They waited with joy.
Pike’s little wizened2 face beamed with good will to men. From the moment he heard that the army was at prayers he had no doubt of the final outcome of their mission.
He turned once more to the soldier who had arrested and brought them in.
“Your General always leads the service?” he asked genially3.
“Always—before a battle—”
“Of—yes, yes, I see—I see—“ Pike fluttered.
“If it’s going to be a real battle,” the man continued, “he prays all night in his tent sometimes. For this little skirmish we’re going into, I don’t think the service will last more than ten minutes.”
Pike didn’t like this soldier’s conversation. He had a rude way of smiling while he talked. The President of the Peace union decided4 to withhold5 further conversation with him.
To the amazement6 of Barker and Pike the divine services suddenly ended in a shout. The sinister7 brownish-gray hosts that knelt in prayer leaped to their feet with a fierce cry that rent the heavens:
“For God and Emperor!”
The Peace delegates were slightly distressed8 by this strange ending of a prayer meeting. It had an uncanny sound. There was something about the leap and shout too that suggested the rush of hosts into battle.
However, they were nothing daunted9. God was with them. At least Pike knew that the Almighty10 was with him. Since Barker’s fall and oath and blows on that horse’s head he had moments of doubts about the orator11’s perfect purity of faith. Still for one righteous man the Lord would spare a city!
Pike brushed the dust from his black broadcloth suit, adjusted his limp, dirt-smeared white bow tie and made ready to meet the foe12 with a plea that could not be shaken.
Barker was so absorbed in thought preparing his noble address that he remained oblivious13 to his dishevelled condition. His silk hat had been crushed in the second fall, and refused to be straightened. It was this fact that had caused him to lose his temper and smite14 the horse.
His broken tile drooped15 on one side in a painfully funny way that worried Pike. He gently removed the great man’s hat and tried to straighten it.
“Permit me, Brother Barker,” he said nervously16. “Your hat’s a little out of plumb17.”
Barker’s moon-like face was beaming now with inspiration. He made no objection. He was used to being fussed over by women and preachers. Barker turned his horse over to an obliging army hostler and took Pike’s arm from his habit of being escorted through crowds to the platform.
The soldier led them without further ceremony to the tent of the commander of the advancing army.
From the pomp and ceremony, salutes18 and clicking heels, the peace pioneers knew that they were being ushered19 into the presence of the Commander-in-chief.
General Villard, who had dashed from Waldron’s side to assume first command, came out laughing to meet them—a tall, stately figure, booted and spurred—his entire staff following. He carried a silver-mounted riding-whip in his hand and looked as if he had been born in the saddle.
“You bear a message under a flag of truce20 from the enemy?” he asked sharply.
Barker bowed graciously, removing his lame21 tile, and stood holding it on a level with his shoulder after the fashion of committees at the laying of cornerstones. His bald head and smiling open face beamed. He plunged22 at once into his eloquent23 address.
“We have come, General,” he began suavely24, “in the name of a hundred million happy, peaceful citizens of this great Republic to bid you welcome to our shores. Our vast and glorious domain25, washed by two oceans, stretching from the frozen peaks of Alaska to the eternal sunshine and flowers of the tropics, is large enough for all who bless us with their coming.
“We welcome you as brothers! We want you to stay with us. We offer you the blessings26 of peace and freedom. We do not meet you with guns. We come with smiles and flowers, extend our hands and say: ‘God bless you!’ ”
The orator was swept away with the melodious27 sound of his own voice. He replaced his crushed hat and extended his hand in a smile of glowing enthusiasm.
With a sudden crash the silver-mounted riding-whip whistled through the air and tore through the orator’s tile. The battered28 hat fell into pieces and dropped to the ground revealing an ugly red lane across the great man’s shining bald pate29.
Barker was too dumfounded to dodge30 or protest. The thing happened with such swiftness, it had stunned31 him into silence.
Pike danced nervously on first one foot and then the other, lifting his hands in little attempts at apologies.
“Hats off in the presence of your superiors!” the General thundered.
Pike’s hat was already off. He hadn’t ventured to put it on. Still he ducked his head instinctively32 and then rushed into the breach33.
