<TD></TD></TABLE>
nddrilling,anddiscipliningifhehadhis
akeuslikearegintofline;asifthereuldbe
anygoodincarryingoutallthatsortofthing,hfranc
tireurshehadabouthalfofustogether,forthreeorfourdays;
andigiveyouwasasbadasslaverydrill,drill,
drill,frooingtillnightiilyglad,icantell
you,ent”
ralphsaerable
classhatdrillanddisciplineies,and
thatitantoshoulderagunfor
hiobeasoldier;soheeasilyavoidedargunt,bytuingthe
subjectforaupleofhourstheychatted;andthen,asthefire
enhadalreadylaiddoosleep,ralph
suggestedthattheyshoulddothesa
”ihesentriesfirst,hyou,ifyoulike,”he
said
”sentries”theothersaid,ysentry,”and
hepointedtoanstanding,tenpacesoff,leaningagainsta
tree”thenhavereinanhour
beforeyoudidandiaotgoingtoetheirstrengthby
puttinghalfoftheuttochtheforest
”no,no,iaoadvoyn”
”goodnight,then,”ralphsaid,briefly,andheselfin
hiscloak,andlaydown
”edtothissortofthing,percy,”hewhispered
tohisbrother,inenglish,”andidontlikeitnowonderour
franpleoftheir
discipline”
”idontlikeiteither,ralphtheprussiansareadvancing;andif
thatfelloastenlesoff,theyareaslikely
asnottobeonlytoinges”
”norieither,percyhoehaveno
authorityoverthisfelloustkethebestofit,and
hopethatforoncefollyhaveitsjustreward”
sosaying,theboysreinedsilentforthenightbutalthough
silent,neitheroftheleptchralphespecially,was
stillverysore,andattispainful,hardlyclosedhiseyeshe
toldhielfitheuldnothelplistening,h
painfulattention
hadthenightbeenaquietone,heneednothavestrainedhisears;
forashekhenyhourshehadpassedatnightupon
guard,thehushissointenseinthesegreatforeststhatonecan
hearthefallofauntainstrealesahesnappingof
atostthefallingofaleaf,chtheearthe
night,hoherustleofthepineforestwould
havedeadenedallsound,exceptanythingsharp,andnear
thesentrydidnotappearsilarlyiressedhthenecessity
foranyextraordinaryattentionheipallyoccupiedin
strugglingagainstld,anddron,he
staedhisfoot,huedsnatchesofsongs,yahgreat
vigor,andsonagedtokeepawohours;whenheroused
thenextforduty,andlaydohagruntofrelief
atlast,afterkeepingawakeforhours,ralphdozedoffhowlong
heslept,hekne;butheofullwakefulnessbya
toudoylewhisper:
”hist,sterralph,ivedoubtsthatthereissothingwrong
iuldntsleep,inthiscahoutchoroutposts;andfor
thelastquarterofanhour,ifancyivebeenhearingnoisesi
dontknoing,butitseetotheyare
allroundusiybeassureasthepiper”
”hush,tiralphsaidtotheirishn,rawled
noiselesslyalong,andhadlaindownbyhisside
”percy,areyouawake”
”yes,isen”
theydidlisten;anddistinctly,abovethesighingofthewind,
theyuldheararustling,crackingnoisedaybreaking,
butthelightsufficientlystrongtoshoshany
distinctness,angthetrees
”byjove,goingto
alarhecahesentry,startledintowakefulness,
challengedandfired
thefranctireurs
e,down
”liestill,”hesaid,”foryourlives”
hisendousvolleyrang
outallroundtheandhalfthefranctireursfell
”noakearushforahouse
”tothehouses,allofyou,”heshouted,loudly”itisouronly
chancedown,here,likesheep”
theofficerofthefranctireurshadalreadyatonedforhis
carelessness,byhislife;andthenobeyedralphscalland,
adstaheavyfire,rushedacrossthefiftyyardsofopenspaceto
thehousesthedoorin,htherush
ralphhadnotstoppedatthefirsthousebut,followedbyhis
brotherandtioyle,hadrunfartheron;andenteredthelast
houseinthevillage
”goinhtheothers,ralphhanceof
defendingourselves,herewehaveonlyourrevolvers”
”hanceofdefendingourselvesanyy,”ralph
said”therestbeaupleofhundredoftheatleast;andnot
abovefifteenortost,ofthefranctireursgainedthe
housesresistanceisutterlyuseless;andyet,hadibeenh
thosepoorfellotosurrender,when
theyinutesafterwardsweshouldbe
silythrohoutdoingtheleastgood”
thereontafter,halfa
dozenshotshroughtheherewasarushof
soldierstohedoor,open
”an,ingforeet
the”hofficers”
”dontfire,”avoieforward
”youarenotfranctireurs”heasked,forthelightill
insuffitodistinguishunifor
”y,upongeneralcarielsstaffthis
nisanorderly
”hereareoursar”
thegeofficerbowed
”keepyourseniaotin
nd”
atthisnt,anotherofficercaup
”whohaveakeprisoners”
”theyaretajor”
”he”saidthejor,doubtfully
”ento
ceasetheirresistance”
thefrane
ttage,selvesdesperately;andwere
keepingupaheavyfire,frohewindows
”itosurrender,atonce,”ralphsaid,quietly;”if
yougiveyourhattheyshall
