the red badge of courage(红色英勇勋章)-第15部分
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matter with you？〃
The tall soldier turned and； lurching danger… ously； went on。 The
youth and the tattered soldier followed； sneaking as if whipped； feeling
unable to face the stricken man if he should again confront them。 They
began to have thoughts of a solemn ceremony。 There was something rite…
like in these movements of the doomed soldier。 And there was a
resemblance in him to a devotee of a mad religion； blood…sucking； muscle…
wrench… ing； bone…crushing。 They were awed and afraid。 They hung
back lest he have at command a dreadful weapon。
At last； they saw him stop and stand motion… less。 Hastening up； they
perceived that his face wore an expression telling that he had at last found
the place for which he had struggled。 His spare figure was erect； his
bloody hands were quietly at his side。 He was waiting with patience for
something that he had come to meet。 He was at the rendezvous。 They
paused and stood； ex… pectant。
There was a silence。
Finally； the chest of the doomed soldier began to heave with a strained
motion。 It increased in violence until it was as if an animal was within
and was kicking and tumbling furiously to be free。
This spectacle of gradual strangulation made the youth writhe； and
once as his friend rolled his eyes； he saw something in them that made him
sink wailing to the ground。 He raised his voice in a last supreme call。
〃JimJimJim〃
The tall soldier opened his lips and spoke。 He made a gesture。
〃Leave me bedon't tech meleave me be〃
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There was another silence while he waited。
Suddenly； his form stiffened and straightened。 Then it was shaken by a
prolonged ague。 He stared into space。 To the two watchers there was a
curious and profound dignity in the firm lines of his awful face。
He was invaded by a creeping strangeness that slowly enveloped him。
For a moment the tremor of his legs caused him to dance a sort of hideous
hornpipe。 His arms beat wildly about his head in expression of implike
enthusiasm。
His tall figure stretched itself to its full height。 There was a slight
rending sound。 Then it began to swing forward； slow and straight； in the
man… ner of a falling tree。 A swift muscular contortion made the left
shoulder strike the ground first。
The body seemed to bounce a little way from the earth。 〃God！〃 said
the tattered soldier。
The youth had watched； spellbound； this ceremony at the place of
meeting。 His face had been twisted into an expression of every agony he
had imagined for his friend。
He now sprang to his feet and； going closer； gazed upon the pastelike
face。 The mouth was open and the teeth showed in a laugh。
As the flap of the blue jacket fell away from the body； he could see
that the side looked as if it had been chewed by wolves。
The youth turned； with sudden； livid rage； toward the battlefield。 He
shook his fist。 He seemed about to deliver a philippic。
〃Hell〃
The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer。
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CHAPTER X。
THE tattered man stood musing。
〃Well； he was reg'lar jim…dandy fer nerve； wa'n't he；〃 said he finally in
a little awestruck voice。 〃A reg'lar jim…dandy。〃 He thoughtfully poked
one of the docile hands with his foot。 〃I wonner where he got 'is stren'th
from？ I never seen a man do like that before。 It was a funny thing。
Well； he was a reg'lar jim…dandy。〃
The youth desired to screech out his grief。 He was stabbed； but his
tongue lay dead in the tomb of his mouth。 He threw himself again upon
the ground and began to brood。
The tattered man stood musing。
〃Look…a…here； pardner；〃 he said； after a time。 He regarded the corpse as
he spoke。 〃He 's up an' gone； ain't 'e； an' we might as well begin t' look
out fer ol' number one。 This here thing is all over。 He 's up an' gone；
ain't 'e？ An' he 's all right here。 Nobody won't bother 'im。 An' I must
say I ain't enjoying any great health m'self these days。〃
