The regimental sergeant3-major had been round to inspect accoutrements. Some of the men were dropped on, poor Gaudéreaux among others, as he had been unlucky enough to forget a rag for his rifle.
He was ordered confinement4 to barracks, but went out all the same. Ravelli who had met him in the village had him arrested and taken to the guard-room where he was sentenced by the captain to four days' confinement.
Lamalou commiserated5 him quite openly.
"That's what it is to be so bloomin' good-natured. Like to see 'em darin' to put upon me like that!"
The regimental sergeant-major who overheard him gave him a furious look, but actually was afraid to say anything and only revenged himself by slyly warning him for the next fatigue6.
In the afternoon Lieutenant7 Henriot came to have a chat with Guillaumin and me. I noticed his anxiety to cause no more jealousy8. Catching9 sight of[Pg 177] Descroix and Humel who were getting some fresh air in the yard, he called them. In this way the circle became enlarged. Too much for me! I bolted.
"Thrilling, what?"
"Oh ... quite interesting! You seemed to be listening all right yesterday!"
"Couldn't help myself!"
I undertook to quote the conversation I had had the day before with the little subaltern. To be honest, I exaggerated grossly. I ridiculed11 poor Henriot, and put on a tremolo, to recall his words about his birthplace where he taught, where his father was buried.
"He may not be a genius, but he's quite a good sort."
I was discontented with myself and with him.
I expected that we should be sent to relieve the 21st in the trenches15. I was mistaken. It was the 23rd. Our turn was skipped. I don't know why.
This cannonade which still persisted and seemed to be drawing nearer, unnerved me. Where were they fighting? What approximately were the lines of tactical defence?
De Valpic to whom I happened to put the question, informed me.
"The Loison and the Othain."
"What are they?"
"Tributaries16 of the Meuse. They both join the Chiers, near Montmédy."
"You are well up in it."
[Pg 178]
He smiled; he was going in to lie down as usual.
The firing was still going on. I said to Bouillon:
"We may be going up one of these days!"
"Where to?"
"Into the firing line."
"Good luck!"
"Really, good luck?"
"The sooner we go there, the sooner the war will be over!"
"But ... supposing we stay there?"
"Oh well, one end's as good as another!"
Towards evening someone announced that there was a convoy17 of wounded on the road. Frémont happened to be beside me. I took him by the arm:
"Are you coming to have a look?"
He hesitated. I took him along.
In the principal street a string of carts was filing past, carrying unearthly beings with sunken eyes, and blackened, ravaged18 faces. They were silent and had dirty bandages, some on their heads and some on their arms.
Our poilus had hurried up, and were forming a hedge. They ventured to question those who seemed the least affected19.
"Well, lads? So you've given 'em a knock?"
Most of them did not reply. A few shook their heads.
"Nothing to be done."
"More likely them?"
They made a painful impression. More carts followed, these last drawn21 at a foot's pace. Orderlies signed to us that they contained the badly wounded.
Their time was up. Why bother to transport them even?
[Pg 179]
Frémont had turned very pale.
"Let's be off!" he murmured.
"Oh, rot!" I said rather fiercely. "Let's see as much as we can.... We may be in their place to-morrow."
He stayed. A low cart appeared, containing two stretchers. On one of them was an officer with a bloodless face. He had a compress on his neck which dripped dark blood. On the other there was a young beardless corporal, whose respiration25 was rapid but even. Although awake, he persistently26 kept his eyes closed. What could his wound be? The orderly gave an expressive27 glance. A great-coat which had been thrown over the man hung down at the knee-joints. His two legs were gone.
The horror of it! And it might so easily have been my turn to agonise to-morrow! By the fault of the politicians who had let loose this war! I cursed the allotted29 task, the yoke30 laid on so many, and my own acquiescence31.
Then my attention was distracted. An N.C.O. in the 30th who took an opportunity of getting out when his cart stopped—the horse had lost a shoe, I believe—asked for a drink. Someone offered him wine.
"No. Water!"
An uncanny voice, hoarse32 with fever. They[Pg 180] brought him some water. He drank large gulps33 of it. I watched him. What was the matter with him, with his dark ringed eyes and pinched, mask-like face, and his body bent34 so queerly!
