on the firing line-第5节

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〃At　last；〃　she　said　cordially；　while　she　gave　him　her　hand。　〃I　began　to　fear　you　had　already　gone　to　the　front。〃

〃Not　without　seeing　you　again；〃　he　answered；　as　he　followed　her　back　to　the　bamboo　chairs　at　the　shaded　western　end　of　the　veranda。　〃In　fact；　I　began　to　be　rather　afraid　I　should　never　see　the　front　at　all。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked　quickly。　〃Has　something　happened　since　I　saw　you？〃

〃A　great　deal　has　happened。　The　thing　I　referred　to　was　my　first　sight　of　British　regulars。〃

Her　face　cleared。

〃Oh；　is　that　all？〃

〃It　is　a　good　deal；〃　he　assured　her；　as　he　sat　down。　〃I　came　out　here　with　all　sorts　of　high　notions　regarding　volunteers。〃

〃Well？〃　she　questioned　smilingly。

〃Well；　they　have　been　taken　out　of　me。　An　untrained　man　isn't　worth　much　in　any　line；　least　of　all　in　the　firing　line。　Still；　it　would　be　very　ignominious　to　go　back　home　again。〃

Her　eyes　swept　over　his　alert；　well…groomed　figure。

〃And　when　do　you　start　for　the　front；　Trooper　Weldon？〃

〃How　do　you　know　I　start　at　all？〃

〃How　do　I　know　you　are　sitting　opposite　me？〃　she　asked　lightly。　〃Having　eyes；　I　use　them。〃

〃And　they　tell　you？〃　he　responded。

〃That　you　are　looking　content　with　life。〃

The　laughter　died　out　of　his　eyes。

〃I　am；〃　he　said　gravely；　〃perfectly　content。　I　am　enrolled　in　the　Scottish　Horse；　and　I　go　tomorrow。〃

〃The　Scottish　Horse？〃　she　asked　quickly。　〃Which　squadron？〃

〃Do　you　know　anything　of　it？〃

〃A　little；〃　she　answered；　〃but　that　little　is　good。　Then　it　is　to　Maitland　that　you　are　going？〃

〃Are　you　omniscient；　Miss　Dent？〃

〃No；　merely　an　inquisitive　girl　who　remembers　the　answers　to　the　questions　that　she　asks。　My　father；　you　know；　is　in　the　thick　of　things；　and　it　seems　to　me　I　have　met　half　the　British　army；　in　the　four　days　I　have　been　at　home。〃

〃Officers；　or　Tommies？〃　he　reminded　her。

She　laughed　at　the　recollection　of　her　former　prejudice。

〃You　told　the　truth；　Mr。　Weldon。　One　of　the　men　I　danced　with；　last　season；　is　riding　across　Natal　in　the　same　squadron　with　his　groom。　In　my　one　London　season；　I　met　only　officers。　Out　here；　I　find　Lord　Thomas　turned　into　Tommy　Atkins；　and　I　meet　him　every　day。　But；　aside　from　the　war；　what　do　you　think　of　Cape　Town？〃

〃What　would　I　think　of　Table　Mountain　without　its　tablecloth？〃　he　parried。　〃In　both　cases；　the　two　things　seem　inseparable。〃

〃Wait　till　you　know　the　place　better；　then；〃　she　advised　him。　〃It　really　does　have　a　life　of　its　own；　apart　from　its　military　setting。〃

〃I　am　afraid　there's　not　much　chance　of　my　knowing　it　better；〃　he　answered　a　little　regretfully。

〃Maitland　is　only　three　miles　away；　and　you've　not　met　my　mother　yet；〃　she　suggested。

〃Is　she　at　home　now？〃　Weldon　asked；　with　the　conscious　air　of　a　man　suddenly　recalled　to　his　social　duty。

〃Not　this　afternoon。　She　has　taken　Miss　Arthur　for　a　drive　through　Rondebosch。　That　is　quite　one　of　the　things　to　do；　you　know。〃

〃I　didn't　know。　Is　the　redoubtable　Miss　Arthur　well？〃

The　dimple　beside　the　girl's　firm　lips　displayed　itself　suddenly；　and　her　eyes　lighted。

