white lies-第58节

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cut　its　teeth；　you　shall　have　a　battery　in　your　attack　that　will　set　its　teeth　on　edge。　　Ha！　ha！〃

The　young　colonel　did　not　echo　his　chief's　humor；　he　saluted　gravely；　and　returned　to　the　trenches。

The　next　morning　three　fresh　tiers　of　embrasures　grinned　one　above　another　at　the　besiegers。　　The　besieged　had　been　up　all　night；　and　not　idle。　　In　half　these　apertures　black　muzzles　showed　themselves。

The　bastion　had　cut　its　front　teeth。

Thirteenth　day　of　the　siege。

The　trenches　were　within　four　hundred　yards　of　the　enemy's　guns；　and　it　was　hot　work　in　them。　　The　enemy　had　three　tiers　of　guns　in　the　round　bastion；　and　on　the　top　they　had　got　a　long　48…pounder；　which　they　worked　with　a　swivel　joint；　or　the　like；　and　threw　a　great　roaring　shot　into　any　part　of　the　French　lines。

As　to　the　commander…in…chief　and　his　generals；　they　were　dotted　about　a　long　way　in　the　rear；　and　no　shot　came　as　far　as　them；　but　in　the　trenches　the　men　began　now　to　fall　fast；　especially　on　the　left　attack；　which　faced　the　round　bastion。　　Our　young　colonel　had　got　his　heavy　battery；　and　every　now　and　then　he　would　divert　the　general　efforts　of　the　bastion；　and　compel　it　to　concentrate　its　attention　on　him；　by　pounding　away　at　it　till　it　was　all　in　sore　places。　　But　he　meant　it　worse　mischief　than　that。　　Still；　as　heretofore；　regarding　it　as　the　key　to　Philipsburg；　he　had　got　a　large　force　of　engineers　at　work　driving　a　mine　towards　it；　and　to　this　he　trusted　more　than　to　breaching　it；　for　the　bigger　holes　he　made　in　it　by　day　were　all　stopped　at　night　by　the　townspeople。

This　colonel　was　not　a　favorite　in　the　division　to　which　his　brigade　belonged。　　He　was　a　good　soldier；　but　a　dull　companion。　　He　was　also　accused　of　hauteur　and　of　an　unsoldierly　reserve　with　his　brother　officers。

Some　loose…tongued　ones　even　called　him　a　milk…sop；　because　he　was　constantly　seen　conversing　with　the　priesthe　who　had　nothing　to　say　to　an　honest　soldier。

Others　said；　〃No；　hang　it；　he　is　not　a　milk…sop：　he　is　a　tried　soldier：　he　is　a　sulky　beggar　all　the　same。〃　　Those　under　his　immediate　command　were　divided　in　opinion　about　him。　　There　was　something　about　him　they　could　not　understand。　　Why　was　his　sallow　face　so　stern；　so　sad？　and　why　with　all　that　was　his　voice　so　gentle？　somehow　the　few　words　that　did　fall　from　his　mouth　were　prized。　　One　old　soldier　used　to　say；　〃I　would　rather　have　a　word　from　our　brigadier　than　from　the　commander…in…chief。〃　　Others　thought　he　must　at　some　part　of　his　career　have　pillaged　a　church；　taken　the　altar…piece；　and　sold　it　to　a　picture…dealer　in　Paris；　or　whipped　the　earrings　out　of　the　Madonna's　ears；　or　admitted　the　female　enemy　to　quarter　upon　ungenerous　conditions：　this；　or　some　such　crime　to　which　we　poor　soldiers　are　liable：　and　now　was　committing　the　mistake　of　remording　himself　about　it。　　〃Always　alongside　the　chaplain；　you　see！〃