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The youth； awakened by the tattered soldier's tone； looked quickly up。
He saw that he was swinging uncertainly on his legs and that his face had
turned to a shade of blue。
〃Good Lord！〃 he cried； 〃you ain't goin' t' not you； too。〃
The tattered man waved his hand。 〃Nary die；〃 he said。 〃All I want
is some pea soup an' a good bed。 Some pea soup；〃 he repeated
dreamfully。
The youth arose from the ground。 〃I wonder where he came from。 I
left him over there。〃 He pointed。 〃And now I find 'im here。 And he was
coming from over there； too。〃 He in… dicated a new direction。 They
both turned toward the body as if to ask of it a question。
〃Well；〃 at length spoke the tattered man； 〃there ain't no use in our
stayin' here an' tryin' t' ask him anything。〃
The youth nodded an assent wearily。 They both turned to gaze for a
moment at the corpse。
The youth murmured something。
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〃Well； he was a jim…dandy； wa'n't 'e？〃 said the tattered man as if in
response。
They turned their backs upon it and started away。 For a time they
stole softly； treading with their toes。 It remained laughing there in the
grass。
〃I'm commencin' t' feel pretty bad；〃 said the tattered man； suddenly
breaking one of his little silences。 〃I'm commencin' t' feel pretty damn'
bad。〃
The youth groaned。 〃O Lord！〃 He won… dered if he was to be the
tortured witness of another grim encounter。
But his companion waved his hand reassur… ingly。 〃Oh； I'm not goin'
t' die yit！ There too much dependin' on me fer me t' die yit。 No； sir！
Nary die！ I CAN'T！ Ye'd oughta see th' swad a' chil'ren I've got； an' all
like that。〃
The youth glancing at his companion could see by the shadow of a
smile that he was making some kind of fun。
As they plodded on the tattered soldier con… tinued to talk。 〃Besides；
if I died； I wouldn't die th' way that feller did。 That was th' funniest thing。
I'd jest flop down； I would。 I never seen a feller die th' way that feller
did。
〃Yeh know Tom Jamison； he lives next door t' me up home。 He's a
nice feller； he is； an' we was allus good friends。 Smart； too。 Smart as a
steel trap。 Well； when we was a…fightin' this atternoon； all…of…a…sudden
he begin t' rip up an' cuss an' beller at me。 'Yer shot； yeh blamed
infernal！'he swear horriblehe ses t' me。 I put up m' hand t' m' head an'
when I looked at m' fingers； I seen； sure 'nough； I was shot。 I give a
holler an' begin t' run； but b'fore I could git away another one hit me in th'
arm an' whirl' me clean 'round。 I got skeared when they was all a…
shootin' b'hind me an' I run t' beat all； but I cotch it pretty bad。 I've an
idee I'd a' been fightin' yit； if t'was n't fer Tom Jami… son。〃
Then he made a calm announcement： 〃There's two of 'emlittle ones
but they 're beginnin' t' have fun with me now。 I don't b'lieve I kin walk
much furder。〃
They went slowly on in silence。 〃Yeh look pretty peek…ed yerself；〃
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said the tattered man at last。 〃I bet yeh 've got a worser one than yeh
think。 Ye'd better take keer of yer hurt。 It don't do t' let sech things go。
It might be inside mostly； an' them plays thunder。 Where is it located？〃
But he continued his harangue with… out waiting for a reply。 〃I see 'a
feller git hit plum in th' head when my reg'ment was a…standin' at ease onct。
An' everybody yelled out to 'im： Hurt； John？ Are yeh hurt much？ 'No；〃
ses he。 He looked kinder surprised； an' he went on tellin' 'em how he felt。
He sed he didn't feel nothin'。 But； by dad； th' first thing that feller knowed
he was dead。 Yes； he was deadstone dead。 So； yeh wanta watch out。
Yeh might have some queer kind 'a hurt yerself。 Yeh can't never tell。
Where is your'n located？〃
The youth had been wriggling since the intro… duction of this topic。
He now gave a cry of ex… asperation and made a furious motion with his
hand。 〃Oh； don't bother me！〃 he said。 He was enraged against the
tattered man； and could have strangled him。 His companio
