The memory of man, even that of the Oldest Inhabitant, runneth not back to the time when there did not exist a feud1 between the North End and the South End boys of Rivermouth.
The origin of the feud is involved in mystery; it is impossible to say which party was the first aggressor in the far-off anterevolutionary ages; but the fact remains2 that the youngsters of those antipodal sections entertained a mortal hatred3 for each other, and that this hatred had been handed down from generation to generation, like Miles Standish's punch-bowl.
I know not what laws, natural or unnatural4, regulated the warmth of the quarrel; but at some seasons it raged more violently than at others. This winter both parties were unusually lively and antagonistic5. Great was the wrath6 of the South-Enders, when they discovered that the North-Enders had thrown up a fort on the crown of Slatter's Hill.
Slatter's Hill, or No-man's-land, as it was generally called, was a rise of ground covering, perhaps, an acre and a quarter, situated7 on an imaginary line, marking the boundary between the two districts. An immense stratum8 of granite9, which here and there thrust out a wrinkled boulder10, prevented the site from being used for building purposes. The street ran on either side of the hill, from one part of which a quantity of rock had been removed to form the underpinning11 of the new jail. This excavation12 made the approach from that point all but impossible, especially when the ragged13 ledges14 were a-glitter with ice. You see what a spot it was for a snow-fort.
One evening twenty or thirty of the North-Enders quietly took possession of Slatter's Hill, and threw up a strong line of breastworks, something after this shape:
(Ft Slatter graphic)
The rear of the entrenchment15, being protected by the quarry16, was left open. The walls were four feet high, and twenty-two inches thick, strengthened at the angles by stakes driven firmly into the ground.
Fancy the rage of the South-Enders the next day, when they spied our snowy citadel17, with Jack18 Harris's red silk pocket handkerchief floating defiantly19 from the flag-staff.
In less than an hour it was known all over town, in military circles at least, that the "Puddle-dockers" and the "River-rats" (these were the derisive20 sub-titles bestowed21 on our South-End foes) intended to attack the fort that Saturday afternoon.
At two o'clock all the fighting boys of the Temple Grammar School, and as many recruits as we could muster23, lay behind the walls of Fort Slatter, with three hundred compact snowballs piled up in pyramids, awaiting the approach of the enemy. The enemy was not slow in making his approach--fifty strong, headed by one Mat Ames. Our forces were under the command of General J. Harris.
Before the action commenced, a meeting was arranged between the rival commanders, who drew up and signed certain rules and regulations respecting the conduct of the battle. As it was impossible for the North-Enders to occupy the fort permanently24, it was stipulated25 that the South-Enders should assault it only on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons between the hours of two and six. For them to take possession of the place at any other time was not to constitute a capture, but on the contrary was to be considered a dishonorable and cowardly act.
The North-Enders, on the other hand, agreed to give up the fort whenever ten of the storming party succeeded in obtaining at one time a footing on the parapet, and were able to hold the same for the space of two minutes. Both sides were to abstain27 from putting pebbles28 into their snow-balls, nor was it permissible29 to use frozen ammunition30. A snow-ball soaked in water and left out to cool was a projectile31 which in previous years had been resorted to with disastrous32 results.
These preliminaries settled, the commanders retired33 to their respective corps34. The interview had taken place on the hillside between the opposing lines.
General Harris divided his men into two bodies; the first comprised the most skilful35 marksmen, or gunners; the second, the reserve force, was composed of the strongest boys, whose duty it was to repel36 the scaling parties, and to make occasional sallies for the purpose of capturing prisoners, who were bound by the articles of treaty to faithfully serve under our flag until they were exchanged at the close of the day.
The repellers were called light infantry37; but when they carried on operations beyond the fort they became cavalry38. It was also their duty, when not otherwise engaged, to manufacture snow-balls. The General's staff consisted of five Templars (I among the number, with the rank of Major), who carried the General's orders and looked after the wounded.
