During the War of the Rebellion, a new and influential1 club was established in the city of Baltimore in the State of Maryland. It is well known with what energy the taste for military matters became developed among that nation of ship-owners, shopkeepers, and mechanics. Simple tradesmen jumped their counters to become extemporized2 captains, colonels, and generals, without having ever passed the School of Instruction at West Point; nevertheless; they quickly rivaled their compeers of the old continent, and, like them, carried off victories by dint3 of lavish4 expenditure5 in ammunition6, money, and men.
But the point in which the Americans singularly distanced the Europeans was in the science of gunnery. Not, indeed, that their weapons retained a higher degree of perfection than theirs, but that they exhibited unheard-of dimensions, and consequently attained7 hitherto unheard-of ranges. In point of grazing, plunging8, oblique9, or enfilading, or point-blank firing, the English, French, and Prussians have nothing to learn; but their cannon10, howitzers, and mortars12 are mere13 pocket-pistols compared with the formidable engines of the American artillery14.
This fact need surprise no one. The Yankees, the first mechanicians in the world, are engineers — just as the Italians are musicians and the Germans metaphysicians — by right of birth. Nothing is more natural, therefore, than to perceive them applying their audacious ingenuity15 to the science of gunnery. Witness the marvels16 of Parrott, Dahlgren, and Rodman. The Armstrong, Palliser, and Beaulieu guns were compelled to bow before their transatlantic rivals.
Now when an American has an idea, he directly seeks a second American to share it. If there be three, they elect a president and two secretaries. Given four, they name a keeper of records, and the office is ready for work; five, they convene17 a general meeting, and the club is fully18 constituted. So things were managed in Baltimore. The inventor of a new cannon associated himself with the caster and the borer. Thus was formed the nucleus19 of the “Gun Club.” In a single month after its formation it numbered 1,833 effective members and 30,565 corresponding members.
One condition was imposed as a sine qua non upon every candidate for admission into the association, and that was the condition of having designed, or (more or less) perfected a cannon; or, in default of a cannon, at least a firearm of some description. It may, however, be mentioned that mere inventors of revolvers, fire-shooting carbines, and similar small arms, met with little consideration. Artillerists always commanded the chief place of favor.
The estimation in which these gentlemen were held, according to one of the most scientific exponents20 of the Gun Club, was “proportional to the masses of their guns, and in the direct ratio of the square of the distances attained by their projectiles21.”
The Gun Club once founded, it is easy to conceive the result of the inventive genius of the Americans. Their military weapons attained colossal22 proportions, and their projectiles, exceeding the prescribed limits, unfortunately occasionally cut in two some unoffending pedestrians23. These inventions, in fact, left far in the rear the timid instruments of European artillery.
It is but fair to add that these Yankees, brave as they have ever proved themselves to be, did not confine themselves to theories and formulae, but that they paid heavily, in propria persona, for their inventions. Among them were to be counted officers of all ranks, from lieutenants24 to generals; military men of every age, from those who were just making their debut25 in the profession of arms up to those who had grown old in the gun-carriage. Many had found their rest on the field of battle whose names figured in the “Book of Honor” of the Gun Club; and of those who made good their return the greater proportion bore the marks of their indisputable valor26. Crutches28, wooden legs, artificial arms, steel hooks, caoutchouc jaws29, silver craniums, platinum30 noses, were all to be found in the collection; and it was calculated by the great statistician Pitcairn that throughout the Gun Club there was not quite one arm between four persons and two legs between six.
Nevertheless, these valiant31 artillerists took no particular account of these little facts, and felt justly proud when the despatches of a battle returned the number of victims at ten-fold the quantity of projectiles expended33.
One day, however — sad and melancholy34 day!— peace was signed between the survivors35 of the war; the thunder of the guns gradually ceased, the mortars were silent, the howitzers were muzzled36 for an indefinite period, the cannon, with muzzles37 depressed38, were returned into the arsenal39, the shot were repiled, all bloody40 reminiscences were effaced41; the cotton-plants grew luxuriantly in the well-manured fields, all mourning garments were laid aside, together with grief; and the Gun Club was relegated42 to profound inactivity.
Some few of the more advanced and inveterate43 theorists set themselves again to work upon calculations regarding the laws of projectiles. They reverted44 invariably to gigantic shells and howitzers of unparalleled caliber45. Still in default of practical experience what was the value of mere theories? Consequently, the clubrooms became deserted46, the servants dozed47 in the antechambers, the newspapers grew mouldy on the tables, sounds of snoring came from dark corners, and the members of the Gun Club, erstwhile so noisy in their seances, were reduced to silence by this disastrous48 peace and gave themselves up wholly to dreams of a Platonic49 kind of artillery.
“This is horrible!” said Tom Hunter one evening, while rapidly carbonizing his wooden legs in the fireplace of the smoking-room; “nothing to do! nothing to look forward to! what a loathsome50 existence! When again shall the guns arouse us in the morning with their delightful51 reports?”
“Those days are gone by,” said jolly Bilsby, trying to extend his missing arms. “It was delightful once upon a time! One invented a gun, and hardly was it cast, when one hastened to try it in the face of the enemy! Then one returned to camp with a word of encouragement from Sherman or a friendly shake of the hand from McClellan. But now the generals are gone back to their counters; and in place of projectiles, they despatch32 bales of cotton. By Jove, the future of gunnery in America is lost!”
