bruce-第12章

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〃The　fog　may　have　helped　us；　one　per　cent；　at　Rache；〃　admitted

Mahan。　〃But　Bruce　did　ninety…nine　per　cent　of　the　saving。〃



〃A　Scotch　general？〃　asked　the　recruit；　as　Vivier　nodded　cordial

affirmation　of　Mahan's　words；　and　as　others　of　the　old…timers

muttered　approval。



〃No；〃　contradicted　Mahan。　〃A　Scotch　collie。　If　you　were　dry

behind　the　ears；　in　this　life；　you　wouldn't　have　to　ask　who　Bruce

is。〃



〃I　don't　understand；〃　faltered　the　rookie；　suspicious　of　a

possible　joke。



〃You　will　soon；〃　Mahan　told　him。　〃Bruce　will　be　here　to…day。　I

heard　the　K。O。　saying　the　big　dog　is　going　to　be　sent　down　with

some　dispatches　or　something；　from　headquarters。　It's　his　first

trip　since　he　was　cut　up　so。〃



〃I　am　saving　himthis！〃　proclaimed　Vivier；　disgorging　from　the

flotsam　of　his　pocket　a　lump　of　once…white　sugar。　〃My　wife；　she

smuggle　three　of　these　to　me　in　her　last　paquet。　One　I　eat　in　my

cafe　noir；　one　I　present　to　mon　cher　vieux；　ce　bon　Mahan；　one　I

keep　for　the　grand　dog　what　save　us　all　that　day。〃



〃What's　the　idea？〃　queried　the　mystified　rookie。　〃I　don't〃



〃We　were　stuck　in　the　front　line　of　the　Rache　salient；〃　explained

Mahan；　eager　to　recount　his　dog…friend's　prowess。　〃On　both　sides

our　supports　got　word　to　fall　back。　We　couldn't　get　the　word；

because　our　telephone　connection　was　knocked　galley…west。　There

we　were；　waiting　for　a　Hun　attack　to　wipe　us　out。　We　couldn't

fall　back；　for　they　were　peppering　the　hillslope　behind　us。　We

were　at　the　bottom。　They'd　have　cut　us　to　ribbons　if　we'd　shown

our　carcasses　in　the　open。　Bruce　was　here；　with　a　message　he'd

brought。　The　K。O。　sent　him　back　to　headquarters　for　the　reserves。

The　boche　heavies　and　snipers　and　machine…guns　all　cut　loose　to

stop　him　as　he　scooted　up　the　hill。　And　a　measly　giant　of　a

German　police　dog　tried　to　kill　him；　too。　Bruce　got　through　the

lot　of　them；　and　he　reached　headquarters　with　the　SOS　call　that

saved　us。　The　poor　chap　was　cut　and　gouged　and　torn　by　bullets

and　shell…scraps；　and　he　was　nearly　dead　from　shell…shock；　too。

But　the　surgeon　general　worked　over　him；　himself；　and　pulled　him

back　to　life。　He〃



〃He　is　a　loved　pet　of　a　man　and　a　woman　in　your　America；　I　have

heard　one　say；〃　chimed　in　Vivier。　〃And　his　home；　there；　was　in

the　quiet　country。　He　was　lent　to　the　cause；　as　a　patriotic

offering；　ce　brave！　And　of　a　certainty；　he　has　earned　his

welcome。〃



When　Bruce；　an　hour　later；　trotted　into　the　trenches；　on　the　way

to　the　〃Here…We…Come〃　colonel's　quarters；　he　was　received　like　a

visiting　potentate。　Dozens　of　men　hailed　him　eagerly　by　name　as

he　made　his　way　to　his　destination　with　the　message　affixed　to

his　collar。



Many　of　these　men　were　his　well…remembered　friends　and　comrades。

Mahan　and　Vivier；　and　one　or　two　more；　he　had　grown　to　likeas

well　as　he　could　like　any　one　in　that　land　of　horrors；　three

thousand　miles　away　from　The　Place；　where　he　was　born；　and　from

the　Mistress　and　the　Master；　who　were　his　loyally　worshiped　gods。



Moreover；　being　only　mortal　and　afflicted　with　a　hearty　appetite；

Bruce　loved　the　food　and　other　delicacies　the　men　were　forever

offering　him　as　a　variation　on　the　stodgy　fare　dished　out　to　him

and　his　fellow　war…dogs。



As　much　to　amuse　and　interest　the　soldiers　whose　hero　he　was；　as

for　any　special　importance　in　the　dispatch　he　carried；　Bruce　had

been　sent　now　to　the　trenches　of　the　Here…We…Comes。　It　was　his

first　visit　to　the　regiment　he　had　saved；　since　the　days　of　the

Rache　assault　two　months　earlier。　Thanks　to　supremely　clever

surgery　and　to　tender　care；　the　dog　was　little　the　worse　for　his