“My dear General,” he pleaded. “You do not understand, I am sure. No possible offense34 could have been intended by my distinguished35 colleague. It is the custom of our country often to speak with hats on in the open air. The Honorable Plato Barker is a veteran outdoor speaker, your Excellency. He is one of the most distinguished men in America—”
“That is nothing to me,” the General curtly36 interrupted. “He stands in the presence of an officer of his Imperial Majesty37’s Army. Your greatest civilian38 is my inferior. Keep that in mind when in the presence of your superiors—proceed!”
Barker was too astonished and hurt to say more. For the first time in his illustrious career as a peddler of words, he had failed to move his audience to accept his wares39 at any price. His world had collapsed40. He could only rub the swelling41 red line on his head and glance uneasily about his unpromising surroundings.
The preacher’s hour had struck. He rose grandly to the occasion. His manner was the quintessence of courtly deference42, nervously anxious deference.
“My name is Pike,” he began tremblingly—“the Reverend A. Cuthbert Pike, D.D., president of the American Peace union—”
“Proceed, Cuthbert!” was the short answer.
“We have come, your Excellency—“ he paused and bowed low—“to initiate43 here today for all the world a constructive44 policy that will eliminate the necessity for war. Our plan is the appeal to reason.
“We marvel45 at the amazing delusion46 that has led Europe into this unprovoked and unnecessary assault. Nobody wants war—least of all I’m sure the great General who knows its full horrors.
“The only question, therefore, is how best to prevent it. This nation has always been too strong, too great in the consciousness of her strength, to desire war. We have sixteen million men ready to die at our call! Why should we sacrifice their precious lives? To what end if we can by any means save them?
“The prime cause, your Excellency—“ again he bowed low—“of war is excessive armament—”
The General laughed heartily47, and adjusted his glasses for a better look at Pike. The little man was slightly flustered48 at this act of uncertain import, but went on bravely in spite of Barker’s look of dejection.
“We proclaim it to all nations that we are not ready to fight, and that we are glad of it because it is not possible in this condition for us to threaten or bully49 anyone! An unarmed man has ten chances to one over the armed man in keeping out of trouble!”
Again the General laughed and looked the preacher over from head to foot.
“Boundaries,” Pike proceeded, “when armed constantly provoke clashes of the forces on either side. Boundaries unarmed, as the long line between us and Canada, promote fellowship and good will.
“We say to your Excellency, come let us reason together. We are determined50 not to be dragged into war. We have negotiated thirty treaties with the nations of the world, some of whom your army represents, providing for a year’s delay before hostilities51 can begin.
“We claim our rights under these solemn treaties and ask of you an armistice52 for twelve months for the discussion of our differences.
“Name your demands and we will lay them before our Congress. Tell us your real mission and we will help you to accomplish it. Make us your friends and fellow workers. Why have you come?”
“I’ll tell you,” snapped the General. “For two hundred years you have been keeping a great pigsty53 on this continent, in which swine have rooted and fattened54 on the abundance of nature which you haven’t had the brains to conserve55.
“Well—it’s time to clean up and make sausage! We have come for that work. We have come to teach a race of slatterns the first principles of law, order and human efficiency. We have come to clean this pigpen, put swine-herders into aprons56 and give them the honor of serving their superiors—and therefore for the first time in life doing something worth while.
“You are sick with overeating and much prosperity. Our Emperor sends you a tonic58 of blood and iron warranted to cure all ills. Our benign59 sovereign is the world’s physician. He takes his crown and divine commission from God alone. On him the Divine Spirit has descended60. In his luminous61 mind is the wisdom of the ages. He who dares to oppose his royal will shall be ground to powder beneath the iron heel of his soldiers. You speak of a hundred million people as if their opinion was of the slightest value. Public opinion is the source of public ills. You speak of treaties. Treaties are the thin disguises by which divinely chosen leaders conceal62 their ultimate aims!
“Might is right and the right can only be decided by the sword. War in itself is the fiery63 furnace that tries man’s character. The dross64 perishes. The pure gold shines with greater splendor65. Efforts to abolish war are foolish and immoral66. Peace is not our aim or desire. The sight of suffering does one good. The infliction67 of suffering does one more good. This war will be conducted as ruthlessly as science and human genius can make possible—”
He paused and turned to an orderly.