〃Wonderfully。　Her　convalescence　has　been　remarkably　short。　More　remarkable　still　is　the　fact　that　she　has　neglected　to　mention　her　illness　to　any　one。〃

〃How　soon　does　she　go　back？〃

The　blue　eyes　met　his　eyes　in　frank　merriment。

〃Not　until　she　has　finished　informing　my　mother　of　the　present　London　code　of　chaperonage。〃

Weldon　raised　his　brows。

〃Then　I　shall　find　her　here；　when　I　come　back　at　the　end　of　the　war。〃

She　made　no　pretence　of　misunderstanding　him。

〃Are　you　so　much　less　strict　in　Canada？〃

〃We　aredifferent；〃　he　confessed。　〃Miss　Arthur's　lorgnette　would　be　impossible　with　us。　I　don't　mean　the　lorgnette　itself；　but　the　acute　accent　which　she　contrives　to　give　to　it。　Mrs。　Scott　is　more　of　a　colonial　matron。〃

〃Dear　little　lady！　Have　you　seen　her　since　she　landed？〃

〃Once。　They　are　at　the　Mount　Nelson；　and　Carew　and　I　called　on　them　there。　They　are　leaving　for　De　Aar；　Monday。〃

〃And　what　about　Mr。　Carew？〃

〃He　goes　with　me　to　Maitland。　He　is　Trooper　Carew　now。〃

The　girl　sat　staring　thoughtfully　out　across　the　lawn。

〃I　wonder　what　sort　of　a　soldier　he　will　make；〃　she　said；　half　to　herself。　Weldon　faced　her　sharply。

〃Why？〃

〃Because　life　is　an　embodied　joke　to　him。〃

Weldon　rose　a　little　stiffly。　His　call　had　lasted　its　allotted　time；　nevertheless；　under　other　conditions；　it　might　have　lasted　even　longer。　He　liked　Ethel　Dent　absolutely；　yet　now　and　then　she　had　a　curious　fashion　of　antagonizing　him。　The　alternations　of　her　cordial　moments　with　her　formal　ones　were　no　more　marked　than　were　the　alternations　of　her　viewpoint。　As　a　rule；　she　looked　on　life　with　the　impartial　eyes　of　a　healthy…minded　boy；　occasionally；　however；　she　showed　herself　hidebound　by　the　fetters　of　tradition；　and；　worst　of　all；　she　wore　the　fetters　as　if　they　lay　loosely　upon　her。　At　such　moments；　he　longed　acutely　to　impress　her　with　his　own　point　of　view；　as　the　only　just　one　possible。

〃I　think　perhaps　you　don't　fully　understand　Carew；　Miss　Dent；〃　he　said　courteously；　yet　with　a　slight　accent　of　finality。　〃He　laughs　at　life　like　a　child；　but　he　lives　it　like　a　man。　I　have　known　him　since　we　were　boys　together；　I　have　never　known　him　to　shirk　or　to　funk　a　difficult　point。　If　the　Scottish　Horse　ever　sees　the　firing　line；　it　will　hold　no　better　trooper　than　Harry　Carew。〃

He　bowed　in　farewell　and　turned　away。　Looking　after　him；　Ethel　Dent　told　herself　that　Weldon's　simple　words　had　been　descriptive；　not　only　of　his　friend；　but　of　his　loyal；　honest　self。

Half…way　across　the　heart…shaped　bit　of　lawn　enclosed　within　the　curve　of　the　drive；　Weldon　met　another　guest　going　towards　the　steps。　There　was　no　need　of　the　trim　uniform　of　khaki　serge　to　assure　him　that　the　man　was　also　a　soldier。　The　starred　shoulder　straps　were　needless　to　show　him　that　here　was　one　born　to　command。　Glancing　up；　Weldon　looked　into　a　pair　of　keen　blue　eyes　exactly　on　a　level　with　his　own；　took　swift　note　of　the　full；　broad　forehead；　of　the　black　lashes　contrasting　with　the　yellow　hair　and　of　the　resolute　lines　of　the　shaven　chin。　Then；　mindful　of　his　frock…coat　and　shining　silk　hat；　he　repressed　his　inclination　to　salute；　and　walked　steadily　on；　quite　unconscious　of　the　part　in　his　life　which　the　stranger　was　destined　to　play；　during　the　coming　months。




