on the firing line-第28节

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is　painless　interval　was　but　the　prelude　to　the　final　painless　sleep。　Nevertheless；　the　man　who　had　helped　other　men　to　die　unflinchingly　was　facing　death　with　a　grave；　unflinching　smile；　albeit　life　to　him　was　good　and　full　of　promise。　The　interval　was　short。　He　would　pass　through　it　in　manlike　fashion；　and；　meanwhile；　give　thanks　that　beside　his　bed　sat　the　one　woman　in　whom　his　whole　future　so　long　had　centered。

The　slow　moments　passed　by；　unheeded。　It　was　an　hour　since　the　surgeons　had　gone　away；　it　was　nearly　an　hour　since　Alice　Mellen　had　followed　the　surgeons。　Instinctively　she　realized　that　her　place　was　otherwhere。　There　was　no　need　now　for　skilled　nurses。　Ethel　could　do　all　the　little　which　would　be　required；　and　it　was　Ethel's　right　to　stay。

Since　Alice　had　left　them；　no　word　had　been　spoken。　The　Captain　had　little　strength　for　words　as　yet。　It　was　taking　all　his　energy　and　courage　to　face　the　truth　and　to　accept　it。　Only　an　hour　before；　his　crippled　career　had　seemed　to　him　unbearable。　Now；　as　he　lay　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　girl　beside　him；　he　realized　how　much　of　potential　sweetness　that　dreary　alternative　had　held。　And　yet；　Fate　had　drawn　him　into　the　battle；　and　it　was　something　that　he　had　met　Fate　bravely　and　in　the　foremost　rank。　So　far；　he　had　never　funked　a　fight；　if　it　took　his　last　bit　of　strength；　he　would　go　pluckily　through　this　last；　worse　fight　which　he　was　destined　to　face。　He　stirred　slightly；　and　shut　his　teeth　on　his　lower　lip；　but　his　eyes　never　dropped　from　Ethel's　face。　From　the　farther　side　of　the　bed；　Weldon；　too；　was　watching　Ethel。　If　he　lived　to　full　fivescore　years；　he　could　never　forget　her　face　as　he　had　met　her　at　the　hospital　door；　that　morning。　Exhausted　with　the　excitement　of　the　battle；　stiff　with　his　half…dressed　wounds；　soiled　and　untidy　and　haggard；　he　had　paused　beside　the　ambulance　while　the　attendants　had　lifted　the　stretcher　and　borne　the　Captain　up　the　low　flight　of　steps。　Then；　like　a　man　in　a　dream；　he　had　followed　along　behind　them　until；　on　the　very　threshold；　he　had　raised　his　heavy　eyes　to　see　Ethel　standing　before　him；　a　broad　shaft　of　sunshine　pouring　down　upon　her　to　rest　in　the　locks　of　sunshiny　hair　which　straggled　out　from　beneath　her　crisp　white　cap。

〃Cooee！〃　he　said　huskily；　as　he　took　her　hand。　Then；　for　the　first　time　in　all　those　terrible　hours　since　the　battle；　his　lips　had　quivered；　and　two　big；　boyish　tears　had　rolled　out　across　his　cheeks。

Already　the　fight　seemed　to　him　to　be　months　old。　From　the　first；　it　had　been　the　Captain's　wish　that　Weldon　should　go　with　him　to　the　hospital；　and　Weldon　would　have　allowed　no　other　man　to　go　in　his　place。　Wounded　and　weak　from　loss　of　blood；　nevertheless　he　forgot　his　own　weakness　as　he　saw　the　leg；　shattered　by　two　bullets；　explosive　bullets　such　as　are　denied　to　warfare　of　any　but　barbarous　nations。　Young　though　he　was；　Weldon　had　seen　many　a　man　wounded　before　now。　He　was　not　slow　to　realize　the　nature　of　the　alternatives　which　lay　before　the　man　who　was　at　once　his　hero　and　his　friend。　Mercifully；　he　had　as　yet　no　knowledge　how　soon　the　one　alternative　must　be　taken　from　him。

