the red badge of courage(红色英勇勋章)-第8章
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composite monster which had caused the other troops to flee had not then
appeared。 He resolved to get a view of it； and then； he thought he might
very likely run better than the best of them。
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The Red Badge of Courage
CHAPTER V。
THERE were moments of waiting。 The youth thought of the village
street at home before the arrival of the circus parade on a day in the spring。
He remembered how he had stood； a small； thrillful boy； prepared to
follow the dingy lady upon the white horse； or the band in its faded chariot。
He saw the yellow road； the lines of expectant people； and the sober
houses。 He particularly remembered an old fellow who used to sit upon a
cracker box in front of the store and feign to despise such exhibitions。 A
thousand details of color and form surged in his mind。 The old fellow
upon the cracker box ap… peared in middle prominence。
Some one cried； 〃Here they come！〃
There was rustling and muttering among the men。 They displayed a
feverish desire to have every possible cartridge ready to their hands。 The
boxes were pulled around into various posi… tions； and adjusted with great
care。 It was as if seven hundred new bonnets were being tried on。
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The tall soldier； having prepared his rifle； pro… duced a red
handkerchief of some kind。 He was engaged in knitting it about his
throat with ex… quisite attention to its position； when the cry was repeated
up and down the line in a muffled roar of sound。
〃Here they come！ Here they come！〃 Gun locks clicked。
Across the smoke…infested fields came a brown swarm of running men
who were giving shrill yells。 They came on； stooping and swinging their
rifles at all angles。 A flag； tilted 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
faltering intellect so that he might rec… ollect 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； savagely； 〃you 've got to hold 'em back！〃
In his agitation the colonel began to stammer。 〃A…all r…right； General；
all right； by Gawd！ We… we'll do ourwe…we'll d…d…dodo our best； Gen…
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eral。〃 The general made a passionate gesture and galloped 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 com… mander regarding his men in a highly regretful manner； as if he
regretted above everything his association with them。
The man at the youth's elbow was mumbling； 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 coaxed in schoolmistress fashion； as to a congregation of boys
with primers。 His talk was an endless repetition。 〃Reserve your fire；
boysdon't shoot till I tell yousave your firewait till they get close up
don't be damned fools〃
Perspiration streamed down the youth's face； which was soiled like
that of a weeping urchin。 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 de… bate the question of his piece being loaded。 Be…
fore he was ready to beginbefore he had an… nounced 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 for… got to look at a
menacing fate。 He became not a man but a member。 He felt that
something of which he was a parta regiment； an army； a cause； or a
countrywas in a crisis。 He was welded into a common personality
which was dominated by a single desire。 For some mo… ments 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 annihilated perhaps he
could have amputated himself from it。 But its noise gave him assur… ance。
The regiment was like a firework that； once ignited； proceeds superior to
circumstances until its blazing vitality fades。 It wheezed and banged
with a mighty power。 He pictured the ground before it as strewn with the
discom… fited。
There was a consciousness always of the pres… ence of his comrades
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about him。 He felt the subtle battle brotherhood more potent even than
the cause for which they were fighting。 It was a mysterious fraternity
born of the smoke and dan… ger 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 move… ments。
He； in his thought； 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 jolted dreams were never perfect to him afterward；
but remained a mass of blurred shapes。
Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmospherea
blistering 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 devel… oped the acute
exasperation of a pestered 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 craved 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
swirling battle phantoms which were choking him； stuffing their smoke
robes down his parched throat。 He fought frantically for respite for his
senses； for air； as a babe being smothered attacks the deadly blankets。
There was a blare of heated rage mingled with a certain expression of
intentness on all faces。 Many of the men were making low…toned noises
with their mouths； and these subdued cheers； snarls； imprecations； prayers；
made a wild； bar… baric song that went as an undercurrent of sound；
strange and chantlike with the resounding chords of the war march。 The
man at the youth's elbow was babbling。 In it there was something soft
and tender like the monologue 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
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supports？ Do they think〃
The youth in his battle sleep heard this as one who dozes hears。
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 incessant din 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 shift… ing forms which
upon the field before the regi… ment had been growing larger and larger
like puppets under a magician's hand。
The officers； at their intervals； rearward； neg… lected to stand in
picturesque attitudes。 They were bobbing to and fro roaring directions
and encouragements。 The dimensions of their howls were extraordinary。
They expended their lungs with prodigal 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 lieutenant of the youth's company had en… countered a soldier who
had fled screaming at the first volley of his comrades。 Behind the lines
these two were acting a little isolated 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 sol… dier 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 pre… vented。 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 w
