But those other men seemed never to grow weary; they were fighting with their old speed. He had a wild hate for the relentless10 foe. Yesterday, when he had imagined the universe to be against him, he had hated it, little gods and big gods; to-day he hated the army of the foe with the same great hatred11. He was not going to be badgered of his life, like a kitten chased by boys, he said. It was not well to drive men into final corners; at those moments they could all develop teeth and claws.
He leaned and spoke12 into his friend's ear. He menaced the woods with a gesture. "If they keep on chasing us, by Gawd, they'd better watch out. Can't stand TOO much."
The friend twisted his head and made a calm reply. "If they keep on a-chasin' us they'll drive us all inteh th' river."
The youth cried out savagely13 at this statement. He crouched14 behind a little tree, with his eyes burning hatefully and his teeth set in a curlike snarl15. The awkward bandage was still about his head, and upon it, over his wound, there was a spot of dry blood. His hair was wondrously17 tousled, and some straggling, moving locks hung over the cloth of the bandage down toward his forehead. His jacket and shirt were open at the throat, and exposed his young bronzed neck. There could be seen spasmodic gulpings at his throat.
His fingers twined nervously18 about his rifle. He wished that it was an engine of annihilating19 power. He felt that he and his companions were being taunted20 and derided21 from sincere convictions that they were poor and puny22. His knowledge of his inability to take vengeance23 for it made his rage into a dark and stormy specter, that possessed24 him and made him dream of abominable25 cruelties. The tormentors were flies sucking insolently26 at his blood, and he thought that he would have given his life for a revenge of seeing their faces in pitiful plights27.
The winds of battle had swept all about the regiment28, until the one rifle, instantly followed by others, flashed in its front. A moment later the regiment roared forth29 its sudden and valiant30 retort. A dense31 wall of smoke settled down. It was furiously slit32 and slashed33 by the knifelike fire from the rifles.
To the youth the fighters resembled animals tossed for a death struggle into a dark pit. There was a sensation that he and his fellows, at bay, were pushing back, always pushing fierce onslaughts of creatures who were slippery. Their beams of crimson34 seemed to get no purchase upon the bodies of their foes35; the latter seemed to evade36 them with ease, and come through, between, around, and about with unopposed skill.
When, in a dream, it occurred to the youth that his rifle was an impotent stick, he lost sense of everything but his hate, his desire to smash into pulp37 the glittering smile of victory which he could feel upon the faces of his enemies.
The blue smoke-swallowed line curled and writhed38 like a snake stepped upon. It swung its ends to and fro in an agony of fear and rage.
The youth was not conscious that he was erect39 upon his feet. He did not know the direction of the ground. Indeed, once he even lost the habit of balance and fell heavily. He was up again immediately. One thought went through the chaos40 of his brain at the time. He wondered if he had fallen because he had been shot. But the suspicion flew away at once. He did not think more of it.
He had taken up a first position behind the little tree, with a direct determination to hold it against the world. He had not deemed it possible that his army could that day succeed, and from this he felt the ability to fight harder. But the throng41 had surged in all ways, until he lost directions and locations, save that he knew where lay the enemy.
The flames bit him, and the hot smoke broiled42 his skin. His rifle barrel grew so hot that ordinarily he could not have borne it upon his palms; but he kept on stuffing cartridges43 into it, and pounding them with his clanking, bending ramrod. If he aimed at some changing form through the smoke, he pulled the trigger with a fierce grunt44, as if he were dealing45 a blow of the fist with all his strength.
When the enemy seemed falling back before him and his fellows, he went instantly forward, like a dog who, seeing his foes lagging, turns and insists upon being pursued. And when he was compelled to retire again, he did it slowly, sullenly46, taking steps of wrathful despair.
Once he, in his intent hate, was almost alone, and was firing, when all those near him had ceased. He was so engrossed47 in his occupation that he was not aware of a lull48.
He was recalled by a hoarse49 laugh and a sentence that came to his ears in a voice of contempt and amazement50. "Yeh infernal fool, don't yeh know enough t' quit when there ain't anything t' shoot at? Good Gawd!"