... </P></TD>
nddrilling,anddiscipliningifhehadhis
akeuslikearegintofline;asifthereuldbe
anygoodincarryingoutallthatsortofthing,hfranc
tireurshehadabouthalfofustogether,forthreeorfourdays;
andigiveyouwasasbadasslaverydrill,drill,
drill,frooingtillnightiilyglad,icantell
you,ent”
ralphsaerable
classhatdrillanddisciplineies,and
thatitantoshoulderagunfor
hiobeasoldier;soheeasilyavoidedargunt,bytuingthe
subjectforaupleofhourstheychatted;andthen,asthefire
enhadalreadylaiddoosleep,ralph
suggestedthattheyshoulddothesa
”ihesentriesfirst,hyou,ifyoulike,”he
said
”sentries”theothersaid,ysentry,”and
hepointedtoanstanding,tenpacesoff,leaningagainsta
tree”thenhavereinanhour
beforeyoudidandiaotgoingtoetheirstrengthby
puttinghalfoftheuttochtheforest
”no,no,iaoadvoyn”
”goodnight,then,”ralphsaid,briefly,andheselfin
hiscloak,andlaydown
”edtothissortofthing,percy,”hewhispered
tohisbrother,inenglish,”andidontlikeitnowonderour
franpleoftheir
discipline”
”idontlikeiteither,ralphtheprussiansareadvancing;andif
thatfelloastenlesoff,theyareaslikely
asnottobeonlytoinges”
”norieither,percyhoehaveno
authorityoverthisfelloustkethebestofit,and
hopethatforoncefollyhaveitsjustreward”
sosaying,theboysreinedsilentforthenightbutalthough
silent,neitheroftheleptchralphespecially,was
stillverysore,andattispainful,hardlyclosedhiseyeshe
toldhielfitheuldnothelplistening,h
painfulattention
hadthenightbeenaquietone,heneednothavestrainedhisears;
forashekhenyhourshehadpassedatnightupon
guard,thehushissointenseinthesegreatforeststhatonecan
hearthefallofauntainstrealesahesnappingof
atostthefallingofaleaf,chtheearthe
night,hoherustleofthepineforestwould
havedeadenedallsound,exceptanythingsharp,andnear
thesentrydidnotappearsilarlyiressedhthenecessity
foranyextraordinaryattentionheipallyoccupiedin
strugglingagainstld,anddron,he
staedhisfoot,huedsnatchesofsongs,yahgreat
vigor,andsonagedtokeepawohours;whenheroused
thenextforduty,andlaydohagruntofrelief
atlast,afterkeepingawakeforhours,ralphdozedoffhowlong
heslept,hekne;butheofullwakefulnessbya
toudoylewhisper:
”hist,sterralph,ivedoubtsthatthereissothingwrong
iuldntsleep,inthiscahoutchoroutposts;andfor
thelastquarterofanhour,ifancyivebeenhearingnoisesi
dontknoing,butitseetotheyare
allroundusiybeassureasthepiper”
”hush,tiralphsaidtotheirishn,rawled
noiselesslyalong,andhadlaindownbyhisside
”percy,areyouawake”
”yes,isen”
theydidlisten;anddistinctly,abovethesighingofthewind,
theyuldheararustling,crackingnoisedaybreaking,
butthelightsufficientlystrongtoshoshany
distinctness,angthetrees
”byjove,goingto
alarhecahesentry,startledintowakefulness,
challengedandfired
thefranctireurs
e,down
”liestill,”hesaid,”foryourlives”
hisendousvolleyrang
outallroundtheandhalfthefranctireursfell
”noakearushforahouse
”tothehouses,allofyou,”heshouted,loudly”itisouronly
chancedown,here,likesheep”
theofficerofthefranctireurshadalreadyatonedforhis
carelessness,byhislife;andthenobeyedralphscalland,
adstaheavyfire,rushedacrossthefiftyyardsofopenspaceto
thehousesthedoorin,htherush
ralphhadnotstoppedatthefirsthousebut,followedbyhis
brotherandtioyle,hadrunfartheron;andenteredthelast
houseinthevillage
”goinhtheothers,ralphhanceof
defendingourselves,herewehaveonlyourrevolvers”
”hanceofdefendingourselvesanyy,”ralph
said”therestbeaupleofhundredoftheatleast;andnot
abovefifteenortost,ofthefranctireursgainedthe
housesresistanceisutterlyuseless;andyet,hadibeenh
thosepoorfellotosurrender,when
theyinutesafterwardsweshouldbe
silythrohoutdoingtheleastgood”
thereontafter,halfa
dozenshotshroughtheherewasarushof
soldierstohedoor,open
”an,ingforeet
the”hofficers”
”dontfire,”avoieforward
”youarenotfranctireurs”heasked,forthelightill
insuffitodistinguishunifor
”y,upongeneralcarielsstaffthis
nisanorderly
”hereareoursar”
thegeofficerbowed
”keepyourseniaotin
nd”
atthisnt,anotherofficercaup
”whohaveakeprisoners”
”theyaretajor”
”he”saidthejor,doubtfully
”ento
ceasetheirresistance”
thefrane
ttage,selvesdesperately;andwere
keepingupaheavyfire,frohewindows
”itosurrender,atonce,”ralphsaid,quietly;”if
yougiveyourhattheyshall
... </P></TD>