“Ay! and no war in prospect52!” continued the famous James T. Maston, scratching with his steel hook his gutta-percha cranium. “Not a cloud on the horizon! and that too at such a critical period in the progress of the science of artillery! Yes, gentlemen! I who address you have myself this very morning perfected a model (plan, section, elevation53, etc.) of a mortar11 destined54 to change all the conditions of warfare55!”
“No! is it possible?” replied Tom Hunter, his thoughts reverting56 involuntarily to a former invention of the Hon. J. T. Maston, by which, at its first trial, he had succeeded in killing57 three hundred and thirty-seven people.
“Fact!” replied he. “Still, what is the use of so many studies worked out, so many difficulties vanquished58? It’s mere waste of time! The New World seems to have made up its mind to live in peace; and our bellicose59 Tribune predicts some approaching catastrophes61 arising out of this scandalous increase of population.”
“Nevertheless,” replied Colonel Blomsberry, “they are always struggling in Europe to maintain the principle of nationalities.”
“Well?”
“Well, there might be some field for enterprise down there; and if they would accept our services ——”
“What are you dreaming of?” screamed Bilsby; “work at gunnery for the benefit of foreigners?”
“That would be better than doing nothing here,” returned the colonel.
“Quite so,” said J. T. Matson; “but still we need not dream of that expedient62.”
“And why not?” demanded the colonel.
“Because their ideas of progress in the Old World are contrary to our American habits of thought. Those fellows believe that one can’t become a general without having served first as an ensign; which is as much as to say that one can’t point a gun without having first cast it oneself!”
“Ridiculous!” replied Tom Hunter, whittling63 with his bowie-knife the arms of his easy chair; “but if that be the case there, all that is left for us is to plant tobacco and distill64 whale-oil.”
“What!” roared J. T. Maston, “shall we not employ these remaining years of our life in perfecting firearms? Shall there never be a fresh opportunity of trying the ranges of projectiles? Shall the air never again be lighted with the glare of our guns? No international difficulty ever arise to enable us to declare war against some transatlantic power? Shall not the French sink one of our steamers, or the English, in defiance65 of the rights of nations, hang a few of our countrymen?”
“No such luck,” replied Colonel Blomsberry; “nothing of the kind is likely to happen; and even if it did, we should not profit by it. American susceptibility is fast declining, and we are all going to the dogs.”
“It is too true,” replied J. T. Maston, with fresh violence; “there are a thousand grounds for fighting, and yet we don’t fight. We save up our arms and legs for the benefit of nations who don’t know what to do with them! But stop — without going out of one’s way to find a cause for war — did not North America once belong to the English?”
“Undoubtedly,” replied Tom Hunter, stamping his crutch27 with fury.
“Well, then,” replied J. T. Maston, “why should not England in her turn belong to the Americans?”
“It would be but just and fair,” returned Colonel Blomsberry.
“Go and propose it to the President of the United States,” cried J. T. Maston, “and see how he will receive you.”
“Bah!” growled66 Bilsby between the four teeth which the war had left him; “that will never do!”
“By Jove!” cried J. T. Maston, “he mustn’t count on my vote at the next election!”
“Nor on ours,” replied unanimously all the bellicose invalids67.
“Meanwhile,” replied J. T. Maston, “allow me to say that, if I cannot get an opportunity to try my new mortars on a real field of battle, I shall say good-by to the members of the Gun Club, and go and bury myself in the prairies of Arkansas!”
“In that case we will accompany you,” cried the others.
Matters were in this unfortunate condition, and the club was threatened with approaching dissolution, when an unexpected circumstance occurred to prevent so deplorable a catastrophe60.
On the morrow after this conversation every member of the association received a sealed circular couched in the following terms:
BALTIMORE, October 3.
The president of the Gun Club has the honor to inform his colleagues
that, at the meeting of the 5th instant, he will bring before
them a communication of an extremely interesting nature. He requests,
therefore, that they will make it convenient to attend in
accordance with the present invitation. Very cordially,
IMPEY BARBICANE, P.G.C.
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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extemporized
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| v.即兴创作，即席演奏( extemporize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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convene
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| v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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nucleus
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| n.核，核心，原子核 | |
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exponents
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| n.倡导者( exponent的名词复数 )；说明者；指数；能手 | |
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projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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debut
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| n.首次演出，初次露面 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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platinum
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| n.白金 | |
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valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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33
expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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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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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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muzzled
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| 给（狗等）戴口套( muzzle的过去式和过去分词 )； 使缄默，钳制…言论 | |
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muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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arsenal
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| n.兵工厂，军械库 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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effaced
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| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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relegated
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| v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类 | |
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inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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reverted
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| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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caliber
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| n.能力；水准 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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platonic
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| adj.精神的；柏拉图（哲学）的 | |
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loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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reverting
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| 恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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bellicose
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| adj.好战的；好争吵的 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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catastrophes
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| n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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whittling
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 ) | |
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distill
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| vt.蒸馏，用蒸馏法提取，吸取，提炼 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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