This　cold　and　silent　man　had　won　the　heart　of　the　most　talkative　sergeant　in　the　French　army。　　Sergeant　La　Croix　protested　with　many　oaths　that　all　the　best　generals　of　the　day　had　commanded　him　in　turn；　and　that　his　present　colonel　was　the　first　that　had　succeeded　in　inspiring　him　with　unlimited　confidence。　　〃He　knows　every　point　of　warthis　one；〃　said　La　Croix；　〃I　heard　him　beg　and　pray　for　leave　to　storm　this　thundering　bastion　before　it　was　armed：　but　no；　the　old　muffs　would　be　wiser　than　our　colonel。　　So　now　here　we　are　kept　at　bay　by　a　place　that　Julius　Caesar　and　Cannibal　wouldn't　have　made　two　bites　at　apiece；　no　more　would　I　if　I　was　the　old　boy　out　there　behind　the　hill。〃　　In　such　terms　do　sergeants　denote　commanders…in…chiefat　a　distance。　　A　voluble　sergeant　has　more　influence　with　the　men　than　the　minister　of　war　is　perhaps　aware：　on　the　whole；　the　24th　brigade　would　have　followed　its　gloomy　colonel　to　grim　death　and　a　foot　farther。　　One　thing　gave　these　men　a　touch　of　superstitious　reverence　for　their　commander。　　He　seemed　to　them　free　from　physical　weakness。　　He　never　SAT　DOWN　to　dinner；　and　seemed　never　to　sleep。　　At　no　hour　of　the　day　or　night　were　the　sentries　safe　from　his　visits。

Very　annoying。　　But；　after　awhile；　it　led　to　keen　watchfulness：　the　more　so　that　the　sad　and　gloomy　colonel　showed　by　his　manner　he　appreciated　it。　　Indeed；　one　night　he　even　opened　his　marble　jaws；　and　told　Sergeant　La　Croix　that　a　watchful　sentry　was　an　important　soldier；　not　to　his　brigade　only；　but　to　the　whole　army。　　Judge　whether　the　maxim　and　the　implied　encomium　did　not　circulate　next　morning；　with　additions。

Sixteenth　day　of　the　siege。　　The　round　bastion　opened　fire　at　eight　o'clock；　not　on　the　opposing　battery；　but　on　the　right　of　the　French　attack。　　Its　advanced　position　enabled　a　portion　of　its　guns　to　rake　these　trenches　slant…wise：　and　depressing　its　guns　it　made　the　round　shot　strike　the　ground　first　and　ricochet　over。

On　this　our　colonel　opened　on　them　with　all　his　guns：　one　of　these　he　served　himself。　　Among　his　other　warlike　accomplishments；　he　was　a　wonderful　shot　with　a　cannon。　　He　showed　them　capital　practice　this　morning：　drove　two　embrasures　into　one；　and　knocked　about　a　ton　of　masonry　off　the　parapet。　　Then　taking　advantage　of　this；　he　served　two　of　his　guns　with　grape；　and　swept　the　enemy　off　the　top　of　the　bastion；　and　kept　it　clear。　　He　made　it　so　hot　they　could　not　work　the　upper　guns。　　Then　they　turned　the　other　two　tiers　all　upon　him；　and　at　it　both　sides　went　ding；　dong；　till　the　guns　were　too　hot　to　be　worked。　　So　then　Sergeant　La　Croix　popped　his　head　up　from　the　battery；　and　showed　the　enemy　a　great　white　plate。　　This　was　meant　to　convey　to　them　an　invitation　to　dine　with　the　French　army：　the　other　side　of　the　table　of　course。

To　the　credit　of　Prussian　intelligence　be　it　recorded；　that　this　pantomimic　hint　was　at　once　taken　and　both　sides　went　to　dinner。

The　fighting　colonel；　however；　remained　in　the　battery；　and　kept　a　detachment　of　his　gunners　employed　cooling　the　guns　and　repairing　the　touch…holes。　　He　ordered　his　two　cutlets　and　his　glass　of　water　into　the　battery。

Meantime；　the　enemy　fired　a　single　gun　at　long　intervals；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃We　had　the　last　word。〃

Let　trenches　be　cut　ever　so　artfully；　there　will　be　a　little　space　exposed　here　and　there　at　the　angles。　　These　spaces　the　men　are　ordered　to　avoid；　or　whip　quickly　across　them　into　cover。

