active service-第27章

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rom　their　high　seats；　palavered　like　mad　men；　driving　with　oat　hand　and　gesturing　with　the　other；　explaining　evidently　their　own　great　innocence。

Coleman　saw　that　there　was　trouble；　but　he　only　sat　more　stiffly　in　his　saddle。　The　eternal　gabble　moved　him　to　despise　the　situation。　At　any　rate；　the　travellers　would　soon　be　out　of　this　town　and　on　to　a　more　sensible　region。

However　he　saw　the　driver　of　the　first　carriage　sud…　denly　pull　up　boforg　a　little　blackened　coffee　shop　and　inn。　The　dragman　spurred　forward　and　began　wild　expostulation。　The　second　carriage　pulled　close　behind　　the　other。　The　crowd；　murmuring　like　a　Roman　mob　in　　Nero's　time；　closed　around　them。



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CHAPTER　XXI。

COLEMAN　pushed　his　horse　coolly　through　to　the　dragoman；s　side。　〃　What　is　it　？　〃　he　demanded。　The　dragoman　was　broken…voiced。　〃　These　peoples；　they　say　you　are　Germans；　all　Germans；　and　they　are　angry；〃　he　wailed。　〃　I　can　do　nossing…nossing。〃

〃　Well；　tell　these　men　to　drive　on；〃　said　Coleman；　〃tell　them　theymust　drive　on。〃

〃　They　will　not　drive　on；〃　wailed　the　dragoman；　still　more　loudly。　〃　I　can　do　nossing。　They　say　here　is　place　for　feed　the　horse。　It　is　the　custom　and　they　will　note　drive　on。〃

〃　Make　them　drive　on。〃

〃　They　will　note；〃　shrieked　the　agonised　servitor。　Coleman　looked　from　the　men　waving　their　arms　and　chattering　on　the　box…seats　to　the　men　of　the　crowd　who　also　waved　their　arms　and　chattered。　In　this　throng　far　to　the　rear　of　the　fighting　armies　there　did　not　seem　to　be　a　single　man　who　was　not　　ablebodied；　who　had　not　been　free　to　enlist　as　a　soldier。　They　were　of　that　scurvy　behind…the…rear…guard　which　every　nation　has　in　degree　proportionate　to　its　worth。　The　manhood　of　Greece　had　gone　to　the　frontier；　leaving　at　home　this　rabble　of　talkers；　most　of　whom　were　armed　with　rifles　for　mere　pretention。　Coleman　loathed　them　to　the　end　of　his　soul。　He　thought　them　a　lot　of　infants　who　would　like　to　prove　their　courage　upon　eleven　innocent　travellers；　all　but　　unarmed；　and　in　this　fact　he　was　quick　to　see　a　great　danger　to　the　Wainwright　party。　One　could　deal　with　soldiers；　soldiers　would　have　been　ashamed　to　bait　helpless　people　；　but　this　rabble…

The　fighting　blood　of　the　correspondent　began　to　boil；　and　he　really　longed　for　the　privilege　to　run　amuck　through　the　multitude。　But　a　look　at　the　Wainwrights　kept　him　in　his　senses。　The　professor　had　turned　pale　as　a　dead　man。　He　sat　very　stiff　and　still　while　his　wife　clung　to　him；　hysterically　beseeching　　him　to　do　something；　do　something；　although　what　he　was　to　do　she　could　not　have　even　imagined。

Coleman　took　the　dilemma　by　its　beard。　He　　dismounted　from　his　horse　into　the　depths　of　the　crowd　and　addressed　the　Wainwrights。　〃　I　suppose　we　had　better　go　into　this　place　and　have　some　coffee　while　the　men　feed　their　horses。　There　is　no　use　in　trying　to　make　them　go　on。〃　His　manner　was　fairly　casual；　but　they　looked　at　him　in　glazed　horror。　〃　It　is　the　only　thing　to　do。　This　crowd　is　not　nearly　so　bad　as　they　think　they　are。　But　we've　got　to　look　as　if　we　felt　confident。〃　He　himself　had　no　confidence　with　this　angry　buzz　in　his　ears；　but　be　felt　certain　that　the　only　correct　move　was　to　get　everybody　as　quickly　as　possible　within　the　shelter　of　the　inn。　It　might　not　be　much　of　a　shelter　for　them；　but　it　was　better　than　the　carriages　in　the　street。

