Women,foronething,donotusuallysmokedozensofrankcigarsdailyforyears,untiltheirfleshispermeatedwiththesmelloftobacco。Ahumancouldnothavedetectedsuchasmell——suchaMAN-smell,——onthepersonwhohadchirpedtoBruce。Anydog,twentyfeetaway,wouldhavenoticedit,andwouldhavetabulatedthewhite-cladmasqueraderasaman。Nordoawoman'shairandskincarrythefaintbutunmistakableodorofbarracksandoftent-lifeandofmartialequipment,asdidthisman's。Themasqueraderwasevidentlynotonlyamanbutasoldier。
Dogs,——high-strungdogs,——donotliketohavetricksplayedonthem;leastofallbystrangers。Bruceseemedtotakethenurse-disguiseasapersonalaffronttohimself。Then,too,themanwasnotofhisownarmy。Onthecontrary,thescentproclaimedhimoneofthehordewhomBruce'sfriendssomanifestlyhated——oneofthebreedthathadmorethanoncefiredonthedog。
DietandequipmentandothercausesgiveaGermansoldieramarkedlydifferentscent,todogs'miraculouslykeennostrils,——
andtothoseofcertainhumans,——fromtheFrenchorBritishorAmericantroops。Warrecordsprovethis。Oncehavinglearnedthescent,andhavinglearnedtodetestit,Brucewasnottobedeceived。
Forallthesereasonshehadsnarledloathinglyatthemaninwhite。Forthesesamereasonshecouldnotreadilyforgettheincident,butcontinuedeverynowandthentoglancecuriouslyacrosstowardthechurch。
Presently,——notrelishingtherebukesofthefriendswhohadheretoforepesteredhimbyovermuchpetting,——thecolliearosequietlyfromhiscouchoftrampledearthatthefootofthestonebenchandstrolledbackacrossthestreet。Mostofthemenweretoobusy,talking,tonoteBruce'sdeparture。ButSergeantMahancaughtsightofhimjustasthedogwasmountingthelastofthestepsleadingintothechurch。
Asarule,whenBrucewentinvestigating,hewalkedcarelesslyandwithhistailslightlya-wag。Nowhistailwasstiffasanicicle,andhemovedwarily,onthetipsofhistoes。Histawny-
manedneckwaslow。Mahan,understandingdogs,didnotlikethecollie'sdemeanor。Rememberingthatthenursehadenteredthechurchafewminutesearlier,theSergeantgottohisfeetandhastilyfollowedBruce。
Thedog,meanwhile,hadpassedthroughthecrazilysplintereddoorwayandhadpausedonthethresholdoftheimprovisedhospital,asthereekofiodoformandofcarbolicsmoteuponhissensitivenostrils。Infrontofhimwasthestone-pavedvestibule。Beyondwastheinterioroftheshatteredchurch,linednowwithdoublerowsofcots。
Seatedonacamp-chairintheshadowyvestibulewasthepseudoRedCrossnurse。Atsightofthecolliethenursegotupinsomehaste。Bruce,stillwalkingstiff-legged,drewcloser。
Outfromunderthewhiteskirtflashedacapableandsolidly-
shodfoot。Inaswingingkick,thefootletdriveattheoncomingdog。BeforeBrucecoulddodgeorcouldsomuchasguesswhatwascoming,——thekicksmotehimwithagonizingforce,squareontheshoulder。
Toaspiritedcollie,akickcarriesmorethanthemerepainofitsinflicting。Itisagrosslyunforgivableaffrontaswell——asmanyatrampandthiefhavelearned,athighcost。
Bythetimethekickhadfairlylanded,Brucehadrecoveredfromhisinstantofincreduloussurprise;andwithlightningswiftnesshehurledhimselfathisassailant。