Now　the　enemy　had　just　got　the　range　of　one　of　these　places　with　their　solitary　gun；　and　had　already　dropped　a　couple　of　shot　right　on　to　it。　　A　camp　follower　with　a　tray；　two　cutlets；　and　a　glass　of　water；　came　to　this　open　space　just　as　a　puff　of　white　smoke　burst　from　the　bastion。　　Instead　of　instantly　seeking　shelter　till　the　shot　had　struck；　he；　in　his　inexperience；　thought　the　shot　must　have　struck；　and　all　danger　be　over。　　He　stayed　there　mooning　instead　of　pelting　under　cover：　the　shot　（eighteen…pound）　struck　him　right　on　the　breast；　knocked　him　into　spilikins；　and　sent　the　mutton　cutlets　flying。

The　human　fragments　lay　quiet；　ten　yards　off。　　But　a　soldier　that　was　eating　his　dinner　kicked　it　over；　and　jumped　up　at　the　side　of　〃Death's　Alley〃　（as　it　was　christened　next　minute）；　and　danced　and　yelled　with　pain。

〃Haw！　haw！　haw！〃　roared　a　soldier　from　the　other　side　of　the　alley。

〃What　is　that？〃　cried　Sergeant　La　Croix。　　〃What　do　you　laugh　at；　Private　Cadel？〃　said　he　sternly；　for；　though　he　was　too　far　in　the　trench　to　see；　he　had　heard　that　horrible　sound　a　soldier　knows　from　every　other；　the　〃thud〃　of　a　round　shot　striking　man　or　horse。

〃Sergeant；〃　said　Cadel；　respectfully；　〃I　laugh　to　see　Private　Dard；　that　got　the　wind　of　the　shot；　dance　and　sing；　when　the　man　that　got　the　shot　itself　does　not　say　a　word。〃

〃The　wind　of　the　shot；　you　rascal！〃　roared　Private　Dard：　〃look　here！〃　and　he　showed　the　blood　running　down　his　face。

The　shot　had　actually　driven　a　splinter　of　bone　out　of　the　sutler　into　Dard's　temple。

〃I　am　the　unluckiest　fellow　in　the　army；〃　remonstrated　Dard：　and　he　stamped　in　a　circle。

〃Seems　to　me　you　are　only　the　second　unluckiest　this　time；〃　said　a　young　soldier　with　his　mouth　full；　and；　with　a　certain　dry　humor；　he　pointed　vaguely　over　his　shoulder　with　the　fork　towards　the　corpse。

The　trenches　laughed　and　assented。

This　want　of　sympathy　and　justice　irritated　Dard。　　〃You　cursed　fools！〃　cried　he。　　〃He　is　gone　where　we　must　all　gowithout　any　trouble。　　But　look　at　me。　　I　am　always　getting　barked。　　Dogs　of　Prussians！　they　pick　me　out　among　a　thousand。　　I　shall　have　a　headache　all　the　afternoon；　you　see　else。〃

Some　of　our　heads　would　never　have　ached　again：　but　Dard　had　a　good　thick　skull。

Dard　pulled　out　his　spilikin　savagely。

〃I'll　wrap　it　up　in　paper　for　Jacintha；〃　said　he。　　〃Then　that　will　learn　her　what　a　poor　soldier　has　to　go　through。〃

Even　this　consolation　was　denied　Private　Dard。

Corporal　Coriolanus　Gand；　a　bit　of　an　infidel　from　Lyons；　who　sometimes　amused　himself　with　the　Breton's　superstition；　told　him　with　a　grave　face；　that　the　splinter　belonged　not　to　him；　but　to　the　sutler；　and；　though　so　small；　was　doubtless　a　necessary　part　of　his　frame。

〃If　you　keep　that；　it　will　be　a　bone　of　contention　between　you　two；〃

said　he；　〃especially　at　midnight。　　HE　WILL　BE　ALWAYS　COMING　BACK　TO　YOU　FOR　IT。〃

〃There；　take　it　away！〃　sa