Some one cried, "Here they come!"
There was rustling6 and muttering among the men. They displayed a feverish7 desire to have every possible cartridge8 ready to their hands. The boxes were pulled around into various positions, and adjusted with great care. It was as if seven hundred new bonnets9 were being tried on.
The tall soldier, having prepared his rifle, produced a red handkerchief of some kind. He was engaged in knotting it about his throat with exquisite10 attention to its position, when the cry was repeated up and down the line in a muffled11 roar of sound.
"Here they come! Here they come!" Gun locks clicked.
Across the smoke-infested fields came a brown swarm12 of running men who were giving shrill13 yells. They came on, stooping and swinging their rifles at all angles. A flag, tilted14 forward, sped near the front.
As he caught sight of them the youth was momentarily startled by a thought that perhaps his gun was not loaded. He stood trying to rally his faltering15 intellect so that he might recollect16 the moment when he had loaded, but he could not.
A hatless general pulled his dripping horse to a stand near the colonel of the 304th. He shook his fist in the other's face. "You've got to hold 'em back!" he shouted, savagely17; "you've got to hold 'em back!"
In his agitation19 the colonel began to stammer20. "A-all r-right, General, all right, by Gawd! We-we 'll do our--we-we 'll d-d-do-do our best, General." The general made a passionate21 gesture and galloped22 away. The colonel, perchance to relieve his feelings, began to scold like a wet parrot. The youth, turning swiftly to make sure that the rear was unmolested, saw the commander regarding his men in a highly resentful manner, as if he regretted above everything his association with them.
The man at the youth's elbow was mumbling23, as if to himself: "Oh, we 're in for it now! oh, we 're in for it now!"
The captain of the company had been pacing excitedly to and fro in the rear. He coaxed24 in schoolmistress fashion, as to a congregation of boys with primers. His talk was an endless repetition. "Reserve your fire, boys--don't shoot till I tell you--save your fire--wait till they get close up--don't be damned fools--"
Perspiration25 streamed down the youth's face, which was soiled like that of a weeping urchin26. He frequently, with a nervous movement, wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve. His mouth was still a little ways open.
He got the one glance at the foe-swarming field in front of him, and instantly ceased to debate the question of his piece being loaded. Before he was ready to begin--before he had announced to himself that he was about to fight--he threw the obedient well-balanced rifle into position and fired a first wild shot. Directly he was working at his weapon like an automatic affair.
He suddenly lost concern for himself, and forgot to look at a menacing fate. He became not a man but a member. He felt that something of which he was a part--a regiment27, an army, a cause, or a country--was in crisis. He was welded into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire. For some moments he could not flee no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a hand.
If he had thought the regiment was about to be annihilated28 perhaps he could have amputated himself from it. But its noise gave him assurance. The regiment was like a firework that, once ignited, proceeds superior to circumstances until its blazing vitality29 fades. It wheezed30 and banged with a mighty31 power. He pictured the ground before it as strewn with the discomfited32.
There was a consciousness always of the presence of his comrades about him. He felt the subtle battle brotherhood33 more potent34 even than the cause for which they were fighting. It was a mysterious fraternity born of the smoke and danger of death.
He was at a task. He was like a carpenter who has made many boxes, making still another box, only there was furious haste in his movements. He, in his thoughts, was careering off in other places, even as the carpenter who as he works whistles and thinks of his friend or his enemy, his home or a saloon. And these jolted35 dreams were never perfect to him afterward36, but remained a mass of blurred37 shapes.
Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmosphere--a blistering38 sweat, a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones. A burning roar filled his ears.
Following this came a red rage. He developed the acute exasperation39 of a pestered40 animal, a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a mad feeling against his rifle, which could only be used against one life at a time. He wished to rush forward and strangle with his fingers. He craved41 a power that would enable him to make a world-sweeping gesture and brush all back. His impotency appeared to him, and made his rage into that of a driven beast.
Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him as against the swirling42 battle phantoms43 which were choking him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched44 throat. He fought frantically45 for respite46 for his senses, for air, as a babe being smothered47 attacks the deadly blankets.
There was a blare of heated rage mingled48 with a certain expression of intentness on all faces. Many of the men were making low-toned noises with their mouths, and these subdued49 cheers, snarls50, imprecations, prayers, made a wild, barbaric song that went as an undercurrent of sound, strange and chantlike with the resounding51 chords of the war march. The man at the youth's elbow was babbling52. In it there was something soft and tender like the monologue53 of a babe. The tall soldier was swearing in a loud voice. From his lips came a black procession of curious oaths. Of a sudden another broke out in a querulous way like a man who has mislaid his hat. "Well, why don't they support us? Why don't they send supports? Do they think--"
There was a singular absence of heroic poses. The men bending and surging in their haste and rage were in every impossible attitude. The steel ramrods clanked and clanged with incessant55 din2 as the men pounded them furiously into the hot rifle barrels. The flaps of the cartridge boxes were all unfastened, and bobbed idiotically with each movement. The rifles, once loaded, were jerked to the shoulder and fired without apparent aim into the smoke or at one of the blurred and shifting forms which upon the field before the regiment had been growing larger and larger like puppets under a magician's hand.
The officers, at their intervals56, rearward, neglected to stand in picturesque57 attitudes. They were bobbing to and fro roaring directions and encouragements. The dimensions of their howls were extraordinary. They expended58 their lungs with prodigal59 wills. And often they nearly stood upon their heads in their anxiety to observe the enemy on the other side of the tumbling smoke.