The　case　was　too　grave　a　one　for　the　surgeons　of　the　field　hospital。　In　after　years；　that　ambulance　journey　into　Kroonstad　seemed　branded　upon　Weldon's　memory：　the　baking　heat　of　the　February　sun；　the　interminable　miles　of　dusty　road　stretching　away　between　other　interminable　miles　of　grassy　veldt；　scarred　and　seamed　here　and　there　with　ridges　of　naked　rock。　And　at　last　the　ambulance　had　jogged　into　Kroonstad；　only　to　find　that　no　help　lay　in　the　hospital　there；　that　the　journey　must　be　dragged　onward　through　a　night　ride　to　Johannesburg。

If　the　jolting；　crawling　ambulance　had　been　bad；　the　jarring　train　was　infinitely　worse。　The　Captain　made　no　complaints；　he　was　grateful　for　every　slight　attention；　he　even　forced　himself　to　joke　a　little　now　and　then。　Nevertheless；　Weldon；　sitting　beside　him　and　occasionally　laying　his　own　fingers　across　the　steady　hand　on　the　blanket；　was　maddened　by　the　noise　of　the　engine；　by　the　ceaseless　thud；　thud　as　the　wheels　took　every　new　rail；　by　the　roar；　and　the　rush；　and　the　dust　which　filtered　in　upon　them。　There　was　nothing　he　could　do。　He　merely　sat　there　beside　his　friend；　and　thought。　Occasionally；　he　thought　of　Ethel；　but；　for　the　most　part；　his　mind　was　on　the　man　before　him；　the　man　whose　active　career　all　at　once　had　been　cut　in　two。　Now　and　then　he　thought　of　the　one　who　had　chosen　to　fire　those　bullets；　taboo　of　all　but　the　most　brutal　warfare。　At　such　times；　he　rose　and　fell　to　pacing　restlessly　up　and　down　the　car。　Then　he　controlled　himself　and　resumed　his　seat。

Moment　by　moment；　almost　second　by　second；　the　dreary　night　had　worn　away。　It　was　full　morning　when　the　train　had　halted　inside　the　familiar　station。　After　his　vigil；　the　healthy　stir　of　the　streets　appeared　to　Weldon　like　the　confused　picture　of　a　dream；　and　it　had　been　like　a　man　in　a　dream　that　he　had　been　driven　away　to　the　hospital。　Then；　on　the　steps；　he　had　seen　Ethel；　and　the　dream　had　been　shattered；　giving　way；　for　the　instant；　to　the　perfect　happiness　of　reality。

But　the　surgeons　at　Johannesburg　had　shaken　their　heads。　The　delay；　although　unavoidable；　had　been　full　of　danger。　One　only　chance　remained；　and　they　would　take　that　chance。　Weldon　had　lingered　until　he　was　ordered　away；　then；　with　Ethel　beside　him；　he　had　gone　to　find　a　doctor　who　could　dress　his　own　wounds　and　make　him　fit　to　face　the　ordeal　which　he　knew　was　awaiting　him。　For　one　short　moment；　he　had　felt　Ethel's　hands　busy　about　his　shoulder　and　head　and　wrist；　had　rejoiced　in　the　quiet　strength　of　their　soothing　touch。　For　another　moment；　their　eyes　had　met；　but　no　word　had　been　spoken　between　them。　Then　Alice　had　come　to　them；　bringing　the　surgeon's　verdict。　That　had　been　an　hour　before。　Now　they　still　were　there；　watching　the　slow　approach　of　the　inevitable　summons。

