[53]
“Let’s have a bit of a rest.” Henri’s sore shoulder was troubling him. He still had his knapsack with some jumbled1 food in it. Billy had lost his food supply when he made his leap on the horse.
While the animal was cropping the short grass along the trail the riders took their ease by lounging on the turf and feeding on their crumbled2 lunch.
“This is a thirsty picnic,” asserted Billy. “My throat is as dry as powder. Let’s see if there isn’t a spring ’round here.”
Hooking the bridle3 reins4 over his arm, Billy led the way on a search for water. At the bottom of a wooded hill the boys found themselves in a marsh5, and though bitter and brackish6 the water was a grateful relief to their parched7 tongues. The horse acted as though he had not had a drink for a week.
A little further on, in a meadow, the boys made a singular discovery. They were amazed to see an important looking personage in a gorgeous uniform, covered with decorations, wandering about the meadow like a strayed sheep.
“What the dickens is that?” exclaimed Henri.
“Give it up.” Billy couldn’t even make a guess. “He shows gay but harmless. I think I’ll look him over.”
On approaching the richly attired8 wanderer the boys with wonder noticed that he carried a gold-tipped[54] baton9 and from a shiny knapsack on his shoulders rolls of music protruded10.
The strange being kept proclaiming that he was going to direct the German military music on a triumphal parade through the streets of Paris. Henri could understand that much of the disconnected talk, and also that the speaker was the head musician of the German army in Belgium. He had been cut off from his command and become possessed11 by a fit of melancholy12 from which the boys found it impossible to rouse him. They divided with him what remained of the contents of Henri’s knapsack, but could not induce him to proceed with them.
“It’s a pity that a man like that should lose his reason. But this dreadful war strikes in most any kind of way, and if it isn’t one way it’s another.”
Henri was still thinking of the horrible happening when the Belgian battery was literally13 blown to pieces under his very eyes.
“There’s a peaceful sleeper14 here, anyhow,” said Billy, pausing, as they trudged15 along, leading the horse toward the trail. He pointed16 to a little mound17 above which had been set a rude wooden cross. It was the grave of a French soldier, for on the cross had been placed his cap, showing the name of his regiment18. On the mound, too, had been scattered19 a few wild flowers.
[55]
“Somebody who had a heart for the cause or the fighter must have passed this way,” observed Henri. “The burial of a soldier near the battle lines hasn’t much ceremony, I am told, and surely doesn’t include flowers.”
The boys slept that night in the open, with the saddle for a pillow. They were awakened20 just before dawn by the restless antics of Bon Ami (“Good Friend”)—for so Henri had named the horse. The animal snorted and tugged21 at the tether as if scenting22 some invisible approach through the woods, at the edge of which the three had been passing the night.
Billy and Henri were on their feet in an instant, rubbing their eyes and trying to locate by sight or sound among the trees or elsewhere in the shadowy landscape the cause of Bon Ami’s disturbed action.
Even if the boys had suddenly made up their minds to run to cover, they would not have had time to go very far, for in the instant a scout23 troop rode out of the woods and straight at them.
The cavalrymen spread in fan shape, and in a moment Billy, Henri and Bon Ami were completely surrounded.
In good but gruff English the ranking officer of the troop commanded: “Come here and give an account of yourselves.”
Billy and Henri made haste to obey, and looking[56] up at the officer on horseback offered their smartest imitation of a military salute24. Peering down at them the cavalryman25 exclaimed:
“So help me, they’re mere26 boys. Who let you out, my fine kiddies, at this top of the morning? Here, Ned,” calling to one of the nearest troopers, “bring the hot milk and the porridge.”
Billy was becoming slightly nettled27 at this banter28. He had no desire to be taken seriously, but yet not quite so lightly.
“I am an American citizen, sir, traveling, with my friend, on personal business.”
“Will you listen at that now?” laughed the cavalryman whom the first officer had called “Ned.”
“Do you know or have you thought that ‘personal business’ is just now rather a drug on the market in these parts?”
The chief was again addressing the boys, or, rather, Billy, who had elected himself spokesman.
“It does appear that the soldiers have the right of way here,” admitted Billy, “but we came in such a hurry that we couldn’t stop to inquire in particular about the rules.”
“That’s a pretty good horse you have.” It was light enough now for the officer to take in the fine points of Bon Ami. “Where did you get him?”
Billy explained the circumstances.
“Well, you are plucky29 ones,” commented the officer. “Now,” he continued, assuming again the[57] tone of command, “saddle your steed and fall in.”
The troop wheeled back toward the north and the boys rode stirrup to stirrup with the bluff30 captain.
At the noon hour the riders reached the field working quarters of the British commander. A small headquarters guard lounged on the grass around the farmhouse31 that sheltered the general and his staff, a dozen automobiles32 and motorcycles were at hand and grooms33 were leading about the chargers of the officers.
The scout troop halted at a respectful distance and dismounted.
“Put on your best manners,” suggested the troop captain as he preceded the boys in quickstep to headquarters.
After a brief conference with an orderly, the boys were ushered34 into the presence of several officers in fatigue35 uniform seated at a table littered with papers. At the head of the table was a ruddy-faced man, clean-shaven, with iron-gray hair, to whom all heads bent36 in deference37.
The boys stood speechless, their eyes fixed39 upon the little Maltese badge of honor suspended from the left breast of the general’s coat by a crimson40 ribbon. It was the Victoria Cross!
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1
jumbled
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| adj.混乱的；杂乱的 | |
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2
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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3
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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4
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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5
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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6
brackish
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| adj.混有盐的；咸的 | |
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7
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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8
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
baton
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| n.乐队用指挥杖 | |
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10
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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12
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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13
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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14
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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15
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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16
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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17
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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18
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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19
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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20
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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21
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
scenting
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| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
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23
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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24
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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25
cavalryman
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| 骑兵 | |
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26
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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27
nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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28
banter
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| n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑 | |
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29
plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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30
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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31
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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32
automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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33
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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34
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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36
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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38
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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39
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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40
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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