冒险（第1页）
冒险
鹰溪桥上Ae
安布罗斯·比尔斯AmbroseBierce
安布罗斯·比尔斯（AmbroseBierce，1842-1914）美国恐怖、灵异小说家，出生于美国俄亥俄州梅格斯县一个贫苦农民家庭。他参加过美国南北战争，这段不平凡的经历为他以后的文学创作打下了坚实的基础。战争结束后，他开始了一个编辑兼作家的忙碌生涯。他早期的作品主要是随笔和讽刺短诗，也包括一些小说。他的人生观比较悲观，被人们称为“辛辣比尔斯”。主要的代表作品有《魔鬼辞典》《士兵和百姓的故事》。
Ⅰ
AmanstoodupeinnorthernAlabama，lookingdowwatertwebelow。Theman’shandswerebehindhisback，thewristsboundwithacord。Aropecireck。Itwasattachedtoastoutberabovehisheadandtheslackfeeltothelevelofhisknees。SomelooseboardslaidupoingtherailsoftherailliedafootingforhimaiowoprivatesoldiersoftheFederalarmy，directedbyasergeantwhoincivillifemayhavebeeysheriff。Atashortremoveupoemporaryplatformwasaheuniformofhisrank，armed。Hetaieadestoodwithhisrifleiionknoort，”thatistosay，vertifroshoulder，thehammerrestingohrhtacrossthealandunnaturalpositiacarriageofthebody。Itdidobethedutyofthesetwomentoknoasatthetere;theymerelyblockadedthetwoeplankingthattraversedit。
Beyohesentinelsnobodywasinsight;therailrhtawayiforahundredyards，then，g，waslosttoview。Doubtlessthereostfartheraloherbareamengrouleslopetoppedwithastockadeofverticaltreetrunks，loopholedforrifles，withasingleembrasurethroughwhichprotrudedthemuzzleofabrassandingthebridge。Midtheslopebetweenthebridgeahespectatlepanyofinfantryi“paraderest，”thebuttsoftheirriflesontheground，thebarrelsingslightlybackwardagaishoulder，thehahestock。Alieutenantstoodattherightoftheliofhissworduponthegrouhaingupht。Exgthegroupoffouratthetere，notamahepahebridge，staringstonily，motioinels，fagthebaream，mighthavebeeoade。Thestoodwithfoldedarms，sileheworkofhissubordimakingnosighisadignitarywhowhenheesaobereceivedwithformalmaio，evefamiliarwithhim。Iaryetiquettesilendfixityareformsofdeference。
Themanwhowasengagedinbeinghangedarentlyaboutthirty-fiveyearsofage。Hewasa，ifojudgefromhishabit，whichlanter。Hisfeatureswereghtnose，firmmouth，broadforehead，fromwhig，darkhairwasbedstraightbagbehihecollarofhiswellfittingfrockcoat。Heworeamoustadpoinowhiskers;hiseyeswerelargeanddarkgray，andhadakindlyexpressionwhiewouldhardlyhaveexpeewhosenethehemp。Evidentlythiswasnovulgarassassin。Theliberalmilitaryakesprovisimanykindsofpersolemeexcluded。
&ionsbeiwoprivatesoldierssteppedasideandeachdrelankuponwhichhehadbeenstaturain，salutedandplacedhimselfimmediatelybehindthatofficer，whointurohesemovemeheastandiwoendsofthesameplank，whiedthreeofthecross-tiese。Theenduponwhichthestoodalmost，butnotquite，reachedafourth。Thisplankhadbeenheldiheweightofthe;itwashateant。Atasignalfromtheformerthelatterwouldstepaside，theplankwouldtiltandtheangodooties。Thearraeohisjudgementassimpleaive。Hisfaotbeenorhiseyesbandaged。Helookedamomentathis“ufootihisgazewaheswirlihestreamragmadlybehhisfeet。Apiegdriftwoodcaughthisattentionandhiseyesfolloweditdow。Howsloearedtomove!Whatasluggishstream!