wounds。　His　hearing　gradually　had　come　back。　In　one　shoulder　he

had　a　very　slight　stiffness　which　was　not　a　limp；　and　a

new…healed　furrow　scarred　the　left　side　of　his　tawny　coat。

Otherwise　he　was　as　good　as　new。



As　Bruce　trotted　toward　the　group　that　so　recently　had　been

talking　of　him；　the　Missouri　recruit　watched　with　interest　for

the　dog's　joy　at　this　reunion　with　his　old　friends。　Bruce's　snowy

chest　and　black…stippled　coat　were　fluffed　out　by　many　recent

baths。　His　splendid　head　high　and　his　dark　eyes　bright；　the

collie　advanced　toward　the　group。



Mahan　greeted　him　joyously。　Vivier　stretched　out　a　hand　which

displayed　temptingly　the　long…hoarded　lump　of　sugar。　A　third　man

produced；　from　nowhere　in　particular；　a　large　and　meat…fringed

soup…bone。



〃I　wonder　which　of　you　he'll　come　to；　first；〃　said　the　interested

Missourian。



The　question　was　answered　at　once；　and　right　humiliatingly。　For

Bruce　did　not　falter　in　his　swinging　stride　as　he　came　abreast　of

the　group。　Not　by　so　much　as　a　second　glance　did　he　notice

Mahan's　hail　and　the　tempting　food。



As　he　passed　within　six　inches　of　the　lump　of　sugar　which　Vivier

was　holding　out　to　him；　the　dog's　silken　ears　quivered　slightly；

sure　sign　of　hard…repressed　emotion　in　a　thoroughbred　collie；

but　he　gave　no　other　manifestation　that　he　knew　any　one　was

there。



〃Well；　I'll　be　blessed！〃　snickered　the　Missourian　in　high

derision；　as　Bruce　passed　out　of　sight　around　an　angle　of　the

trench。　〃So　that's　the　pup　who　is　such　a　pal　of　you　fellows；　is

he？　Gee；　but　it　was　a　treat　to　see　how　tickled　he　was　to　meet　you

again！〃



To　the　rookie's　amazement　none　of　his　hearers　seemed　in　the　least

chagrined　over　the　dogs　chilling　disregard　of　them。　Instead；

Mahan　actually　grunted　approbation。



〃He'll　be　back；〃　prophesied　the　Sergeant。　〃Don't　you　worry。　He'll

be　back。　We　ought　to　have　had　more　sense　than　try　to　stop　him

when　he's　on　duty。　He　has　better　discipline　than　the　rest　of　us。

That's　one　of　very　first　things　they　teach　a　courier…dogto　pay

no　attention　to　anybody；　when　he's　on　dispatch　duty。　When　Bruce

has　delivered　his　message　to　the　K。O。；　he'll　have　the　right　to

hunt　up　his　chums。　And　no　one　knows　it　better'n　Bruce　himself。〃



〃It　was　a　sina　thoughtlessnessof　me　to　hold　the　sugar　at

him；〃　said　old　Vivier。　〃Ah；　but　he　is　a　so　good　soldier；　ce　brave

Bruce！　He　look　not　to　the　left　nor　yet　to　the　right；　nor　yet　to

the　so…desired　sugar…lump。　He　keep　his　head　at　attention！　All　but

the　furry　tips　of　his　ears。　Them　he　has　not　yet　taught　to　be　good

soldiers。　They　tremble；　when　he　smell　the　sugar　and　the　good

soup…bone。　They　quiver　like　the　little　leaf。　But　he　keep　on。　He…

…〃



There　was　a　scurry　of　fast…cantering　feet。　Around　the　angle　of

the　trench　dashed　Bruce。　Head　erect；　soft　dark　eyes　shining　with

a　light　of　gay　mischief；　he　galloped　up　to　the　grinning　Sergeant

Vivier　and　stood。　The　dog's　great　plume　of　a　tail　was　wagging

violently。　His　tulip　ears　were　cocked。　His　whole　interest　in　life

was　fixed　on　the　precious　lump　of　sugar　which　Vivier　held　out　to

him。



From　puppyhood；　Bruce　had　adored　lump　sugar。　Even　at　The　Place；

sugar　had　been　a　rarity　for　him；　for　the　Mistress　and　the　Master

had　known　the　damage　it　can　wreak　upon　a　dog's　teeth　and

digestion。　Yet；　once　in　a　while；　as　a　special　luxury；　the

Mistress　had　been　wont　to　give　him　a　solitary　lump　of　sugar。



Since　his　arrival　in　France；　the　dog　had　never　seen　nor　scented

such　a　thing　until　now。　Yet　he　did　not　jump　for　the　gift。　He　did

not　try　to　snatch　it　from　Vivier。　Instead；　he　waited　until　the