Nobarkorgrowlheraldedthemurderousthroatlunge。Itwasallthemoreterribleforthenoiselessnesswherewithitwasdelivered。Themasqueradingmansawitcoming,justtoolatetoguardagainstit。Helurchedbackward,belatedlythrowingbothhandsuptodefendhisthroat。Itwastheinvoluntarybackwardstepwhichsavedhisjugular。Forhisheelcaughtinthehemofhiswhiteskirt。Andwhollyoffbalance,hepitchedheadlongtothefloor。
Thisjerkyshiftofposition,onthepartofthefoe,spoiledBruce'saim。Hisfearfuljawssnappedtogetherharmlesslyinemptyairataspotwhere,afractionofasecondearlier,theother'sthroathadbeen。Downcrashedthedisguisedman。Andatopofhimthefuriousdoghurledhimself,seekingasecondtimethethroatgriphehadsonarrowlymissed。
AtthispointontheprogramSergeantMahanarrivedjustintimetoburybothhandsinthemassofBruce'sfurryruffandtodragthesnarlinglyrabiddogbackfromhisprey。
Theplacewasinanuproar。Nursesanddoctorscamerushingoutintothevestibule;sickandwoundedmensatupontheircotsandeagerlycranedtheirneckstocatchsightofthescrimmage。
Soldiersraninfromthestreet。
Strongashewas,MahanhadbothhandsfullinholdingthefranticBrucebackfromhisenemy。Undertheinsultofthekickfromthismasquerader,whomhehadalreadyrecognizedasafoe,thecolliehadtemporarilylosteveryvestigeofhisstatelydignity。Hewasforthemomentmerelyawildbeast,seekingrevengeforabrutalinjury。HewrithedandfoughtinMahan'sgrasp。Neveroncedidheseektoattackthestrugglingmanwhoheldhim。Buthestrainedeverygiantsinewtogetatthefoewhohadkickedhim。
Thedog'sopponentscrambledtohisfeet,helpedbyadozenwillinghandsandaccostedbyasmanysolicitousvoices。Thevictim'sfacewasbone-graywithterror。Hislipstwitchedconvulsively。Yet,asbefittedapersoninhisposition,hehadasplendidsetofnerves。Andalmostatonceherecoveredpartialcontroloverhimself。
"I——Idon'tknowhowithappened,"hefaltered,hisrichcontraltovoiceshakywiththeground-swellsofhisrecentshock。
"ItbeganwhenIwassittingonthesteps,sewing。Thisdogcamepast。HegrowledatmesothreateninglythatIcameindoors。A
minutelater,whileIwassittingheresewing,hesprangatmeandthrewmedown。Ibelievehewould——wouldhavekilledme,"thenarratorfinished,withaverygenuineshudder,"ifIhadnotbeenrescuedwhenIwas。Suchbloodthirstybrutesoughttobeshot!"
"HenotonlyOUGHTtobe,"hotlyagreedthechiefsurgeon,"butheisGOINGtobe。Takehimoutintothestreet,oneofyoumen,andputaballinhishead。"
Thesurgeonturnedtothepantingnurse。
"You'recertainhedidn'thurtyou?"heasked。"Idon'twantanewcomer,likeyourself,tothinkthisistheusualtreatmentournursesget。Liedownandrest。Youlookscaredtodeath。Anddon'tbenervousaboutthecurattackingyouagain。He'llbedeadinsideofthreeminutes。"
Thenurse,withamumbledwordofthanks,scuttledoffintotherearofthechurch,wherethetumbledownvestryhadbeenfittedupasadormitory。
BrucehadcalmeddownsomewhatunderMahan'ssharpreproof。Buthenowstruggledafreshtogetathisvanishedquarry。AndagaintheSergeanthadatussletoholdhim。
"Idon'tknowwhat'sgotintothebigfellow!"exclaimedMahantoVivierastheoldFrenchmanjoinedthetumultuousgroup。"He'sgonecleandaft。He'dofkilledthatpoorwoman,ifIhadn't——"
"Gethimoutofhere!"orderedthesurgeon。"Andclearout,yourselves,allofyou!Thisrumpushasprobablysetalotofmypatients'temperaturestorocketing。Takethecuroutandshoothim!"
"Excuseme,sir,"spokeupMahan,asVivierstaredaghastatthemanwhocommandedBruce'sdestruction,"buthe'snocur。He'sacourier-collie,officiallyintheserviceoftheUnitedStatesGovernment。Andhe'sthebestcourier-doginFranceto-day。Thisis——"
"Idon'tcarewhatheis!"ragedthesurgeon。"He——"
"ThisisBruce,"continuedMahan,"thedogthatsavedthe'Here-
We-Comes'atRache,andthatsteeredadetailofustosafetyonenightinthefog,intheChateau-Thierrysector。Ifyouorderanymanofthe'Here-We-Comes'toshootBruce,you'reliabletohaveamutinyonyourhands——officerornoofficer。Butifyouwish,sir,IcantransmityourordertotheK。O。Ifheendorsesit——"
Butthesurgeonsought,atthatmoment,tosavetheremnantsofhisdignityandofabadsituationbystalkingloftilybackintothehospital,andleavingMahaninthemiddleofhisspeech。
"Or,sir,"theSergeantgrinninglycalledafterhim,"youmightwritetotheGeneralCommanding,andtellhimyouwantBruceshot。TheBigDogalwayssleepsinthegeneral'sownroom,whenhe'soff-duty,atDivisionHeadquarters。MaybethegeneralwillO。K。hisdeath-sentence,ifyouaskhimto。He——"
Somewhatquickeninghisstatelystride,thesurgeonpassedoutofearshot。Attheofficers'messofthe"Here-We-Comes,"hehadoftenheardBruce'spraisessung。Hehadneverchancedtoseethedoguntilnow。But,beneathhisarmorofdignity,hequakedtothinkwhattheresultstohimselfmusthavebeen,hadheobeyedhisfirstimpulseofdrawinghispistolandshootingtheadoredandpricelesslyusefulcollie。
Mahan,——stolidlyrejoicinginhisvictoryoverthetop-loftypotentatewhomhedisliked,——ledthewayoutofthecrowdedvestibuleintothestreet。BrucefolloweddemurelyathisheelsandVivierbombardedeverybodyinsightforinformationastowhatthewholefracaswasabout。
Brucewashimselfagain。Nowthatthedetestedmaninwoman'sclotheshadgoneaway,therewasnosenseincontinuingtostruggleortowasteenergyinashowoffury。Nevertheless,inhisbigheartburneddeathlesshatredtowardtheGermanwhohadkickedhim。And,likeanelephant,acollieneverforgets。
"But,"Vivierwasdemandingofeverybody,"butwhyshouldthegentleBrucehaveattackedagoodnurse?Itisnotwhatyoucall'make-sense。'C'estungentilhomme,cevieux!HewouldnotattackawomanlessstillasisteroftheRedCross。He——"
"Ofcoursehewouldn't,"glumlyassentedthedownheartedMahan。
"ButheDID。That'stheanswer。Isawhimdoit。Heknockedherdownand——"
"Whichnursewasshe?"askedasoldierwhohadcomeupafterthetroublewasover。
"Anewonehere。Idon'tknowhername。Shecamelastweek。Isawherwhenshegothere。IwasondutyattheK。O。'sofficewhenshereported。Shehadaletterfromsomeoneonthesurgeon-
general'sstaff。ButwhyBruceshouldhavegoneforherto-day——
orforanywoman——ismorethanIcansee。Shewasscaredhalftodeath。It'sluckysheheardthesurgeonorderhimshot。She'llsupposehe'sdead,bynow。Andthat'llcureherscare。WemusttrytokeepBruceawayfromthisendofthestreettillhegoesbacktoheadquartersto-morrow。"
AsaresultBrucewascoaxedtoMahan'scompany-shedandbydintoffood-giftsandpettingwasinducedtospendmostofthedaythere。
AtsunsetBrucetiredofhisdullsurroundings。Mahanhadgoneonduty;sohadVivier;sohadothersofhisfriends。Thedogwasboredandlonely。Alsohehadeatenmuch。Andawalkisgood,notonlyforloneliness,butforsettlinganoverfullstomach。Brucedecidedtogoforawalk。
Throughtheirregularstreetofthevillagehepickedhisway,andontowardtheopencountrybeyond。Asentryortwosnappedfingersofgreetingtohimashestrolledpastthem。Thefolkofthevillageeyedhisbulkandgracefuldignitywithsomethinglikeawe。