General Mat Ames, a veteran commander, was no less wide-awake in the disposition39 of his army. Five companies, each numbering but six men, in order not to present too big a target to our sharpshooters, were to charge the fort from different points, their advance being covered by a heavy fire from the gunners posted in the rear. Each scaler was provided with only two rounds of ammunition, which were not to be used until he had mounted the breastwork and could deliver his shots on our heads.
The drawing below represents the interior of the fort just previous to the assault. Nothing on earth could represent the state of things after the first volley.
(Fort Slatter detail graphic)
The thrilling moment had now arrived. If I had been going into a real engagement I could not have been more deeply impressed by the importance of the occasion.
The fort opened fire first--a single ball from the dexterous40 band of General Harris taking General Ames in the very pit of his stomach. A cheer went up from Fort Slatter. In an instant the air was thick with flying missiles, in the midst of which we dimly descried41 the storming parties sweeping42 up the hill, shoulder to shoulder. The shouts of the leaders, and the snowballs bursting like shells about our ears, made it very lively.
Not more than a dozen of the enemy succeeded in reaching the crest43 of the hill; five of these clambered upon the icy walls, where they were instantly grabbed by the legs and jerked into the fort. The rest retired confused and blinded by our well-directed fire.
When General Harris (with his right eye bunged up) said, "Soldiers, I am proud of you!" my heart swelled44 in my bosom45.
The victory, however, had not been without its price. Six North-Enders, having rushed out to harass46 the discomfited47 enemy, were gallantly48 cut off by General Ames and captured. Among these were Lieutenant49 P. Whitcomb (who had no business to join in the charge, being weak in the knees), and Captain Fred Langdon, of General Harris's staff. Whitcomb was one of the most notable shots on our side, though he was not much to boast of in a rough-and-tumble fight, owing to the weakness before mentioned. General Ames put him among the gunners, and we were quickly made aware of the loss we had sustained, by receiving a frequent artful ball which seemed to light with unerring instinct on any nose that was the least bit exposed. I have known one of Pepper's snow-balls, fired pointblank, to turn a corner and hit a boy who considered himself absolutely safe.
But we had no time for vain regrets. The battle raged. Already there were two bad cases of black eye, and one of nosebleed, in the hospital.
It was glorious excitement, those pell-mell onslaughts and hand-to-hand struggles. Twice we were within an ace26 of being driven from our stronghold, when General Harris and his staff leaped recklessly upon the ramparts and hurled50 the besiegers heels over head down hill.
At sunset, the garrison51 of Fort Slatter was still unconquered, and the South-Enders, in a solid phalanx, marched off whistling "Yankee Doodle," while we cheered and jeered52 them until they were out of hearing.
General Ames remained behind to effect an exchange of prisoners. We held thirteen of his men, and he eleven of ours. General Ames proposed to call it an even thing, since many of his eleven prisoners were officers, while nearly all our thirteen captives were privates. A dispute arising on this point, the two noble generals came to fisticuffs, and in the fracas53 our brave commander got his remaining well eye badly damaged. This didn't prevent him from writing a general order the next day, on a slate54, in which he complimented the troops on their heroic behavior.
On the following Wednesday the siege was renewed. I forget whether it was on that afternoon or the next that we lost Fort Slatter; but lose it we did, with much valuable ammunition and several men. After a series of desperate assaults, we forced General Ames to capitulate; and he, in turn, made the place too hot to hold us. So from day to day the tide of battle surged to and fro, sometimes favoring our arms, and sometimes those of the enemy.
General Ames handled his men with great skill; his deadliest foe22 could not deny that. Once he outgeneralled our commander in the following manner: He massed his gunners on our left and opened a brisk fire, under cover of which a single company (six men) advanced on that angle of the fort. Our reserves on the right rushed over to defend the threatened point. Meanwhile, four companies of the enemy's scalers made a detour55 round the foot of the hill, and dashed into Fort Slatter without opposition56. At the same moment General Ames's gunners closed in on our left, and there we were between two fires. Of course we had to vacate the fort. A cloud rested on General Harris's military reputation until his superior tactics enabled him to dispossess the enemy.
