For three days the wind blew a steady gale6 from the southwest and piled the white foaming7 breakers high on the sand dunes8.
Through the pounding surf the sea lifted our bloated dead until they lay in grim blue heaps on the white sands at low tide. General Hood9 despatched Vassar to see that they were buried. He piled them in big trenches10 one on top of the other.
The wind died to a gentle caress11 as Vassar stood and watched them dumped into unmarked trenches—brave boys whose lives we could have saved with a few paltry13 millions spent in preparation.
His thoughts were bitter.
Had we been prepared no nation on earth had dared attack us. Our fighting force in men would fill an army of 16,000,000. Our strength in money was greater than Continental14 Europe combined. We had the men. We had the money. We were just not ready—that was all. We could have whipped combined Europe had we been prepared, and combined Europe, knowing this, would have courted our favor with bows and smiles.
The thin line of the new moon broke through the soft fleece of clouds and the stars came out in countless15 thousands. The lights were playing far out at sea too, the big searchlights of the scouts16 and battle cruisers. They flashed on the grave diggers now, held steady for a moment and swung in search of guns. They were not interested in the dead.
Vassar’s heart went out in a throb17 of pity as he watched the scene—pity for the men whom a mighty18 nation had murdered for nothing—pity for the well-meaning but foolish men and women whose childish theories of peace had made this stupendous crime possible.
He thought too with the keenest pang19 of the anguish20 that would come to the heart of the woman he loved when the magnitude of this betrayal of a nation crushed her soul. Men like Barker and Pike would continue their parrot talk perhaps until Death called them. The heart of Virginia Holland would be crushed by this appalling21 tragedy. If he could only take her in his arms and whisper his love!
At dawn next morning Vassar stayed to watch from the hills the landing of the armada. They had scorned to waste a shot from their big guns to cover the landing. It was unnecessary. Their airmen had reconnoitered and reported the defending army miles away hastily digging their trenches.
“Good!” the imperial commander replied on receiving this report. “The bigger and longer their trenches, the bigger the battle. What we want is one fight and that settles it.”
Through four days the landing proceeded with marvelous precision, each man at his post. The whole great movement went forward without a hitch22 with scarcely an accident to mar12 its almost festive23 character.
Twenty-five huge transports lay in the offing discharging their thousands of troops from barges24 and lighters25. The men swarmed26 on the sands like locusts27. Nothing had been left to chance. Nothing had been forgotten. They had cavalry28 in thousands—huge artillery29 that covered acres. Fifty magnificent horses were hitched30 to a single gun of the largest type. Their food supplies were apparently31 exhaustless. Each regiment32 had its moving kitchens, its laundry wagons33, its bakery.
The signal corps34 were already stringing their wires. A wireless35 plant had been in communication with the commander on the flagship since the work of landing began.
When the last ship had discharged her cargo36, it was known that four full army corps, each with complete equipment of cavalry, artillery and machine guns, had been landed and that this first division of the invading host consisted of not less than one hundred and sixty thousand officers and men—every one of whom spoke37 good English as well as his native tongue.
The news spread with lightning rapidity through the army of defense38 and on past their lines into the terror-stricken city. The thousands of half-mad refugees who had fled to the country began now to turn again toward New York. They had slept in the fields and woods for more than a week. Their condition was pitiful and their suffering a source of constant worry to the officers.
On the day that the invaders39 began their march from the beach to form on the turnpike for their final sweep against the trenches, Hood had massed from all sources two hundred pieces of artillery to defend his trenches against more than five hundred of the enemy. What the range and caliber40 of these hostile guns might be he could only guess. He knew one thing with painful certainty—whatever their range and caliber might be they were manned by veteran artillerymen who had fought them for years under the hideous41 conditions of modern war. Not a man in his army had ever been under the fire of modern artillery. That his gunners would give a good account of themselves, however, he had not the slightest doubt.
The rub would come when they began to fall. Trained men to take their places were not to be had. If it should come to cold steel, he could trust the raw volunteers in his trenches to defend their homes against a horde42 of devils. The trouble was but a handful of his men were equipped with bayonets.
He had just inspected his lines and given his final instructions to his brigade commanders when an extraordinary procession marched into his lines from Brooklyn, headed by the Honorable Plato Barker and the Reverend Dr. A. Cuthbert Pike, still president of the Peace union.
The General refused to see or speak to them. Pike sought Vassar and begged him as an old political associate of Barker’s to secure ten minutes’ interview.
“I assure you, Congressman,” Pike insisted in his nervous fidgety way, “that Barker may be able to open negotiations43 with the invaders if you will let us through the lines!”
Vassar sought for ten minutes to dissuade44 Pike from his purpose. His faith was unshaken—in sheer asinine45 fatuity46 it was sublime47. It was so ridiculous that the young leader decided48 that the best thing that could happen to the country was to get both Barker and Pike inside the enemy’s lines.
Barker had not been able to reach New York for the Peace Jubilee49. He had regarded this great work of his career complete—crowned with glorious success. He had passed on to greater things. So remarkable50 had been his triumph in the Parliament of Man, so complete the vindication51 of his theories of arbitration52 and moral suasion as a substitute for war, that he had been able to raise the price of his Chautauqua lecture fees to five hundred dollars guarantee and one-third the gate receipts.
When the tragic53 crash came which threatened at one stroke to dislocate his process of reasoning and destroy his lecture bookings at the same moment, he was at the little town of Winona, Indiana, lecturing to five thousand enraptured54 Chautauqua peace enthusiasts55. He had just finished counting the gate receipts, twenty-five hundred dollars on the day. His share was five hundred dollars and the half of the remaining thousand, making fifteen hundred dollars—the largest fee ever received by a lecturer in the history of the country.