The　professor　and　Mrs。　Wainwright　seemed　to　be　considering　their　carriage　as　a　castle；　and　they　looked　as　if　their　terror　had　made　them　physically　incapable　of　leaving　it。　Coleman　stood　waiting。　Behind　him　the　clapper…tongued　crowd　was　moving　ominously。　Marjory　arose　and　stepped　calmly　down　to　him。　He　thrilled　to　the　end　of　every　nerve。　It　was　as　if　she　had　said：　〃　I　don't　think　there　is　great　danger；　but　if　there　is　great　danger；　why　*　*　here　I　am　*　ready　*　with　you。〃　It　conceded　everything；　admitted　everything。　It　was　a　surrender　without　a　blush；　and　it　was　only　possible　in　the　shadow　of　the　crisis　when　they　did　not　know　what　the　next　moments　might　contain　for　them。　As　he　took　her　hand　and　she　stepped　past　him　he　whispered　swiftly　and　fiercely　in　her　ear；　〃　I　love　you。〃　She　did　not　look　up；　but　he　felt　that　in　this　quick　incident　they　had　claimed　each　other；　accepted　each　other　with　a　far　deeper　meaning　and　understanding　than　could　be　possible　in　a　mere　drawing…room。　She　laid　her　hand　on　his　arm；　and　with　the　strength　of　four　men　he　twisted　his　horse　into　the　making　of　furious　prancing　side…steps　toward　the　door　of　the　inn；　clanking　side…　steps　which　mowed　a　wide　lane　through　the　crowd　for　Marjory；　his　Marjory。　He　was　as　haughty　as　a　new　German　lieutenant；　and　although　he　held　the　fuming　horse　with　only　his　left　hand；　he　seemed　perfectly　capable　of　hurling　the　animal　over　a　house　without　calling　into　service　the　arm　which　was　devoted　to　Marjory。

It　was　not　an　exhibition　of　coolness　such　as　wins　applause　on　the　stage　when　the　hero　placidly　lights　a　cigarette　before　the　mob　which　is　clamouring　for　his　death。　It　was；　on　the　contrary；　an　exhibition　of　downright　classic　disdain；　a　disdain　which　with　the　highest　arrogance　declared　itself　in　every　glance　of　his　eye　into　the　faces　about　him。　〃　Very　good　*　*　attack　me　if　you　like　*　*　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　it　*　*　you　mongrels。〃　Every　step　of　his　progress　was　made　a　renewed　insult　to　them。　The　very　air　was　charged　with　what　this　lone　man　was　thinking　of　this　threatening　crowd。

His　audacity　was　invincible。　They　actually　made　way　for　it　as　quickly　as　children　would　flee　from　a　ghost。　The　horse；　dancing；　with　ringing　steps；　with　his　glistening　neck　arched　toward　the　iron　hand　at　his　bit；　this　powerful；　quivering　animal　was　a　regular　　engine　of　destruction；　and　they　gave　room　until　Coleman　halted　him　…at　an　exclamation　from　Marjory。

〃　My　mother　and　father。〃　But　they　were　coming　close　behind　and　Coleman　resumed　this　contemptuous　journey　to　the　door　of　the　inn。　The　groom；　with　his　new…born　tongue；　was　clattering　there　to　the　populace。　Coleman　gave　him　the　horse　and　passed　after　the　Wainwrights　into　the　public　room　of　the　inn。　He　was　smiling。　What　simpletons！

A　new　actor　suddenly　appeared　in　the　person　of　the　keeper　of　the　inn。　He　too　had　a　rifle　and　a　prodigious　belt　of　cartridges；　but　it　was　plain　at　once　that　he　had　elected　to　be　a　friend　of　the　worried　travellers。　A　large　part　of　the　crowd　were　thinking　it　necessary　to　enter　the　inn　and　pow…wow　more。　But　the　innkeeper　stayed　at　the　door　with　the　dragoman；　and　together　they　vociferously　held　back　the　tide。　The　spirit　of　the　mob　had　subsided　to　a　more　reasonable　feeling。　They　no　longer　wished　to　tear　the　strangers　limb　from　limb　on　the　suspicion　that　they　were　Germans。　They　now　were　frantic　to　talk　as　if　some　inexorable　law　had　kept　them　silent　for　ten　years　and　this　was　the　very　moment　of　their　release。　Whereas；　their　simul…　taneous　and　interpolating　orations　had　throughout　made　noise　much　like　a　coal…breaker。　Coleman　led　the　Wainwrights　to　a　table　in　a　far　part　of　the　room。　They　took　chairs　as　if　he　had　com…　manded　them。　〃　What　an　outrage；〃　he　said　jubilantly。　〃　The　apes。〃　He　was　keeping　more　than　half　an　eye　upon　the　door；　because　he　knew　that　the　quick　coming　　of　the　students　was　important。