“The bald-headed one to the bakery! He has forfeited68 his life by daring to purchase a horse that belongs to his Majesty. I graciously spare his life. Tell my head cook to make him a scullion. If he’s any good report to me at the end of the month and I’ll promote him to the honor of acting69 as my valet. He has a beautiful voice. He could be trained to yodel—”
Barker lifted his hand to protest and the orderly kicked him into a trot70. When he turned to protest, the bayonet changed his mind.
Pike watched his chief disappear with a groan71 of amazement.
The General and his staff gathered around the Reverend President of the Peace union with jovial72 faces. They were inclined to like him. He had contributed something new to the hilarity73 of nations. They put on their glasses, adjusted and removed them, adjusted them again, looked him up and down, turned him around and wagged their heads gravely.
“Well, gentlemen,” the Commander laughed, “we’re all agreed that it’s a rare specimen—the real question is—what is it?”
Each answer brought a roar of laughter.
“It looks like a man—”
“Can’t be!”
“It might have been once!”
“But not now!”
“A new microbe?”
“Sure—that’s it—the microbe Pacificus americanus!”
The preacher fidgeted in a sorry effort to smile with his tormentors.
“I suppose, of course, gentlemen,” Pike fluttered, “as I’m a tenderfoot you will have your little jokes—it’s all in the day’s work—so to speak—as it were!”
The Commander turned to a sergeant74.
“Put an apron57 on this little man and make him a dishwasher—tin dishes—he might ruin my silver—”
The officers roared.
“If he’s any good I’ll make a butler out of him. I like his whiskers. They’re distinctly English—”
With a loud guffaw75 the staff dispersed76 and the General turned to his tent.
Pike danced a little jig77 in his effort to recall the judge and correct the error of his sentence.
The sergeant gave him a resounding79 smack80 on the side of his head that spun81 him round like a top.
Pike was livid with rage. He bristled82 like a bantam rooster for a minute to the amazement of his guard.
“Don’t do that! Don’t do it—don’t do it again! Upon my soul, this surpasses human belief, sir! I shall denounce the whole proceeding83 in a series of resolutions that will resound78 over this nation—mark my word!”
The soldier waited until Pike’s breath ran short and then kicked him three feet, lifting him clear of the ground. When the preacher struck he fell flat on his face.
The blow took out of him what wind there was left.
He scrambled84 to his feet and edged out of reach.
“I—I—return—good for evil, sir—“ he stammered85 at last. “I bless them that despitefully use me—God bless you!”
The soldier snorted with rage and gave him another kick, crying: “The same to you! And many of ’em!”
When Pike scrambled to his feet again and wiped the dust out of his lips he shook his head in despair:
“God bless my soul! God bless my soul!”
The Sergeant grinned in his face.
“Cheer up, Cuthbert, you’ll soon be dead!”
Ten minutes later he thrust poor Pike into the kitchen inclosure and shouted to the cook:
“The sooner you kill him the better—go as far as you like!”
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收听单词发音
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1
delegation
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| n.代表团；派遣 | |
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wizened
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| adj.凋谢的；枯槁的 | |
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3
genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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4
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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6
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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7
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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8
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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11
orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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12
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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14
smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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15
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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17
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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18
salutes
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| n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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19
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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21
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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22
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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23
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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24
suavely
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25
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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26
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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27
melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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28
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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29
pate
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| n.头顶；光顶 | |
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30
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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31
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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32
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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33
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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34
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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35
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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36
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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37
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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38
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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39
wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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40
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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41
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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42
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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43
initiate
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| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
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44
constructive
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| adj.建设的，建设性的 | |
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45
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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46
delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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47
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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48
flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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49
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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50
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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51
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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52
armistice
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| n.休战，停战协定 | |
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53
pigsty
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| n.猪圈，脏房间 | |
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54
fattened
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| v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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55
conserve
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| vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭 | |
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56
aprons
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| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
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57
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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58
tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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59
benign
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| adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的 | |
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60
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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61
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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62
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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63
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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64
dross
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| n.渣滓；无用之物 | |
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65
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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66
immoral
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| adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的 | |
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67
infliction
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| n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚 | |
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68
forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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70
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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71
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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72
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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73
hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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74
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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75
guffaw
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| n.哄笑；突然的大笑 | |
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76
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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77
jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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78
resound
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| v.回响 | |
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79
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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80
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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81
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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82
bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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83
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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84
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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85
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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