The lieutenant60 of the youth's company had encountered a soldier who had fled screaming at the first volley of his comrades. Behind the lines these two were acting61 a little isolated62 scene. The man was blubbering and staring with sheeplike eyes at the lieutenant, who had seized him by the collar and was pommeling him. He drove him back into the ranks with many blows. The soldier went mechanically, dully, with his animal-like eyes upon the officer. Perhaps there was to him a divinity expressed in the voice of the other--stern, hard, with no reflection of fear in it. He tried to reload his gun, but his shaking hands prevented. The lieutenant was obliged to assist him.
The men dropped here and there like bundles. The captain of the youth's company had been killed in an early part of the action. His body lay stretched out in the position of a tired man resting, but upon his face there was an astonished and sorrowful look, as if he thought some friend had done him an ill turn. The babbling man was grazed by a shot that made the blood stream widely down his face. He clapped both hands to his head. "Oh!" he said, and ran. Another grunted63 suddenly as if he had been struck by a club in the stomach. He sat down and gazed ruefully. In his eyes there was mute, indefinite reproach. Farther up the line a man, standing64 behind a tree, had had his knee joint65 splintered by a ball. Immediately he had dropped his rifle and gripped the tree with both arms. And there he remained, clinging desperately66 and crying for assistance that he might withdraw his hold upon the tree.
At last an exultant67 yell went along the quivering line. The firing dwindled68 from an uproar69 to a last vindictive70 popping. As the smoke slowly eddied71 away, the youth saw that the charge had been repulsed72. The enemy were scattered73 into reluctant groups. He saw a man climb to the top of the fence, straddle the rail, and fire a parting shot. The waves had receded74, leaving bits of dark "debris75" upon the ground.
Some in the regiment began to whoop76 frenziedly. Many were silent. Apparently77 they were trying to contemplate78 themselves.
After the fever had left his veins79, the youth thought that at last he was going to suffocate80. He became aware of the foul81 atmosphere in which he had been struggling. He was grimy and dripping like a laborer83 in a foundry. He grasped his canteen and took a long swallow of the warmed water.
A sentence with variations went up and down the line. "Well, we 've helt 'em back. We 've helt 'em back; derned if we haven't." The men said it blissfully, leering at each other with dirty smiles.
The youth turned to look behind him and off to the right and off to the left. He experienced the joy of a man who at last finds leisure in which to look about him.
Under foot there were a few ghastly forms motionless. They lay twisted in fantastic contortions84. Arms were bent85 and heads were turned in incredible ways. It seemed that the dead men must have fallen from some great height to get into such positions. They looked to be dumped out upon the ground from the sky.
From a position in the rear of the grove86 a battery was throwing shells over it. The flash of the guns startled the youth at first. He thought they were aimed directly at him. Through the trees he watched the black figures of the gunners as they worked swiftly and intently. Their labor82 seemed a complicated thing. He wondered how they could remember its formula in the midst of confusion.
The guns squatted87 in a row like savage18 chiefs. They argued with abrupt88 violence. It was a grim pow-wow. Their busy servants ran hither and thither89.
A small procession of wounded men were going drearily90 toward the rear. It was a flow of blood from the torn body of the brigade.
To the right and to the left were the dark lines of other troops. Far in front he thought he could see lighter91 masses protruding92 in points from the forest. They were suggestive of unnumbered thousands.
Once he saw a tiny battery go dashing along the line of the horizon. The tiny riders were beating the tiny horses.
From a sloping hill came the sound of cheerings and clashes. Smoke welled slowly through the leaves.
Batteries were speaking with thunderous oratorical93 effort. Here and there were flags, the red in the stripes dominating. They splashed bits of warm color upon the dark lines of troops.
The youth felt the old thrill at the sight of the emblems94. They were like beautiful birds strangely undaunted in a storm.
As he listened to the din from the hillside, to a deep pulsating95 thunder that came from afar to the left, and to the lesser96 clamors which came from many directions, it occurred to him that they were fighting, too, over there, and over there, and over there. Heretofore he had supposed that all the battle was directly under his nose.
As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment97 at the blue, pure sky and the sun gleamings on the trees and fields. It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly98 on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment.
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1
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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cracker
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| n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干 | |
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feign
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| vt.假装，佯作 | |
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prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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bonnets
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| n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 )；（烟囱等的）覆盖物；（苏格兰男子的）无边呢帽；（女子戴的）任何一种帽子 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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11
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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12
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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stammer
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| n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说 | |
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21
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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22
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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23
mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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24
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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wheezed
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| v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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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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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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jolted
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| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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38
blistering
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| adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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pestered
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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43
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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48
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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49
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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50
snarls
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| n.（动物的）龇牙低吼( snarl的名词复数 )；愤怒叫嚷（声）；咆哮（声）；疼痛叫声v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的第三人称单数 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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51
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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52
babbling
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| n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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53
monologue
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| n.长篇大论，（戏剧等中的）独白 | |
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54
dozes
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| n.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的名词复数 )v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的第三人称单数 ) | |
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incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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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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57
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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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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prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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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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61
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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64
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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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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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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exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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68
dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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70
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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71
eddied
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| 起漩涡，旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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74
receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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75
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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76
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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77
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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78
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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79
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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80
suffocate
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| vt.使窒息，使缺氧，阻碍；vi.窒息，窒息而亡，阻碍发展 | |
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81
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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82
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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83
laborer
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| n.劳动者，劳工 | |
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84
contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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85
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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86
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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87
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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88
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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89
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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90
drearily
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| 沉寂地，厌倦地，可怕地 | |
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91
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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92
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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93
oratorical
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| adj.演说的，雄辩的 | |
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94
emblems
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| n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 ) | |
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95
pulsating
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| adj.搏动的，脉冲的v.有节奏地舒张及收缩( pulsate的现在分词 )；跳动；脉动；受（激情）震动 | |
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96
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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97
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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98
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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