Beyondthehamlettheridgeofhilltopranonforperhapsaquarter-milebeforedippingintotheplainbelow。Atoneendofthislittleplateauacompanyofinfantrywasdrilling。BrucerecognizedMahanamongthemarchinglines,buthesawhisfriendwasondutyandrefrainedfromgoinguptohim。
Above,thesunsetskywascloudless。Liketinyspecks,milestoeastward,afewenemyairshipscircledabovetheheapofclusteredhillswhichmarkedthenearestGermanposition。Thetorn-upplain,between,seemedbarrenoflife。So,atfirst,didthefartherendofthejuttingridgeonwhichthevillagewasperched。ButpresentlyBruce'sidlywanderingeyewascaughtbyaflutterofwhiteamongsomebouldersthatclumpedtogetherontheridge'sbrowfarthestfromthevillage。
Someone——awoman,fromthedress——wasapparentlypickingherwaythroughtheboulders。AsBrucemovedforward,abigrockshutherofffromhisviewandfromtheviewofthehamletandofthemaneuveringinfantrycompanyafurlongaway。
Justthenapuffofbreezeblewfromeastwardtowardthecollie;
anditboretohimafaintscentthatsethisruffa-bristleandhissoftbrowneyesablaze。Toadog,ascentoncesmelledisasrecognizableagainasisthesightofaonce-seenfacetoahuman。Brucesetoffatahand-galloptowardtheclumpofboulders。
TheRedCrossnurse,whomBrucehadsonearlykilled,wasoffdutyuntilthenight-shiftshouldgoonatthehospital。Thenursehadtakenadvantageofthisbriefsurceasefromtoil,bygoingforalittlewalkinthecoolsunsetair,andhadcarriedalongabagofsewing。
UptothreemonthsagothisnursehadbeenknownasHeinrichStolz,andhadbeenavaluedmemberoftheWilhelmstrasse'sworkingforceofsecretagents。Then,actingunderorders,HerrHeinrichStolzhadvanishedfromhisaccustomedhaunts。SoonthereafteraRedCrossnurse——FeliciaStuartbynamehadreportedfordutyatParis,havingbeentransferredthitherfromItaly,andbearingindubitablecredentialstothateffect。
Fromcarefullypicked-upinformationStolzhadjustlearnedoftheexpectedarrivalofthethreetroop-trainsatthejunctionatninethatevening。Thetidingshadinterestedhimkeenly,andheknewofotherpeopletowhomtheywouldbefarmoreinteresting。
Seatinghimselfundertheleeoftheeasternmostrock,Stolzprimlyopenedhissewing-baganddrewforthvarioustorngarments。Thegarmentswereforthemostpartwhite,butoneortwowereofgaudycolors。
Bywayofprecaution,incaseofdiscovery,thespythreadedaneedle。Thus,ifanyoneshouldchancetoseehimshakeoutagarment,preparatorytolayingitonhiskneeandmendingit,therecouldbenoreasonablecauseforsuspicion。HerrStolzwasnothingifnotefficient。
Hehelduptheneedleandpokedthethreadatitseyeintrulyfemininefashion。
Hehadjustfinishedthisfeatofdexteritywhenhechancedtolookupfromhisworkatsoundoffast-patteringfeet。Notthirtyfeetaway,chargingheadonathim,rushedthegreatbrown-and-
whitecolliehesupposedhadbeenshot。
Withajumpofabjectterror,HerrStolzsprangup。Mingledwithhisnormalfearofthedogwasatingeofsuperstitiousdread。Hehadbeensocertainthebeastwasshot!Thedoctorhadgiventheorderforhiskilling。Thedoctorwasacommissionedofficer。
Stolz'sGermanmindcouldnotgraspthepossibilityofasoldierdisobeyinganofficer'simperativecommand。
Thecolliewasuponhimbythetimethespygainedhisfeet。
Stolzreachedfranticallyunderhisdress-foldsforthedeadlylittlepistolthathealwayskeptthere。Buthewasstillanoviceinthemysteriesoffeminineapparel。And,beforehisfingerscouldcloseontheweapon,Bruce'sbaredfangsweregleamingathisthroat。