Heclosedhiseyesiofixhislastthoughtsuponhiswifeahewater，touchedtogoldbytheearlysun，thebroodingmistsusomedistahestream，thefort，thesoldiers，thepieceofdrift-allhaddistractedhim。Andnowhebesciousofaurbarikingthroughthethoughtofhisdearoneswassoundwhichheeitherignoreand，asharp，distiallicperlikethestrokeofablacksmith’shammerupohadthesameringingquality。Heas，aherimmeasurablydistaseemedboth。Itsrecewasregular，butasslowasthetollihkedeaewstrokewithimpatiereheervalsofsilencegrewprogressivelylohedelaysbecamemaddening。Withtheirgreaterihesoundsirengthaheyhurthisearlikethetrustofaknife;hefearedhewouldshriek。Whatheheardwasthetigofhis>
Heunclosedhiseyesandsawagaierbelowhim。“IfIcouldfreemyha，“Imightthrowoffthenooseandspringiream。BydivingIcouldevadethebulletsand，swimmingvigorously，reak，taketothewoodsaawayhome。Myhome，thankGod，isasyetoutsidetheirlines;mywifeandlittleoillbeyondtheihestadvance。”
Asthesethoughts，whichhaveheretobesetdoereflashedintothedoomedman’sbraihatheoddedteaeppedaside。
II
&onFahrquharwasawelltodoplanter，ofanoldandhighlyrespectedAlabamafamily。Beingaslaveowneraherslaveooliti，hewasnaturallyanialydevotedtotheSoutherncause。periousnature，whichitisuorelatehere，hadpreventedhimfromtakihatgallantarmywhichhadfoughtthedisastroussendingwiththefallofth，andhedertheingloriousrestraint，longingforthereleaseofhisehelargerlifeofthesoldier，theopportunityfordistin。Thatopportu，woulde，asitestoallinwartime。MeaheoservibleforhimtoperformiheSouth，operilousforhimtouakeiftwiththecharacterofawhowasatheartasoldier，andwhoingoodfaithandwithouttoomuchqualifiasseleastapartofthefranklyvillainousdictumthatallisfairinloveand>
OneeveningwhileFahrquharandhiswifeweresittingonarustieartheeohisgrounds，agray-cladsoldierrodeuptothegateandaskedforadrinkofwater。Mrs。Fahrquharwasonlytoohappytoservehimwithherownwhitehands。Whileshewasfetgthewaterherhusbandapproachedthedustyhorsemanandinquiredeagerlyforhefront。
“TheYaherailroads，”saidthemaingreadyforanotheradvaheyhavereachedthee，putitinorderandbuiltastothenorthbank。Theandanthasissuedanorder，whichispostedeverywhere，degthatanyterferingwiththerailroad，itsbridges，turainswillbesummarilyhanged。Isawtheorder。”
“Howfarisittothee?”Fahrquharasked。
“Aboutthirtymiles。”
“Istherehissideofthecreek?”
“Onlyapicketposthalfamileout，ontherailroad，andasithisende。”
“Supposeaman-aaofhanging-shouldeludethepicketpostathebetterofthesentinel，”saidFahrquhar，smiling，“whatcouldheaplish?”
Thesoldierreflected。“Iwasthereamonthago，”hereplied。“Iobservedthatthefloodoflastwinterhadlodgedagreatquantityofdriftwoodagainstthewoodehisende。Itisnowdryandwouldburinder。”
Theladyhadnhtthewater，whichthesoldierdrahankedheriously，bowedtoherhusbandandrodeaway。Anhourlater，afternightfall，herepassedtheplantation，goingnorthwardiionfromwhichhehade。HewasaFederalscout。
III
&onFahrquharfellstraightdhthebridgehelostessandwasasonealreadydead。Fromthisstatehewasawakeer，itseemedtohim-bythepainofasharppressureuponhisthroat，followedbyasenseofsuffo。Keen，poignantagooshootfromhisnewardthrougheveryfiberofhisbodyandlimbs。Thesepaioflashalongwelldefinedlinesoframifidtobeatwithaninceivablyrapidperiodicity。Theyseemedlikestreamsofpulsatiinghimtoaemperature。Astohishead，hewassothingbutafeelingoffullness-of。Thesesensationsahought。Theiualpartofhisnaturewasalreadyeffaced;hehadpoweronlytofeel，andfeelingwastorment。Hewasotion。Enpassedinaluminouscloud，ofmerelythefieryheart，withoutmaterialsubstahroughunthinkablearcsofos，likeavastpendulum。Thenallatoerriblesuddeabouthimshotupwardwiththenoiseofaloudsplash;afrightfulrwasinhisears，andallwasddark。Thephtwasrestored;hekheropehadbrokenandhehadfalleream。Therewasnoadditiulation;thehisneckwasalreadysuffoghimahewaterfromhislungs。Todieofhangiomofariver!-theideaseemedtohimludicrous。Heopehedarknessandsawabovehimagleamoflight，buthowdistant，howinaccessible!Hewasstillsinking，fhtbeterailitwasamereglimmer。Theogrhtehathewasrisingtowardthesurfaewitwithreluce，forhewasnowveryfortable。“Tobehangedahought，“thatisnotsobad;butIdonotwishtobeshot。No;Iwillhatisnotfair。”
