All the wounded had been carried to the temporary hospital. If a vessel2 could be summoned by wireless3 they were to be removed to some other place, where they might be nursed, and brought back to health without constant danger of being under fire.
Many of the dead had also been buried. The work in this respect, proving too stupendous a task for one day, had to be dropped for another time. Besides, it was really of greater importance that the safety of the living be looked after than the disposal of those who were out of the fight for good.
The boys had done all they could to lend a helping4
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hand. On every side they received words of gratitude5 and praise. It heartened those valiant6 fellows from the antipodes to find American boys standing7 by them in this emergency. Small although the circumstance might seem to them, it meant much, for they chose to feel that they had the moral backing of the vast majority of Americans in their struggle against the military ideas formulated8 by the Teuton ruling families.
And now the sun was setting. It went down like a great glowing ball of fire, as though in keeping with the terrible work of the day. It somehow made Jack9 think of an interesting story he had read in a paper, concerning a famous battlefield where thousands had fallen, and telling how, in the following year, the ground was a mass of fire as innumerable red poppies bloomed. The superstitious10 peasants declared that the earth had refused to hold all the blood with which it had been drenched11 on that awful day.
Although both Jack and Amos felt somewhat tired after so strenuous12 an afternoon, at the same time this was not going to deter13 them from trying
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to reach the camp of the New Zealand troops further up the shore by a mile and more.
The Colonel had given them his promise, and they believed he was one who always kept his word, no matter how much he might regret it. They had seen him at intervals14 during the rest of the afternoon, but never to talk to, for he was always hurrying this way and that, personally seeing that the newly acquired trenches were being put in a state of defense15 so that no matter how fiercely the Turks attacked they would be beaten back.
“I wonder,” ventured Amos, as they watched the big orb16 dip lower and lower until its rim17 was hidden beneath the watery18 horizon that lay in the far west, “I wonder now if I’ll be with Frank when the sun peeks19 up again tomorrow.”
“There seems to be a pretty good chance that way, I’m ready to admit,” Jack told him. “In fact, it strikes me we must by this time be pretty near the end of the long trail. First we missed connections with him in Belgium; then came that chase through the French war trenches; and at
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last the trip to the Dardanelles. Believe me, you’re going to lay hands on Frank this time, anyway, Amos. You need something like that to put new heart in you.”
“Well, as a rule I’m not so easily discouraged, Jack, and you know it; but again and again I’ve been cheated out of even getting a glimpse of my brother, and it wears on a fellow, you see.”
“Change the subject, and you’ll feel better,” his chum advised. “For instance, do you think you could eat any supper? It looks to me as if we would soon be called to join the Colonel and two of his officers yonder.”
“Evidently he means to keep Headquarters down here yet a while,” speculated Amos.
“Well, as yet they’re not so sure they can hold the advanced line. They fully20 expect to be attacked between now and morning, when there’ll be some more terrible work going on; only this time it must be up to the Turks to do the attacking.”
“Then, you mark my words for it, they’ll suffer an awful loss, Jack.”
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“I agree with you,” said the other quickly. “Like the Germans, they believe in massed formations when making assaults. In these modern days of quick-firers that is a risky21 thing to do. It may carry everything before it like a football rush does, but at a frightful22 cost.”
Presently the call to supper reached the boys in the shape of a message from the Colonel. He greeted both with a pleasant smile, and asked that they make themselves at home at the rude camp table where his meals were served.
The conversation for a while ran upon the stirring events of the day, and the listening boys learned how the plan of campaign had been rigidly23 adhered to from beginning to end. Evidently the Colonel fully believed victory would have been their portion even though the daring air pilot had refrained from attacking the enemy with his bombs, and creating the first decided24 feeling of apprehension25 among the enemy. At the same time he frankly26 acknowledged the material assistance his men had received from this work on the part of the aeroplane man.
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“If he was your brother, Amos, give him my compliments when you meet him, and thank him heartily27 for my Territorial28 tigers. He helped us not a little by scattering29 the enemy at just that critical moment. His work was as dashing as anything I ever struck; and it’s plain to be seen such a birdman is a brother to be proud of.”