He began to speak in short, staccato sentences. He described the engagement which had taken place the day before. The long wait in the trench14 under shell fire in the full glare of the sun. They had not seen the Bosches, but knew they were quite near by. The weariness and the enervation35 which increased as the day went on. The longing36 to be done with it, for the losses were becoming serious. The effect of the damned fairy tale accredited37 by the newspapers and even by the communiqués, according to which the enemy could never stand up against the bayonet. You could see the men half-pulling them out, the precious things, and looking at them longingly38, so slim and sharp and shining...!
And then at the end of the day the stroke of madness...! Word had been passed along, no one knew where it started from, "Fix bayonets: Charge!" The order rolled on from company to company. They had got up man by man then in ranks.... Forward! They had rushed out, they were covering the ground at a tremendous pace. They felt that their opponents were there, petrified39. They were just on the point of falling upon them. They yelled. No retort. Quicker, quicker! It was really marvellous...!
But suddenly they realised their mistake. Too late. There was an echo of terror. Along this plantation40 of trees there was a river. They calculated its width. Not very wide, but too wide to clear at a jump, all the same!
"The Othain?" I suggested.
[Pg 181]
"How should I know!"
And then—it was all pre-arranged of course!—then the enemy had opened fire with their machine guns at two hundred yards. They all flung themselves flat!... What a panic there had been. The men had thrown themselves desperately41 into the dark icy water, drowning themselves among the rushes under the very eyes of their companions.... The rest who had no entrenching42 tools with them, or packs either, were reduced to digging themselves in with their pocket knives and their nails. The enemy, who were coming nearer, calmly continued to ply20 their infernal "tea kettle" for a whole hour. The result being that there was not a man left out of the two battalions43 engaged. Not one, untouched! All killed or wounded!
"And what about you, Sergeant?" asked Donnadieu, the little red-haired corporal.
"Me?"
"Napoo'd!"
"How do you mean, napoo'd," I exclaimed.
"Yes, I've got a ball in my stomach—and as they have not operated——"
Ah! that explained his being so doubled up! He climbed back into his cart.
"Well, so long, you fellows. Hope you'll have better luck."
He added:
"Oh! it's blooming funny, this war!"
"Oh, dash it all, the bloke must be pilin' it on. We may 'ave been mauled a bit, likely as not, but wot about them—with our 75's——"
[Pg 182]
"You're right there," Bouillon exclaimed.
"The comedy's over for this child."
"Wot, you don't mean to say you're legging it after the first act, you waster?"
After this, excitement reigned49. The rumour50 spread that a start was near, in fact imminent51. The subaltern assured them in vain that he knew nothing of it, that he did not think.... The men repeated the words picked up by the captain's orderly.
"Luckily there'll be a moon to-night!"
Curfew time arrived, however, without anything happening and we turned in.
But a little before midnight the quartermaster's voice was heard at the door.
We were in full harness in no time. I went out. I came across Henriot and asked him.
"Are we really off?"
"Yes, yes."
"Any news?"
"Hm! I've just had a talk with a subaltern who's come down from the Woevre."
"From what part exactly?"
"Flirey."
The name struck me. I remembered having heard it in my father's mouth.
"Is he still there, the subaltern you mentioned?"
"I think so; yes, look there!"
I caught sight of the silhouette52 of a cavalry53 officer.[Pg 183] I went up to him spurred on by a singular presentiment54.
"I hear you've been near Flirey during the last few days, sir...."
"Exactly."
I tried to make out his regimental number.
"Did you by any chance come across the 161st?"
I hesitated.
"You don't happen to remember a Lieutenant Dreher?"
He repeated:
"Dreher?"
"Yes."
"A big fair fellow; a good-looking chap?"
"Yes."
"No!"
"Excuse me; I saw him being carried away. He had a bullet in his head. Did you know him, Sergeant?"
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1
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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3
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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commiserated
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| v.怜悯，同情( commiserate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
skit
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| n.滑稽短剧；一群 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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14
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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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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tributaries
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| n. 支流 | |
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convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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18
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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19
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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ply
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| v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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22
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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23
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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24
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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25
respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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28
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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29
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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31
acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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32
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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33
gulps
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| n.一大口（尤指液体）( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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34
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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35
enervation
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| n.无活力，衰弱 | |
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36
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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accredited
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| adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于 | |
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38
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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39
petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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40
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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42
entrenching
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| v.用壕沟围绕或保护…( entrench的现在分词 )；牢固地确立… | |
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43
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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44
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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45
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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46
jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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48
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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49
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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50
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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51
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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52
silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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53
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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54
presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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55
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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56
picket
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| n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫 | |
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