Slowly　the　day　waxedand　waned。　For　the　waning　life；　there　was　no　interval　of　waxing。　Slowly；　steadily；　by　infinitesimal　degrees；　Leo　Frazer　was　sinking　down　into　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow。　Once　the　head　surgeon　had　stepped　behind　the　screens　and　bent　over　the　bed。　Only　Ethel　had　seen　the　brief　contraction　of　his　brows；　but　no　one　of　them　was　deceived　by　his　cheery　words　of　parting。　And　still　the　blue　eyes　rested　upon　Ethel；　as　if　seeking　to　gain　from　her　the　answer　to　some　unspoken　question；　as　if　begging　her　to　share　with　him　some　fraction　of　her　quiet　strength。　Now　and　then　Ethel　wondered　at　her　own　quiet。　This　was　the　second　week　of　her　promised　month　with　her　cousin；　but　it　was　the　first　time　she　had　come　face　to　face　with　death；　the　first　time；　too；　that　her　work　had　taken　on　any　hint　of　personality。　Now；　suddenly　confronted　with　these　three；　Death　and　the　two　men　who；　during　the　past　fourteen　months；　had　played　so　active　parts　in　her　life；　she　was　surprised　to　find　that　she　faced　them　steadily　and　in　silence。　As　yet；　she　felt　no　wish　to　make　any　moan。　That　would　come　later；　when　her　nerves　had　relaxed　a　little　from　the　stretching　strain。　And；　meanwhile；　as　she　sat　watching　the　face　on　the　pillow；　grieving　for　the　waning　life；　now　and　then　she　raised　her　eyes　to　the　other　face　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　bed；　and　told　herself　that　Fate；　harsh　as　it　was；　was　yet　not　altogether　unpitying。　Although　wounded　and　worn　and　sick　at　heart；　Weldon　was　with　her；　and　intensely　alive。

〃Ethel！〃

Bending　forward；　she　laid　her　strong；　firm　hand　upon　the　hand　of　the　Captain；　noting；　as　she　did　so；　that　the　finger　tips　were　cold　to　her　own　warm　touch。

〃Yes？〃　she　said　gently。

〃You　are　here？　It　troubles　me　to　see。　Stay　with　me　to　the　end；　Ethel。　It　won't　be　so　very　long。〃

She　bowed　her　head；　but　the　answer　came　firmly。

〃I　will　stay。〃

There　was　a　short　silence。　Then；　gathering　together　all　his　strength；　the　Captain　went　on　quite　steadily；

〃It　won't　be　so　very　long；　Ethel。　I　am　sorry。　I　liked　to　live。　I　have　had　a　good　time；　and　I　had　no　idea　that　my　good　times　were　so　nearly　over。　Not　that　it　would　have　made　much　difference；　though。　And　yet；　when　one　comes　to　the　end；　all　of　a　sudden；　one　finds　a　great　many　things　that　are　left　unfinished。〃

She　made　no　attempt　to　answer。

Gently　he　urged　the　final　words　upon　her　attention。

〃There　are　always　so　many　things　left　unfinished；〃　he　repeated。

〃Yes；〃　she　said　faintly。

Slowly；　as　if　its　weight　dragged　sorely　upon　his　failing　strength；　he　raised　her　hand　to　the　pillow　and　rested　his　cheek　upon　it。

〃Don't　cry；　Ethel；〃　he　said　then。　〃Of　course；　if　I　had　lived；　it　might　have　meant　so　much　to　us　both。〃

Involuntarily　she　caught　her　breath　and　made　a　swift　gesture；　as　if　to　withdraw　her　hand。　Then；　with　a　hasty　glance　at　Weldon；　leaning　against　the　opposite　wall；　she　controlled　herself　and　allowed　her　hand　to　rest　where　it　was。

〃It　would　have　meant　so　much　to　all　of　us；　Captain　Frazer。〃

〃Perhaps。　But　to　you　and　meEthel；　I　can't　go　out　of　life　and　give　you　up！〃　Pitifully；　longingly；　the　blue　eyes　stared　up　at　her　face　through　the　growing　shadows　of　waning　day　and　waning　life。　Longingly；　although　the　questioning　look　had　left　them。　In　its　place　was　an　infinite；　contented　love；　an　absolute　trust。

The　girl　nerved