CHAPTER　FOUR


Sitting　in　the　lee　of　the　picket　fence　which　bounded　Maitland　Camp　on　the　west；　Paddy　the　cook　communed　with　himself；　and　Weldon　and　Carew　communed　with　him。

〃Oh；　it's　long　and　long　yet　before　a　good　many　of　these　ones　will　be　soldiers；〃　he；　observed；　with　a　disrespectful　wave　of　his　thumb　towards　the　awkward　squad　still　manoeuvering　its　way　about　over　the　barren　stretch　of　the　parade　ground。　〃They　ride　like　tailors　squatting　on　their　press…boards；　and　they　salute　like　a　parrot　scratching　his　head　with　his　hind　paw。　A　soldier　is　like　a　poet；　born；　not　made。〃

In　leisurely　fashion；　Weldon　stretched　himself　at　full　length　and　drew　out　a　slender　pipe。

〃Paddy；　if　you　keep　on；　I'll　fire　a　kopje　at　you；〃　he　threatened。

Paddy　disdained　the　threat。

〃Glory　be；　the　kopjes　be　riveted　down　on　the　bottom　end　of　them！　But　it's　the　truth　I'm　telling。　Half　of　these　men　is　afraid　of　their　lives；　when　they're　on　a　horse。〃

〃The　horses　of　South　Africa　are　divided　into　two　classes；〃　Carew　observed　sententiously；　〃the　American　ones　that　merely　buck；　and　the　cross…eyed　Argentine　ones　that　grin　at　you　like　a　Cheshire　cat；　after　they　have　done　it。　Both　are　bad　for　the　nerves。　Still；　I'd　rather　be　respectfully　bucked；　than　bucked　and　then　laughed　at；　after　the　catastrophe　occurs。　Paddy；　my　knife　has　been　splitting　open　its　handle。　What's　to　be　done　about　it？〃

〃Let's　see。〃

Bending　forward；　Carew　drew　the　black…handled　knife　and　fork　from　the　coils　of　his　putties。　In　the　orderly　surroundings　of　Maitland　Camp；　there　was　no　especial　need　of　his　adopting　the　storage　methods　of　the　trek；　nevertheless；　he　had　taken　to　the　new　idea　with　prompt　enthusiasm。　Up　to　that　time；　it　had　never　occurred　to　him　to　bandage　his　legs　with　khaki；　and　then　convert　the　bandages　into　a　species　of　portable　sideboard。

〃Paddy；〃　Weldon　remonstrated；　〃don't　stop　to　play　with　his　knife。　No　matter　if　it　is　cracked。　So　is　he；　for　the　matter　of　that。　Go　and　tell　your　menial　troop　to　remember　to　put　a　little　beef　in　the　soup；　this　noon。　I　am　tired　of　sipping　warm　water　and　onion　juice。〃

〃What　time　is　it；　then？〃

〃My　watch　says　eleven；　but　my　stomach　declares　it　is　half…past　two。　Trot　along；　there's　a　good　Paddy。　And　don't　forget　to　tie　a　pink　string　to　my　piece　of　meat；　when　you　give　it　to　the　orderly。　Else　I　may　not　know　it's　the　best　one。〃　With　a　reluctant　yawn　and　a　glance　upward　towards　the　sun；　Paddy　scrambled　to　his　feet　and　brushed　himself　off　with　the　outspread　palms　of　his　stubby　hands。　Then　he　turned　to　the　men　behind　him。

〃Stick　your　fork　back　in　your　putties；　Mr。　Carew；　and　I'll　send　you　a　knife　to　go　with　it。　As　long　as　Paddy　manages　the　cooking　tent；　the　cracked　knives　shall　go　to　the　dunderheads。　The　best　isn't　any　too　good　for　them　as　rides　like　you　and　Mr。　Weldon；　and　drinks　no　rum　at　all。〃

Weldon　eyed　him　mockingly。

〃And　gives　thei