old　Frenchman　held　it　closer　toward　him；　with　the　invitation：



〃Take　it；　mon　vieux！　It　is　for　you。〃



Then　and　then　only　did　Bruce　reach　daintily　forward　and　grip　the

grimy　bit　of　sugar　between　his　mighty　jaws。　Vivier　stroked　the

collie's　head　while　Bruce　wagged　his　tail　and　munched　the　sugar

and　blinked　gratefully　up　at　the　donor。　Mahan　looked　on；

enviously。　〃A　dog's　got　forty…two　teeth；　instead　of　the　thirty…

two　that　us　humans　have　to　chew　on；〃　observed　the　Sergeant。　〃A

vet'　told　me　that　once。　And　sugar　is　bad　for　all　forty…two　of

'em。　Maybe　you　didn't　know　that；　Monsoo　Vivier？　Likely；　at　this

rate；　we'll　have　to　chip　in　before　long　and　buy　poor　Brucie　a

double　set　of　false　teeth。　Just　because　you've　put　his　real　ones

out　of　business　with　lumps　of　sugar！〃



Vivier　looked　genuinely　concerned　at　this　grim　forecast。　Bruce

wandered　across　to　the　place　where　the　donor　of　the　soup…bone

brandished　his　offering。　Other　men；　too；　were　crowding　around

with　gifts。



Between　petting　and　feeding；　the　collie　spent　a　busy　hour　among

his　comrades…at…arms。　He　was　to　stay　with　the　〃Here…We…Comes〃

until　the　following　day；　and　then　carry　back　to　headquarters　a

reconnaissance　report。



At　four　o'clock　that　afternoon　the　sky　was　softly　blue　and　the

air　was　unwontedly　clear。　By　five　o'clock　a　gentle　India…summer

haze　blurred　the　world's　sharper　outlines。　By　six　a　blanket…fog

rolled　in；　and　the　air　was　wetly　unbreatheable。　The　fog　lay　so

thick　over　the　soggy　earth　that　objects　ten　feet　away　were

invisible。



〃This；〃　commented　Sergeant　Mahan；　〃is　one　of　the　times　I　was

talking　about　this　morningwhen　eyes　are　no　use。　This　is　sure

the　country　for　fogs；　in　war…time。　The　cockneys　tell　me　the

London　fogs　aren't　a　patch　on　'em。〃



The　〃Here…We…Comes〃　were　encamped；　for　the　while；　at　the　edge　of

a　sector　from　whence　all　military　importance　had　recently　been

removed　by　a　convulsive　twist　of　a　hundred…mile　battle…front。　In

this　dull　hole…in…a…corner　the　new…arrived　rivets　were　in　process

of　welding　into　the　more　veteran　structure　of　the　mixed　regiment。



Not　a　quarter…mile　awayacross　No　Man's　Land　and　athwart　two

barriers　of　barbed　wirelay　a　series　of　German　trenches。　Now；　in

all　probability；　and　from　all　outward　signs；　the　occupants　of

this　boche　position　consisted　only　of　a　regiment　or　two　which　had

been　so　badly　cut　up；　in　a　foiled　drive；　as　to　need　a　month　of

non…exciting　routine　before　going　back　into　more　perilous

service。



Yet　the　commander　of　the　division　to　which　the　〃Here…We…Comes〃

were　attached　did　not　trust　to　probabilities　nor　to　outward

signs。　He　had　been　at　the　front　long　enough　to　realize　that　the

only　thing　likely　to　happen　was　the　thing　which　seemed

unlikeliest。　And　he　felt　a　morbid　curiosity　to　learn　more　about

the　personnel　of　those　dormant　German　trenches。



Wherefore　he　had　sent　an　order　that　a　handful　of　the　〃Here…We…

Comes〃　go　forth　into　No　Man's　Land；　on　the　first　favorable　night；

and　try　to　pick　up　a　boche　prisoner　or　two　for　questioning…

purposes。　A　scouring　of　the　doubly　wired　area　between　the　hostile

lines　might　readily　harvest　some　solitary　sentinel　or　some　other

man　on　special　duty；　or　even　the　occupants　of　a　listening…post。

And　the　division　commander　earnestly　desired　to　question　such

prisoner　or　prisoners。　The　fog　furnished　an　ideal　night　for　such

an　expedition。



Thus　it　was　that　a　very　young　lieutenant　and　Sergeant　Mahan　and

ten　privatesthe　lanky　Missourian　among　themwere　detailed　for

the　prisoner…seeking　job。　At　eleven　o'clock；　they　crept　over　the


top；　single　file。



It　was　a　night　wherein　a　hundred　searchlights　and　a　million　star…

…flar