Then　suddenly　the　storm　broke　in　wrath。　Something　had　happened　in　the　street。　The　jabbering　crowd　at　the　door　had　turned　and　were　hurrying　upon　some　central　tumult。　The　dragoman　screamed　to　Coleman。　Coleman　jumped　and　grabbed　the　dragoman。　〃　Tell　this　man　to　take　them　somewhere　up　stairs；〃　he　cried；　indicating　the　Wainwrights　with　a　sweep　of　his　arm。　The　innkeeper　seemed　to　understand　sooner　than　the　dragoman；　and　he　nodded　eagerly。　The　professor　was　crying：　〃What　is　it；　Mr。　Coleman？　What　is　it　？　〃　An　instant　later；　the　correspondent　was　out　in　the　street；　buffeting　toward　a　scuffle。　Of　course　it　was　the　students。　It　appeared；　afterward；　that　those　seven　young　men；　with　their　feelings　much　ruffled；　had　been　making　the　best　of　their　way　toward　the　door　of　the　inn；　when　a　large　man　in　the　crowd；　during　　a　speech　which　was　surely　most　offensive；　had　laid　an　arresting　hand　on　the　shoulder　of　Peter　Tounley。　Whereupon　the　excellent　Peter　Tounley　had　hit　the　large　man　on　the　jaw　in　such　a　swift　and　skilful　manner　that　the　large　man　had　gone　spinning　through　a　group　of　his　countrymen　to　the　hard　earth；　where　he　lay　holding　his　face　together　and　howling。　Instantly；　of　course；　there　had　been　a　riot。　It　might　well　be　said　that　even　then　the　affair　could　have　ended　in　a　lot　of　talking；　but　in　the　first　place　the　students　did　not　talk　modern　Greek；　and　in　the　second　place　they　were　now　past　all　thought　of　talking。　They　regarded　this　affair　seriously　as　a　fight；　and　now　that　they　at　last　were　in　it；　they　were　in　it　for　every　pint　of　blood　in　their　bodies。　Such　a　pack　of　famished　wolves　had　never　before　been　let　loose　upon　men　armed　with　Gras　rifles。

They　all　had　been　expecting　the　row；　and　when　Peter　Tounley　had　found　it　expedient　to　knock　over　the　man；　they　had　counted　it　a　signal：　their　arms　　immediately　begun　to　swing　out　as　if　they　had　been　wound　up。　It　was　at　this　time　that　Coleman　swam　brutally　through　the　Greeks　and　joined　his　countrymen。　He　was　more　frightened　than　any　of　those　novices。　When　he　saw　Peter　Tounley　overthrow　a　dreadful　looking　brigand　whose　belt　was　full　of　knives；　and　who　…crashed　to　the　ground　amid　a　clang　of　cartridges；　he　was　appalled　by　the　utter　simplicity　with　which　the　lads　were　treating　the　crisis。　It　was　to　them　no　com…　mon　scrimmage　at　Washurst；　of　course；　but　it　flashed　through　Coleman's　mind　that　they　had　not　the　slightegt　sense　of　the　size　of　the　thing。　He　expected　every　instant　to　see　the　flash　of　knives　or　to　hear　the　deafening　intonation　of　a　rifle　fired　against　hst　ear。　It　seemed　to　him　miraculous　that　the　tragedy　was　so　long　delayed。　

In　the　meantirne　he　was　in　the　affray。　He　jilted　one　man　under　the　chin　with　his　elbow　in　a　way　that　reeled　him　off　from　Peter　Tounley's　back；　a　little　person　　in　thecked　clothes　he　smote　between　the　eyes；　he　recieved　a　gun…butt　emphatically　on　the　aide　of　the　neck；　he　felt　hands　tearing　at　him；　he　kicked　the　pins　out　from　under　three　men　in　rapid　succession。　He　was　always　yelling。　〃　Try　to　get　to　the　inn；　boys；　try　to　get　to　the　inn。　Look　out；　Peter。　Take　care　for　his　knife；　Peter〃　Suddenly　he　whipped　a　rifle　out　of　the　hands　of　a　man　and　swung　it；　whistling。　　He　had　gone　stark　mad　with　the　others。

The　boy　Billy；　drunk　from　some　blows　and　bleeding；　was　already。　staggering　toward　the　inn　over　the　clearage　　which　the　wild　Coleman　made　with　the　clubbed　rifle。　Tho　others　follewed　　as　well　as　they　might　while　beating　off　a　discouraged　enemy。　The　remarkable　innkeeper　had　barred　his　windows　with　strong　wood　shutters。　　He　held　the　door　by　the　crack　for　them；　and　they　stumbled　one　by　on　through　the　portal。　Coleman　　did　not　know　why　they　were　not　all　dead；　nor　did　he　understand　the　intrepid　and　generous　behaviour　of　the　innkeeper；　but　at　any　rate　he　felt　that　the　fighting　was　suspended；　and　he　wanted　to　see　Marjory。　The　innkeeper　was；　doing　a　great　pantomime　in　the　middle　of　the　darkened　room；　pointing　to　the　outer　door　and　then　aiming　his　rifle　at　it　to　explain　his　　intention　of　defending　them　at　all　costs。　Some　of　the　students　moved　to　a　billiard　table　and　spread　them…　selves