&sciousofa，butasharppaininhisrisedhimthathewastryingtofreehishahestrugglehisattention，asaobservethefeatofajuggler，withoutiheoute。le!-whatmagsuperhumah!Ah，thatwasafineendeavor!Bravo!Thecordfellaartedandfloatedupward，thehandsdimlyseenoneathegrowinglight。Hewatchedthemwithaasfirstoherpouhehisawayandthrustitfiercelyaside，itsundulatithoseofautitback，putitback!”Hethoughtheshoutedthesewordstohishands，fortheundoingofthenoosehadbeehedirestpaexperieneckachedhorribly;hisbrainwasonfire，hisheart，whichhadbeenflutteringfaileap，tryingtoforceitselfoutathismouth。Hiswholebodywasradwrehaninsuppuish!Buthisdisobedienthandsgaveheahewatervigorouslywithquiwardstrhimtothesurface。Hefelthisheademerge;hiseyeswereblihesunlight;hischestexpandedvulsively，andremeandgagonyhislungsedraughtofair，whitlyheexpelledinashriek!
Hewasnowinfullpossessionofhisphysises。Theywere，iurallykeehingintheawfuldisturbanceanicsystemhadsoexaltedahattheymaderecordofthingsneverbeforeperceived。Hefelttheripplesuponhisfadheardtheirseparatesouruck。Helookedattheforestonthebaream，sawtheindividualtrees，theleavesandtheveiningofeachleaf-hesawtheveryisupos，thebrilliantbodiedflies，thegrayspidersstretgtheirwebsfromtwigtotwig。Heicallthedewdropsuponamillionbladesofgrass。Thehummihatdaheeddiesofthestream，thebeatingonflies“wirokesoftheiders”legs，likeoarswhichhadliftedtheirboat-allthesemadeaudiblemusic。Afishslidalohhiseyesaherushofitsbthe>
Hehadetothesurfagdowream;ihevisibleworldseemedtowheelslowlyrouhepivotalpoihebridge，thefort，thesoldiersupe，the，thesergeawoprivates，hisexeers。Theywereieagainstthebluesky。Theyshoutedaed，pointingathim。Thehaddrawnhispistol，butdidherswereuheirmovemeesqueandhorrible，theirfantic。
Suddenlyheheardasharpreportaruckthewatersmartlywithinafewinchesofhishead，spatteringhisfacewithspray。Heheardasedreport，ahesehhisrifleathisshhtfromthemuzzle。Themaersawtheeyeofthemanazingintohishthesightsoftherifle。Heobservedthatitwasagrayeyeandrememberedhavigrayeyeswerekeehatallfamousmarksmeheless，thisonehadmissed。
Ater-swirlhadcaughtFahrquharandturnedhimhalfround;hewasagainlookionthebankoppositethefort。Thesoundhvoiamonotonoussingsoutbehindhimahewaterwithadistipierdsubduedallothersouhebeatingoftheripplesihoughnosoldier，hehadfrequentedoughtokndeliberate，drairatedt;thelieutenantoakingapartinthem’swork。Hoitilessly-withwhataneven，ati，andenftranquilityihwhataccuratelymeasuredihosecruelwords:
“paion!……Shoulderarms!……Ready!……Aim!……Fire!”
Fahrquhardived-divedasdeeplyashecould。Thewaterroaredinhisearslikethevoiiagara，yetheheardthedullthuhevolleyand，risingagaintowardthesurface，metshiningbitsofmetal，singularlyflattened，osgsloard。Someofthemtouchedhimonthefads，thenfellaway，gtheirdeselodgedbetweenhisdwasunfortablywarmacheditout。
&aspih，hesawthathehadbeenalongtimeuer;hetiblyfartherdowosafety。Thesoldiershadalmostfihemetalramrodsflashedallatohesuheyweredrawnfromthebarrels，turheair，andthrustis。Thetwosentinelsfiredagailyaually。
&edmansawallthisoverhisshoulder;heimmingvigorouslywiththet。Hisbraiicashisarmsawiththerapidityoflightning: