There was no other such show of lilacs in Juno Mills as that which early May brought for her front yard. The climbing roses which covered the whole front and side of the poor little house were only of the simple, old sorts,—the Baltimore Belle1, the yellow Scotch2 and the ordinary pink brier,—but they bore thick clusters of delightful3 blossoms. And in the fall, when the frosts had nipped and blackened other people's flowers, the asters and nasturtiums and gladiolus in this wee patch appeared unhurt by the weather.
When there was to be a wedding in the village, or some celebration at the church or the school-house, the children always went to the Widow Hornbeck to beg for flowers. Often they found her sitting out in her yard among the plants she loved—a mild-faced, patient little woman, with thin, bent4 shoulders and hair whitened before its time; and she would be poring through her spectacles over the same big Book spread open on her knees.
The spectacle of Mrs. Hornbeck and her family Bible, framed like a picture in vines and flowering shrubs5, grew pleasantly familiar to everybody in the district. Strangers driving past used to stop their buggies and admire the place; and they, too, seeing the white-haired owner sitting there, would feel that her presence added to the charm of the scene.
The widow died suddenly one day in the autumn of 1863. She was found quite lifeless, seated as of old in the garden, with the old patient, wistful half-smile on her face, and the old Book spread open in her lap.
The village was sad for a day or two, and gently touched for a fortnight. Then the widow had been forgotten, and the family Bible had vanished. The cottage was taken for the mortgage upon it, and its meagre contents went the way of humble7, ownerless things. Mrs. Hornbeck had been very poor, and nothing was left for her son.
In that family Bible had been written the names of some score of Hornbecks. Against all these names but two a date of death had also been inscribed8. One of these two names, the last in the list, was that of the boy, now made an orphan9, the Benjamin of the widow's flock. He was described on the yellowed page, in his mother's scrawling10 hand, as "Washington Lafayette Hornbeck, born April 30, 1850." In real life he had always been known as "Lafe."
He grew up a brown-skinned, hardy11 sort of ordinary boy, whose face might suggest some acuteness and more resolution, but whom nobody thought of calling good-looking.
He turned out to be the best wrestler12 among the village lads of his age, and he was also the strongest swimmer of all the lot who used to go down, of a summer evening, to dive off the spring-board into the deep pool below the mill-dam. This raised him a good deal in the esteem13 of the boys, but somehow their elders were not so much impressed by "Lafe's" qualities.
He had to work, and he did work, but always at some new job—now berry-picking, now stripping willows14 for the basket factory, now packing "heave-powders" for the local horse-doctor. He had been employed in the mills and in the tannery, and he had once travelled for a month as the assistant of a tin-peddler, not to mention various experiments in general farm-work.
People hardly blamed Lafe for this lack of steadiness in employment. They said it was in his blood. All the Hornbecks since any one could remember had been musicians—playing the fiddle15 or whatever else you liked at country dances, and some of them even journeying to distant parts as members of circus or minstrel bands.
It was felt that a boy from such a roving stock could scarcely be expected to tie himself down to regular work.
Doubtless Lafe felt this, too, for as soon as he began thinking what he should do, after the shock of his mother's death, he found himself wishing to be a drummer-boy. The notion struck all the neighbors as quite appropriate. Lafe was a capital drummer. Kind old Doctor Peabody went with him to Tecumseh, saw the head recruiting officer at the big barracks there, and arranged matters for him.
Lafe was sent forward to New York, and thence to headquarters at the front. Men liked him, and his lifelong familiarity with instruments made him a handy boy to have about. Before long he was taken out of the little company drum-corps, and promoted to the big brigade band.
This very morning, when he went up from the hospital camp to the ridge16 where he hoped to see the fighting beyond, he had been thinking whether this promotion17 had been what he wanted.
All his dreams had been of action—of brave drummer-boys who went into battle with the fifes, and stood through it all by the side of the file-leader, valiantly18 pounding their sheep-skins as the shot and shell screamed past, and men pitched headlong, and officers were hurled19 from their horses, and the fight was lost or won.
Alas20! a brigade band never got so much as a whiff of actual warfare21, but tamely stayed about in camp, playing selections outside the general's headquarters while he ate his dinner, or contributing its quota22 to the ceremonial of a Sunday dress-parade.
Perhaps nothing more was to be looked for during the long winter in peaceful quarters at Brandy Station; but now that spring had come, and the grand advance was begun, and battles were in the air all about them—even now the bandsmen merely gave the warriors23 a tune24 or two to start them off, and then ingloriously loafed around the camp till they returned, or did not return, as the case might be. One might almost as well have stayed at home in Juno Mills!
The great rock on which Lafe and the German flute25-player Foldeen had taken their station gave way beneath them, as was stated in the last chapter, and smashed its way down the steep hillside, crushing the brush and rooting up vines as it went, snapping saplings like pipestems, and bowling26 over even trees of a larger growth. It brought up almost at the bottom of the hill, in the heart of a clump27 of sturdy cedars28.