Stolzceasedtosearchfortheweapon。And,asbefore,hethrewupbothfrantichandstowardoffthefuriousjaws。
Hewasbarelyintime。Bruce'swhiteteethdrovedeepintothespy'sforearm,andBruce'seightypoundsoffurrymuscularbulksmoteStolzfullinthechest。Downwentthespy,undertheterrificimpact,sprawlingwildlyonhisback,andfightingwithbothbleedinghandstopushbackthedog。
Bruce,collie-fashion,didnotsticktoonegrip,butbitandslashedadozentimesinthreeseconds,tearingandrendinghiswaytowardthethroat-holdhecraved;drivingthroughfleshofhandsandofforearmstowardhisgoal。
LikemanyanotherGerman,Stolzwasfarmoreadeptatcausingpainthanatenduringit。Also,frombirth,hehadhadanunconquerablefearofdogs。Hisnerves,too,werenotyetrecoveredfromBruce'sattackearlierintheday。Allthis,andthespectralsuddennessoftheonslaught,robbedhimofeveryatomofhisusualstonyself-control。
SergeantMahanwasagoodsoldier。Yetaminuteearlierhehadalmostruinedhisreputationassuch。Hehadbeenhardputtoittorefrainfromleavingtheranksofhisdrillingcompany,afurlongfromtherocks,andrunningatrecordspeedtowardtheboulders。Forhehadseenthesupposednursepassthatway。AndalmostdirectlyafterwardhehadseenBrucefollowherthither。
Andhecouldguesswhatwouldhappen。
Luckilyforthesakeofdiscipline,theorderof"Breakranks!"
wasgivenbeforeMahancoulddisgracehimselfbysuchunmartialbehavior。And,ontheinstant,theSergeantbrokeintoaruninthedirectionoftherocks。
Wonderingathiseccentricaction,severalofthesoldiersfollowed。Thecompanycaptain,atsightofaknotofhismendashingatbreakneckspeedtowardtheboulders,startedatamoreleisurelypaceinthesamedirection。
Mahanhadreachedtheedgeoftherockswhenhisearsweregreetedbyayellofmortalfear。Thecaptainandtherest,catchingthesound,wentfaster。Screechafterscreechrangfromtherockyenclosure。
Mahanroundedthebigboulderatthecrestoftheridgeandflunghimselfuponthetwocombatants,astheythrashedaboutinatumultuousdualmassontheground。AndjustthenBruceatlastfoundhisgriponStolz'sthroat。
AstoicalGermansignal-corpsofficer,onahilltopsomemilestoeastward,laidasidehisfield——glassandcalmlyremarkedtoamanathisside"Wehavelostagoodspy!"
SuchwasthesoleepitaphandeulogyofHerrHeinrichStolz,fromhisarmy。
Meantime,SergeantMahanwaspryingloosethecollie'sferociousjawsfromtheirpreyandwastuggingwithallhismighttodragthedogofftheshriekingspy。Thethroat-hold,henoted,wasabareinchfromthejugular。
Therestofthesoldiers,rushinguppell-mell,helpedhimpulltheinfuriatedBrucefromhisvictim。Thespectacleoftheiradmireddog-hero,somurderouslymaulingawomanoftheRedCross,dazedthemwithhorror。
"TakehimAWAY!"bellowedStolz,deliriouswithpainandfear。
"He'sKILLEDme——dergottverdammteTeufelhund!"
Andnowthecrazedvictim'sunconscioususeofGermanwasnotneededtotelleveryonewithinhearingjustwhoandwhathewas。
Forthequaveringtoneswerenolongerarichcontralto。Theywereathroatybaritone。AndtheaccentwasTeutonic。
"Bruce!"observedTop-SergeantMahannextmorning,"I'vealwayssaidamanwhokicksadogismoreofacurthanthedogis。Butyou'llneverknowhownearIcametokickingyouyesterday,whenIcaughtyoumanglingthatfilthyspy。AndBrucie,ifIhadkickedyou,well——I'dbeprayingatthisminutethatthegoodLordwouldgrowathirdlegonme,sothatIcouldkickmyselfallthewayfromheretoBerlin!"
