Text A An Episode of War（第1页）

TextAAnEpisodeofWar

Stephene

[1]Thelieutenalayontheground，anduponithehadpouredthepany’ssupplyofcoffee。Corporalsandotherrepresehegrimyandhot-throatedmehebreastworkhadeforeachsquad’sportion。

[2]Thelieutenantwasfrownithistaskofdivision。Hislipspursedashedrewwithhisswordvariouscrevitheheapuntilbrownsquaresofcoffee，astoundinglyequalinsize，appearedo。Hewasreattriumphiidthecorpingforward，eachtoreapalittlesquare，whehelieuteandlookedquicklyatamannearhimasifhesuspecteditersonalassault。Theotherscriedoutalsowhentheysawbloodupo’ssleeve。

[3]Hehadwiung，swayeddangerously，araightehesoundofhishlainlyaudible。Helookedsadly，mystically，overthebreastworkatthegreenfaceofaweremanylittlepuffsofwhitesmthismomehimgazedstatue-likeaonishedahiscatastropheeropheswereed—whentheyhadleisuretoobserveit。

[4]Asthelieutehewood，theytooswungtheirheads，sothatforaallhands，stillsilehedistaasiftheirmindswerefixedupoeryofabullet’sjourney。

[5]Theofficerhad，ofcourse，beeakehisswordihaholditbythehilt。Hegrippeditatthemiddleoftheblade，awkwardly。Turnihehostilewood，helookedattheswordashehelditthere，andseemedpuzzledastowhattodowithit，wheretoputit。Inshort，thisonhadofasudderaohim。Helookedatitinakindofstupefa，asifhehadbeehatridere，oraspade。

[6]Fiosheathit。Tosheathaswordheldbythelefthand，atthemiddleoftheblade，inascabbardhuhip，isafeatworthyofasawdustring。Thiswoundededirugglewiththeswordandthewobblingscabbard，andduriimeofithebreathedlikeawrestler。

[7]Butatthisihespectators，awokefromtheirstone-likeposesandpathetically。Theeanttooktheswordandtenderlyplathescabbard。Atthetime，heleanednervouslybaddidnotallowevenhisfiobrushthebodyofthelieutenant。Awouraytohimwhobearsit。Wellmenshyfromthiserriblemajesty。Itisasifthewoundedman’shandisupoainwhigsbeforetherevelationsofallexistehemeaningofaes，wars，cities，sunshine，sherdroppedfr;andthepowerofitshedsradianabloodyform，ahermeahattheyarelittle。Hisradeslookathimwithlargeeyesthoughtfully。Moreover，theyfearvaguelythattheweightofafingeruponhimmightsendhimheadloethetragedy，hurlhimatohedim，greyunknown。Andseahingthesword，leanednervouslyback

[8]Therewereotherswhoprofferedassistaimidlypresentedhisshoulderahelieuteoleanuponit，butthelatterwavedhimawaymourhelookofonewhokhevictimofaterriblediseaseaandshishelplessaredoverthebreastworkattheforest，aurslowlyrearward。Heheldhisrightwristtenderlyihandasifthewoundedarmwasmadelass。

[9]Andthemearedatthewood，theiheheenant。

[10]Asthewoundedofficerpassedfromthelile，hewaseoseemanythingsawereunknowntohim。Hesawageneralonablackhoverthelinesofblueinfantryatthegreenwoodswhichveiledhisproblems。Anaidegallopedfuriedhishorsesuddenlytoahalt，saluted，aedapaper。Itwas，forawonder，preciselylikeanhistoriting。

[11]Teneralandhisstaffagroup，posedofabugler，twoorthreeorderlies，ahedard，alluponmaniacalhlikeslavestohrouheirrespeterval，whiletheshellsboomedintheairaboutthem，aheirchargerstomakefurileaps。

[12]Abattery，atumultuousandshiningmass，wasswirlingtht。Thewildthudofhoofs，thecriesoftheridersshoutingblameandpraise，menaent，and，lasttheroarofthewheels，theslaeningguns，broughtthelieutenanttoapause。Thebatterysweptiirredtheheart;itmadehaltsasdramaticasthecrashofawaveontherodwhenitfledonward，thisaggregationofwheels，levers，motors，hadabeautifulunity，asifitwereamissile。Thesoundofitwasawar-chorusthatreatothedepthsofmaion。

[13]Thelieutenant，stillholdinghisarmasifitwereofglass，stoodwatgthisbatteryuntilalldetailofitwaslost，savethefiguresoftheriders，whidfellandwavedlashesovertheblackmass。

[14]Later，heturowardthebattlewheretheshootiimescrackledlikebush-fires，sometimessputterederatiy，aimesreverberatedlikethethuhesmupwardandsawenwhoranaoodatheiance。

[15]Heestragglers，aoldhimhowtofial。Theydescribeditsexactlofact，thesemen，npartile，khaheytoldtheperformanceofeverycorps，everydivision，theopinieenant，ghiswoundedarmrearward，lookedupohwonder。

[16]Attheroadsideabrigadewasmakingdbuzzingwithtalklikeagirls’b-school。Severalofficersandinquiredgthingsofwhiewnothing。One，seeinghisarm，begantoscold。“Why，man，that’snowaytodo。Youwanttofixthatthing。”Heappropriatedthelieutenaenant’swouhesleeveandlaidbarethearm，everynerveofwhichsoftlyfluttereduouch。Heboundhishahewound，sgawayiime。Histoothihehabitofbeingwouhelieutenanthunghishead，feeling，ihathedidnotknowhowtobecorreded。

[17]Thelowwhitetealweregroupedaroundanoldschool-house。Therewashereasingularotion。Iwoambulaerlockedwheelsihedriversweretossingtheblameofitbadfestigaiheambulahcrammedwithwouhereoalgroan。Aninterminablecrowdofbandagedmenwereingandgoiureesnursingheadss。Thereuteofsoheschool-house。Sittingwithhisbastatreeamanwithafaceasgreyasanewarmyblawasserenelysmokinga-cobpipe。Thelieuteorushforwardandinformhimthathewasdying。

[18]Abusysurgeonassihelieutenant。“G，”hesaid，withafriehesightofthelieutenant’sarmandhisfaged。“Well，let’shavealookatit。”Heseemedpossessedsuddenlyofagreatptforthelieutenant。Thiswoulyplacedthelatteronaverylolaorpatiently，“Whatmuttoieditupthatwayanyhow?”Thelieutenantanswered，“Oh，aman。”

[19]asdisclosedthedereditdisdainfully。“Humph，”hesaid。“Youeaoyou。”Hisvoiedthesamesasifheweresaying，“Youwillhavetogotojail。”

[20]Thelieutenanthadbeenowhisfaceflushed，andhelookedior’seyes。“IguessIutated，”hesaid。

[21]“Nonsense，man!Nonsense!Nonsehedoealong，now。Iutateit。ealong。Don’tbeababy。”

[22]“Letgoofme，”saidthelieutenant，holdingbackwrathfully，hisglahedooroftheoldschool-house，assiohimastheportalsofdeath。

[23]Andthisisthestoryofhowthelieutenantlosthisarm。Whenhereae，hissisters，hismother，hiswifestimeatthesightoftheflatsleeve。“Oh，well，”hesaid，standingshamefacedamidthesetears，“Idon’tsupposeitmatterssomuchasallthat。”

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