A long gash29 of earth laid bare and of foliage30 ripped and strewn aside stretched up the incline to mark the track of the fallen boulder31. Half-way up this pathway of devastation32 a boy presently appeared.
Lafe had crawled up out of the débris of saplings, boughs33, and tangled34 creepers into which he had been hurled, and clambered over now to the open space. Then he stood looking up and down in a puzzled way, rubbing his head. His clothes were torn a good deal, he had lost his cap, and he was conscious of numerous bruises35 under these damaged clothes of his.
There was blood on the palm of his hand, which had come from his head. So far as feeling could guide him, this, however, was nothing but a scalp scratch. He cared more about the tremendous bark one of his shins had got, close up under his knee. When he took his first aimless steps, this had already stiffened36, and was hurting him.
Suddenly he remembered that he had not been alone on the rock. Foldeen Schell had been with him, and had grabbed his arm just as everything gave way under them. His wits were still woolgathering under the combined scare and tumble, and he began mechanically poking37 about among the underbrush at his feet, as if the missing flute-player might be hidden there. Or was he hunting for his cap? For a dazed minute or two he hardly knew.
Then the sense of bewilderment lifted itself, and was gone. Lafe straightened himself, and looked comprehensively about him.
"Foldeen!" he shouted shrilly38, and then bent all his powers of hearing for a reply. There came no answering call.
The air was full of other sounds—the rattling39 echoes of musketry-firing and the boom of bigger guns, some far off, others seemingly near, all mingling40 here among the thicket41 recesses42 in a subdued43, continuous clamor. Perhaps shouting was of no use.
Lafe climbed up the hill a dozen yards or so, to a point where he could go no farther, and scrutinized44 his surroundings carefully. The impenetrable wall of foliage shut out the valley from him even more completely than when he was on the ridge. He called again and again, and explored the bushes on either side, to no purpose.
Limping slowly down the track cleared by the passing rock, he continued his search to the right and left. He knew so little of how he himself had escaped death that there was nothing to help him guess how it had fared with his companion.
He had not known much about this missing bandsman heretofore, save that he seemed to be the best fellow among the three or four German musicians which the band contained. The boy, like the rest, spoke45 and thought of all these alien comrades as "Dutchmen," and he was far from comprehending that that outlandish name "Foldeen" was only a corruption46 of "Valentine." But a common misfortune binds47 swift ties, and Lafe, as he kept up his quest, began to think of Schell quite affectionately.
He recalled how good-tempered he had always been; how he alone had made jokes on the long march, when the cold and driving rain had soured every one else, and empty stomachs grumbled48 to keep company with aching bones.
Reflecting upon this, Lafe realized that he was very fond of the "Dutchman," and would be in despair if he had come to grief.
"Foldeen!" he yelled out again.
"Sh! sh! geeb guiet!" came a guttural reply, from somewhere near by.
The boy's heart lightened on the instant. He looked hastily about him with a cheerful eye, trying to trace the direction of the voice. "Where are you?" he demanded, in a lower tone.
For answer, the blue-coated German rose from a cover of brush, away down the hill, and beckoned49 him, enforcing at the same time by emphatic50 gestures the importance of coming noiselessly.
Lafe stole down furtively51, and in a minute was bending close beside Foldeen in shrubby52 shelter.
"Get hurt any?" Lafe asked, subduing53 his voice almost to a whisper in deference54 to the other's visible anxiety.
Foldeen shook his head. "It is much worse," he murmured back. "I have my flute lost."
The boy could not but smile. "We can thank our stars we weren't both smashed to atoms," he observed.
"Sh-h! don't talk!" Foldeen adjured55 him, and indicated with a sidewise nod of the head that special reasons for silence lay in that direction.
Lafe edged himself forward, and looked out through the bushes. They were on the crest56 of a little mound57 which jutted58 out slightly from the descending59 face of the hillside. The bottom of the ravine lay only thirty feet or so below them.
Save for scattered60 clumps61 of dwarf62 firs, hardly higher than the mullein stalks about them, the ground was clear, and the short grass told Lafe's practised eye that it was pasture land. Beyond, there was the gravelled bed of a stream, along which a small rivulet63 wandered from side to side.
At the first glance his eye had taken in various splashes of color dotting the grass, which suggested bluebells64. He saw now that these were made by the uniforms of men, who lay sprawled65 in various unnatural66 postures67, flat on the green earth. Most of them were on their faces, and not one of them stirred. Lafe moved his head about among the screening bushes, and was able to count twenty-six of these motionless figures.
The boy had seen such sights before, and had even helped bring in the wounded from the field of Payne's Farm during the most of a long, cold night in the previous November. This experience guided him now to remark a curious thing. No muskets68, knapsacks, or canteens were scattered about beside these fallen men. And another odd detail—they were all barefooted.
"Some one's been along, after the fighting was over, and skinned everything clean," he muttered to his companion.
Foldeen nodded again, and once more held up a warning hand. He himself was intently watching something beneath, from his side of the leafy cover. The boy shifted his position, and craning his neck over the other's shoulder, saw that just below them, where the ascent69 began, there stretched a rough, newly made ridge of sods, fence rails and tree-tops, which had evidently been used as a breastwork.
Behind this there were other human forms, also lying prone70, but clad in gray or butternut instead of blue. Here, too, there was no sign of life, but only that fixed71 absence of motion to which the remote thunder of gun-fire gave such a bitter meaning.
"Anybody there?" whispered the boy.
"I dink so," returned Foldeen, under his breath. "Dere is some, what you call it, hanky-banky, goes on here. Look yourself!"
He moved aside, and Lafe crowded into his place, and put his head out cautiously through the bushes. In one corner of the breastwork there was to be seen a big pile of accoutrements—knapsacks, muskets, swords, water-bottles, and the like, as well as a heap of old boots and miscellaneous foot-gear.
"Vell, how you make it out?" asked Foldeen.
Lafe drew in his head. "The way I figure it," he whispered, "is first, that they held this place against our men, and drove 'em off. Then they went out, and gathered up these traps, and brought 'em in there. Then some more of our men came along, and chased them out. That's what it looks like."
"Well, den6, vare is gone dem second men of ours?" the German demanded.
"They've gone after 'em, up the valley, there."
Foldeen shook his head. "Dey don't do such foolishness," he objected. "Ven dey take some place like dis, den dey shtick to him. I know so much, if I do blay mid72 the band."
"There'd be rations73 in the knapsacks," mused74 Lafe, after a pause. He had never been so hungry before in his life.
"What do you say to sneaking75 down there, and trying to find something to eat?" he suggested. "Come on!" he added persuasively76. "There's nobody down there that—nobody that we need be afraid of."
"Vell, I am afraid, dot's all," responded Foldeen.
"They can't do more than make us prisoners," urged the boy, "and that's better than starving to death. Come on! I'm going to make a try."
The German took his companion by the arm. "See here," he explained; "ven dey catch you, dot's all right. You are prisoner; dot's all. Ven dey catch me, den it goes one, two, dree—bang, und den Foldeen Schell addends his own funeral. Dot's the difference by you und me."
"Nonsense!" said Lafe. "They don't shoot anybody in the band."
"Anyhow, dey shoot me out of de band," persisted Foldeen, gloomily. "I was in dot oder army myself, sometimes."
The boy drew a long breath of enlightened surprise, which was almost a whistle.
"Well, then, you stay here," he said, after a little, "and I'll take a look at the thing by myself."
Suiting the action to the word, Lafe laid hold of the stoutest77 saplings, and lowered himself down by his arms to the ledge78 below. The footing was not quite easy; but by hanging to the vines he managed to work his way obliquely79 across the face of the declivity80, and yet keep pretty well under cover of the bushes.
Suddenly, emerging from the thicket, he found himself quite inside the breastwork, which he had entered from the open rear. The more terrible signs of the conflict which had been waged here a few hours before forced themselves upon his attention, first of all.
He braced81 himself to walk past them, and to go straight to the heap of knapsacks piled up among the branches in the corner.
Lifting one of the haversacks, he opened it. There was a tin cup on top, and some woollen things which might be socks. Pushing his hand under these, he came upon some bread, and paused to express his content by a smile.
"drop it—you!"
"drop it—you!"
"drop it—you!"
A loud, peremptory82 voice close at his shoulder caused the boy to turn with alarmed abruptness83. A burly man, with a rough, sandy stubble of beard about his face, had come into the breastwork—or perhaps had been hidden there all the while.
Lafe's first impulse was one of satisfaction at noting that the stranger wore the blue union uniform.
Then he looked into the man's face, and the instinct of pleasure died suddenly away.
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收听单词发音
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1
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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6
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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8
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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scrawling
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的现在分词 ) | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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wrestler
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| n.摔角选手，扭 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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14
willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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flute
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| n.长笛；v.吹笛 | |
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26
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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cedars
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| 雪松，西洋杉( cedar的名词复数 ) | |
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gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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40
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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41
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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42
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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43
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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44
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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binds
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| v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕 | |
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48
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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49
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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51
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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52
shrubby
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| adj.灌木的，灌木一般的，灌木繁茂著的 | |
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53
subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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54
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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55
adjured
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的过去式和过去分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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56
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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57
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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58
jutted
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| v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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60
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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61
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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bluebells
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| n.圆叶风铃草( bluebell的名词复数 ) | |
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sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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postures
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| 姿势( posture的名词复数 )； 看法； 态度； 立场 | |
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muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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mid
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| adj.中央的，中间的 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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persuasively
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| adv.口才好地；令人信服地 | |
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stoutest
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| 粗壮的( stout的最高级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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abruptness
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| n. 突然，唐突 | |
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