With a regretful look at their pile, he was congratulating the management on having so much left over after he had been paid, when the astounding56 message was read announcing the insurrection of two hundred thousand armed foreigners, their capture of the President, his Cabinet, the Capitol and the fall of the cities.
The great man laughed.
“It’s a huge hoax57, my friends!” he shouted in soothing58 tones. “A wag is putting up a joke on me—that’s all. I’m an old timer. I take these things as they come—don’t worry.”
His soothing words quieted the crowd for an hour until the second message arrived announcing the surrender of Chicago, and St. Louis to the same mysterious power and announcing that the landing from a great armada of the hostile army was hourly expected at New York.
The silver-tongued orator59 at once took up his burden and hastened East to meet the coming foe60.
He lifted his hand in solemn invocation over the vast throng61 of panic-stricken hearers as he took his departure.
“Be of good cheer, my friends!” he cried. “I have always held the high faith that if we appeal to the heart of the misguided foe who invades our soil we can make him a good American. I, for one, will set my life on the issue. I will go as your ambassador to this foe. He is a man of the same hopes and faith even as you and I. Touched by the same divine influences that have lifted us from the barbarism of war we can save him also!
“Have no fear—this is all senseless panic. Personally I do not believe this wild canard62 of a foreign invasion. Our cities may be the victims of a wide conspiracy63 of dissatisfied Socialists64 and Anarchists—but a foreign foe—bah! I go to meet him with faith serene65!”
Pike related the story of this scene with a hush66 of awe67 in his voice as if he had seen a vision of the living God and the sight had stricken him partly dumb.
Vassar appealed finally to the General to give them a pass through the lines.
“Tell those two windbags68 to go through my lines if they wish—I don’t give a damn where they go,” Hood snapped. “I only hope and pray that a friendly bayonet lets the air out of them so that we shall never hear them again. I won’t see them. I won’t speak to them. I won’t give them a scrap69 of paper. If they dare to pass with any fool proposition of their disordered brains, it’s their affair—not mine. Tell them to get out of this camp quick—I don’t care which way they go.”
At Pike’s solicitation70 Vassar escorted Barker through the lines and watched the pair disappear arm in arm down the turnpike toward Southampton.
They walked five miles before they found a conveyance71. They tried to hire a rig from a farmer. He refused to move at any price—even after Barker explained who he was and the tremendous import of his mission.
Through much dickering they succeeded in buying of him an old horse that had been turned out to graze. The Long Islander drove a hard bargain. After loud protests, and finally denunciation for his lack of patriotism72, Barker counted out two hundred and fifty dollars of his last lecture fee. He still carried the fifteen hundred dollars in cash in his inside pocket.
They tried in vain to find another horse. For this one they had no saddle. As Barker was getting stout73, and puffed74 painfully at the hills, little Pike insisted that he ride.
“You first, Brother Pike—“ the orator maintained.
“No—no—Brother Barker, you ride, I can walk!” Pike protested.
They finally compromised on the principles of the peace propaganda and both of them mounted the old steed—the silver-tongued orator in front and his faithful henchman behind holding to his ample waist.
The compromise worked until the horse got tired of it. At the end of an hour’s journey he refused to move another inch, bucked75 and threw them both in a heap. In vain they tried to move him. He not only refused to carry double, he bucked and threw Barker, who ventured to mount alone. To Pike’s horror the great orator lost his temper, swore a mighty oath and smote76 the beast with a gold-headed cane77 which he had received as a token of his supremacy78 as an advocate of peace.
They now had the horse on their hands as an encumbrance79. Barker refused to let him loose. He was of a thrifty80 turn of mind even in a crisis. He determined81 to ship that horse West and make him earn the two fifty. So leading the steed, with stout hearts still undaunted, the two apostles passed on toward the coming foe.
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1
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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wielding
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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6
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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7
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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8
dunes
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| 沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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11
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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13
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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14
continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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15
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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16
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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17
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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18
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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19
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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20
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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21
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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22
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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23
festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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24
barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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25
lighters
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| n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 ) | |
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26
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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27
locusts
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| n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 )；贪吃的人；破坏者；槐树 | |
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28
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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29
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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30
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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31
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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32
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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33
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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34
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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35
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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36
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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37
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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38
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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39
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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40
caliber
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| n.能力；水准 | |
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41
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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42
horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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43
negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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44
dissuade
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| v.劝阻，阻止 | |
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45
asinine
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| adj.愚蠢的 | |
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46
fatuity
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| n.愚蠢，愚昧 | |
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47
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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48
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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49
jubilee
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| n.周年纪念；欢乐 | |
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50
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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51
vindication
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| n.洗冤，证实 | |
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52
arbitration
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| n.调停，仲裁 | |
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53
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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54
enraptured
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| v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
enthusiasts
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| n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 ) | |
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56
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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57
hoax
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| v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧 | |
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58
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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59
orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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60
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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61
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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62
canard
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| n.虚报；谣言；v.流传 | |
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63
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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64
socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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65
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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66
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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67
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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68
windbags
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| n.风囊，饶舌之人( windbag的名词复数 ) | |
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69
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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70
solicitation
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| n.诱惑；揽货；恳切地要求；游说 | |
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71
conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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72
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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74
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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75
bucked
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| adj.快v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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76
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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77
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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78
supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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79
encumbrance
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| n.妨碍物，累赘 | |
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80
thrifty
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| adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的 | |
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81
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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