Those were pleasant words to Amos. They seemed to repay him for all he had gone through with on that awful day. Frank was his brother, and he would much sooner hear him praised than listen to any amount of commendation for himself.
It was not until after the two officers had left the table to hurry to their positions so as to be in the harness for the night that the Colonel referred in the least degree to the contemplated30 expedition of the two American lads.
“I suppose you have made all your arrangements with Arturus before now, boys,” the Colonel remarked presently.
Jack explained to him what they had done, and
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after hearing all about it the Colonel shook his head.
“I’m more than half sorry now I promised to let you make the attempt,” he told them. “The dangers will be multiplied after the defeat the Turks have suffered today. They come down in places to the very shore, and you are apt to run upon some of them at any time. I’m afraid they will be feeling unusually ugly after the way my boys handled them.”
“But there seems to be no other way for me to get to the upper camp, Colonel,” remarked Amos eagerly.
“I’m sorry to say there isn’t at present, since we have no boat; and I understand just how anxious you must be to learn the truth. So I suppose I’ll have to salve my conscience by saying there’s no help for it. But I sincerely hope nothing may befall you on the road.”
The heartiness31 of his words, as well as his manner, convinced Jack that the Colonel felt more than a passing interest in their welfare. Perhaps the fact that Jack seemed to remind him of
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his own son, thousands of miles away from there, had more or less to do with that circumstance, though not everything.
They continued to chat as they sat there. When Jack began to see that the mind of their host was evidently turning toward his own affairs, of which he had enough to worry over, to be sure, he concluded that it might be well for himself and Amos to say good-bye.
“Here’s wishing you every good thing that your hearts long for,” said the Colonel, as he squeezed their hands at parting. “I hope you find your brother, Frank, and take him home with you to that old father who longs so to see him once more. I also deplore32 the necessity for his going, because he will be sorely missed here where every good man is needed.”
The boys would often think of the valiant Colonel. Should they return in safety to their native shores he had given them his home address where they could, if they chose, learn what his fate turned out to be. He spoke33 of the uncertain future with the grim look of a brave man, and
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said the chances were his life would have to be laid down, like countless34 others, for the cause they fought to win.
Jack had already glimpsed the young Greek, Arturus, who seemed to be hovering35 near by as though waiting for them to leave the hospitable36 board of the commanding officer. Presently they were joined by the intended guide. Jack, looking him over again, saw no reason to alter the former good opinion he had held of Arturus. He would prove loyal through everything, and they could place the utmost reliance on his honesty as well as his courage.
“It is yet too soon to start,” he told them; “much safer that we wait until another hour has passed. Then it may be we will stand a better chance of passing through without meeting any Turks who have come down near the water for some purpose.”
Accordingly they all sat down and talked. Jack was not sorry of a chance to pick up some information concerning the route the Greek expected to take them over. Besides, he believed
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that, with a little encouragement, Arturus might tell them about some of the desperate undertakings37 in which, with Captain Zenos, he had been engaged in times past.
So the minutes glided38 on until finally the Greek announced it was time for them to be moving. The boys were soon ready, and the three of them glided out of the camp, no one offering the least objection, for the sentries39 had all been informed about their contemplated perilous40 trip to the upper camp.
Up to the time of their departure no sound from above proclaimed that the Turks in augmented41 numbers had come back to try and recover their lost trenches.
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1
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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2
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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3
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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6
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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7
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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8
formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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9
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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11
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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12
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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13
deter
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| vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住 | |
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14
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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15
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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16
orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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18
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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19
peeks
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| n.偷看，窥视( peek的名词复数 )v.很快地看( peek的第三人称单数 )；偷看；窥视；微露出 | |
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20
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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23
rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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24
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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territorial
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| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
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29
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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30
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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31
heartiness
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| 诚实，热心 | |
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32
deplore
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| vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾 | |
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33
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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34
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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35
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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36
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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37
undertakings
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| 企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务 | |
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38
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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39
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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40
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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41
Augmented
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| adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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