As the winter wore on, the war-spirit waxed fiercer and fiercer. At length the provision against using heavy substances in the snow-balls was disregarded. A ball stuck full of sand-bird shot came tearing into Fort Slatter. In retaliation57, General Harris ordered a broadside of shells; i. e. snow-balls containing marbles. After this, both sides never failed to freeze their ammunition.
It was no longer child's play to march up to the walls of Fort Slatter, nor was the position of the besieged58 less perilous59. At every assault three or four boys on each side were disabled. It was not an infrequent occurrence for the combatants to hold up a flag of truce60 while they removed some insensible comrade.
Matters grew worse and worse. Seven North-Enders had been seriously wounded, and a dozen South-Enders were reported on the sick list. The selectmen of the town awoke to the fact of what was going on, and detailed61 a posse of police to prevent further disturbance62. The boys at the foot of the hill, South-Enders as it happened, finding themselves assailed63 in the rear and on the flank, turned round and attempted to beat off the watchmen. In this they were sustained by numerous volunteers from the fort, who looked upon the interference as tyrannical.
The watch were determined64 fellows, and charged the boys valiantly65, driving them all into the fort, where we made common cause, fighting side by side like the best of friends. In vain the four guardians66 of the peace rushed up the hill, flourishing their clubs and calling upon us to surrender. They could not get within ten yards of the fort, our fire was so destructive. In one of the onsets67 a man named Mugridge, more valorous than his peers, threw himself upon the parapet, when he was seized by twenty pairs of hands, and dragged inside the breastwork, where fifteen boys sat down on him to keep him quiet.
Perceiving that it was impossible with their small number to dislodge us, the watch sent for reinforcements. Their call was responded to, not only by the whole constabulary force (eight men), but by a numerous body of citizens, who had become alarmed at the prospect69 of a riot. This formidable array brought us to our senses: we began to think that maybe discretion70 was the better part of valor68. General Harris and General Ames, with their respective staffs, held a council of war in the hospital, and a backward movement was decided71 on. So, after one grand farewell volley, we fled, sliding, jumping, rolling, tumbling down the quarry at the rear of the fort, and escaped without losing a man.
But we lost Fort Slatter forever. Those battle-scarred ramparts were razed72 to the ground, and humiliating ashes sprinkled over the historic spot, near which a solitary73 lynx-eyed policeman was seen prowling from time to time during the rest of the winter.
The event passed into a legend, and afterwards, when later instances of pluck and endurance were spoken of, the boys would say, "By golly! You ought to have been at the fights on Slatter's Hill!"
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1
feud
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| n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇 | |
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2
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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3
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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4
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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5
antagonistic
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| adj.敌对的 | |
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6
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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7
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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8
stratum
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| n.地层，社会阶层 | |
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9
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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10
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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11
underpinning
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| n.基础材料；基础结构；（学说、理论等的）基础；（人的）腿v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的现在分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强 | |
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12
excavation
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| n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地 | |
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13
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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14
ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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15
entrenchment
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| n.壕沟，防御设施 | |
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16
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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17
citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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18
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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19
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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20
derisive
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| adj.嘲弄的 | |
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21
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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23
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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24
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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25
stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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26
ace
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| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
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27
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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28
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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29
permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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30
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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31
projectile
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| n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的 | |
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32
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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33
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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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
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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36
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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37
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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38
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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39
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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40
dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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41
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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42
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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43
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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44
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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45
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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46
harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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47
discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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48
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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49
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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50
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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51
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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52
jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
fracas
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| n.打架；吵闹 | |
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54
slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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55
detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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56
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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57
retaliation
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| n.报复，反击 | |
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58
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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60
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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61
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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62
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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63
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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64
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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65
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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66
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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67
onsets
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| 攻击，袭击（onset的复数形式） | |
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68
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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69
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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70
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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71
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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72
razed
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| v.彻底摧毁，将…夷为平地( raze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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