He turned then and, pausing with his rifle thrown half into position, looked at the blue line of his comrades. During this moment of leisure they seemed all to be engaged in staring with astonishment51 at him. They had become spectators. Turning to the front again he saw, under the lifted smoke, a deserted52 ground.
He looked bewildered for a moment. Then there appeared upon the glazed53 vacancy54 of his eyes a diamond point of intelligence. "Oh," he said, comprehending.
He returned to his comrades and threw himself upon the ground. He sprawled55 like a man who had been thrashed. His flesh seemed strangely on fire, and the sounds of the battle continued in his ears. He groped blindly for his canteen.
The lieutenant56 was crowing. He seemed drunk with fighting. He called out to the youth: "By heavens, if I had ten thousand wild cats like you I could tear th' stomach outa this war in less'n a week!" He puffed57 out his chest with large dignity as he said it.
Some of the men muttered and looked at the youth in awestruck ways. It was plain that as he had gone on loading and firing and cursing without proper intermission, they had found time to regard him. And they now looked upon him as a war devil.
The friend came staggering to him. There was some fright and dismay in his voice. "Are yeh all right, Fleming? Do yeh feel all right? There ain't nothin' th' matter with yeh, Henry, is there?"
"No," said the youth with difficulty. His throat seemed full of knobs and burrs.
These incidents made the youth ponder. It was revealed to him that he had been a barbarian58, a beast. He had fought like a pagan who defends his religion. Regarding it, he saw that it was fine, wild, and, in some ways, easy. He had been a tremendous figure, no doubt. By this struggle he had overcome obstacles which he had admitted to be mountains. They had fallen like paper peaks, and he was now what he called a hero. And he had not been aware of the process. He had slept, and, awakening59, found himself a knight60.
He lay and basked61 in the occasional stares of his comrades. Their faces were varied62 in degrees of blackness from the burned powder. Some were utterly63 smudged. They were reeking64 with perspiration65, and their breaths came hard and wheezing66. And from these soiled expanses they peered at him.
"Hot work! Hot work!" cried the lieutenant deliriously67. He walked up and down, restless and eager. Sometimes his voice could be heard in a wild, incomprehensible laugh.
When he had a particularly profound thought upon the science of war he always unconsciously addressed himself to the youth.
There was some grim rejoicing by the men. "By thunder, I bet this army'll never see another new reg'ment like us!"
"You bet!"
Th' more yeh beat 'em, th' better they be!
That's like us."
"Lost a piler men, they did. If an ol' woman swep' up th' woods she'd git a dustpanful."
The forest still bore its burden of clamor. From off under the trees came the rolling clatter69 of the musketry. Each distant thicket70 seemed a strange porcupine71 with quills72 of flame. A cloud of dark smoke, as from smoldering73 ruins, went up toward the sun now bright and gay in the blue, enameled74 sky.
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1
fume
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| n.(usu pl.)(浓烈或难闻的)烟，气，汽 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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portraying
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| v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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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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13
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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wondrously
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| adv.惊奇地，非常，极其 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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19
annihilating
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的现在分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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20
taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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21
derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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24
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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plights
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| n.境况，困境( plight的名词复数 ) | |
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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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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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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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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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32
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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33
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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35
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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36
evade
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| vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避 | |
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pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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38
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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40
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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42
broiled
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| a.烤过的 | |
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cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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44
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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45
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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46
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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47
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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48
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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49
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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50
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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51
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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52
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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53
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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54
vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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55
sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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56
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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57
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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58
barbarian
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| n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的 | |
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59
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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60
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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61
basked
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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62
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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64
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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66
wheezing
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| v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣 | |
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67
deliriously
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| adv.谵妄（性）；发狂；极度兴奋/亢奋；说胡话 | |
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68
walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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69
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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70
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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71
porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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72
quills
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| n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管 | |
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73
smoldering
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| v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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74
enameled
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| 涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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