motionless　in　her　seat；　followed　with　her　eyes　Chichi's　course　among　the　graves；　while　returning　to　her　interrupted　prayer〃Lord；　for　the　mothers　without　sons　。　。　。　for　the　little　ones　without　fathers！　。　。　。　　May　thy　wrath　not　be　turned　against　us；　and　may　thy　smile　shine　upon　us　once　more！〃

Her　husband；　shrunken　in　his　seat；　was　also　looking　over　the　funereal　fields；　but　his　eyes　were　fixed　most　tenaciously　on　some　mounds　without　wreaths　or　flags；　simple　crosses　with　a　little　board　bearing　the　briefest　inscription。　　These　were　the　German　bodies　which　seemed　to　have　a　page　to　themselves　in　the　Book　of　Death。　　On　one　side；　the　innumerable　French　tombs　with　inscriptions　as　small　as　possible；　simple　numbersone；　two；　three　dead。　　On　the　other；　in　each　of　the　spacious；　unadorned　sepulchres；　great　quantities　of　soldiers；　with　a　number　of　terrifying　terseness。　　Fences　of　wooden　strips；　narrow　and　wide；　surrounded　these　latter　ditches　filled　to　the　top　with　bodies。　　The　earth　was　as　bleached　as　though　covered　with　snow　or　saltpetre。　　This　was　the　lime　returning　to　mix　with　the　land。　　The　crosses　raised　above　these　huge　mounds　bore　each　an　inscription　stating　that　it　contained　Germans；　and　then　a　number　200　。　。　。　300　。　。　。　400。

Such　appalling　figures　obliged　Desnoyers　to　exert　his　imagination。　It　was　not　easy　to　evoke　with　exactitude　the　vision　of　three　hundred　carcasses　in　helmets；　boots　and　cloaks；　in　all　the　revolting　aspects　of　death；　piled　in　rows　as　though　they　were　bricks；　locked　forever　in　the　depths　of　a　great　trench。　。　。　。　　And　this　funereal　alignment　was　repeated　at　intervals　all　over　the　great　immensity　of　the　plain！

The　mere　sight　of　them　filled　Don　Marcelo　with　a　kind　of　savage　joy；　as　his　mourning　fatherhood　tasted　the　fleeting　consolation　of　vengeance。　　Julio　had　died；　and　he　was　going　to　die；　too；　not　having　strength　to　survive　his　bitter　woe；　but　how　many　hundreds　of　the　enemy　wasting　in　these　awful　trenches　were　also　leaving　in　the　world　loved　beings　who　would　remember　them　as　he　was　remembering　his　son！　。　。　。

He　imagined　them　as　they　must　have　been　before　the　death　call　sounded；　as　he　had　seen　them　in　the　advance　around　hi