CHAPTERVI。TheWerewolfWhenBruceleftthequietpeaceofThePlaceforthehelloftheWesternFront,ithadbeenstipulatedbytheMistressandtheMasterthatifeverheweredisabled,heshouldbeshippedbacktoThePlace,attheirexpense。
ItwasastipulationmaderathertosoothetheMistress'ssorrowatpartingfromherlovedpetthaninanyhopethatitcouldbefulfilled;fortheaveragelifeofacourierdogonthebattle-
frontwastragicallyshort。Andhisfatewasmorethanordinarilycertain。Ifthebochebulletsandshrapnelhappenedtomisshim,therewerecountlessdiseases——bredoftrenchandofhardshipandofabominablefood——tokillhim。
TheRedCrossappealraisedcountlessmillionsofdollarsandbroughtrescuetoinnumerablehumanwarriors。Butincaringforhumans,thegenerosityofmostgiversreacheditslimit;andtheBlueCross——"forthereliefofdogsandhorsesinjuredintheserviceoftheAllies"——wasforcedtotakewhatitcouldget。Yetmanyaman,andmanyabodyofmen,owedlifeandsafetytotheheroismofsomewar-dog,adogwhichsurelymeritedspecialcarewhenitsowncertainhourofagonystruck。
Bruce'swarmestoverseasfriendsweretobefoundintheranksofthemixedFranco-Americanregiment,nicknamedthe"Here-We-Comes。"Rightgallantly,inmorethanonetightplace,hadBrucebeenofusetothe"Here-We-Comes。"Onhisofficialvisitstotheregiment,hewasalwaysreceivedwithajoyouswelcomethatwouldhaveturnedanyheadlesssteadythanathoroughbredcollie's。
Bruceenjoyedthistreatment。Heenjoyed,too,thefood-daintieswherewiththe"Here-We-Comes"pliedhim。ButtonomaninthearmywouldhegivetheadoringpersonalloyaltyhehadleftatThePlacewiththeMistressandtheMaster。Thosetwowerestillhisonlygods。AndhemissedthemandhissweetlifeatThePlacemostbitterly。Yethewastoogoodasoldiertomope。
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Formonthsthe"Here-We-Comes"hadbeenquarteredina"quiet"——oronlyoccasionallytumultuous——sector,nearChateau-Thierry。Thenthecomparativequietallatonceturnedtopandemonium。
Alankyanddegenerateyouth(whobeforethewarhadbeenunlovinglyknownthroughoutEuropeasthe"WhiteRabbit"andwhonowwasmentionedindispatchesasthe"CrownPrince")hadsucceededinleadingsomehalf-millionfellow-Germansintoa"pocket"thathadlatelybeenmerelyasalient。
Fromthethreelowersidesofthepocket,theAlliesecstaticallyflungthemselvesupontheirtrappedfoesinalaudableefforttocrushthehalf-millionbochesandtheirrabbit-facedprincelingintosurrenderbeforethelattercouldgetoutofthesnare,andtotheshelterofthehighgroundandthereenforcementsthatlaybehindit。TheGermansobjectedmoststrenuouslytothiscrushingprocess。Andthethreebeleaguerededgesofthepocketbecameatriple-sectionofhell。
Itwasaperiodwhennoone'snerveswereinanydegreenormal——
leastofallthenervesoftheeternallyhammeredGermans。EventhefiercelyadvancingFranco-Americans,the"Here-We-Comes,"hadlostthegrimlyhumorouscomposurethathadbeentheirs,andwaxedsullenandferociousintheireagerness。
ThusitwasthatBrucemissedhiswontedlyuproariouswelcomeashecantered,atsunsetoneJulyday,intoasmashedfarmsteadwherehisfriends,the"Here-We-Comes,"werebivouackedforthenight。Byinstinct,thebigdogseemedtoknowwheretofindthetemporaryregimentalheadquarters。
Hetrottedpastasentry,intoanunroofedcattle-shedwherethecolonelwasbusilyscribblingadetailedreportoftheworkdonebythe"Here-We-Comes"duringthatday'sdrive。
Comingtoahaltbythecolonel'sside,Brucestoodexpectantlywagginghisplumytailandwaitingforthefoldedmessagefromdivisionheadquarterstobetakenoffhiscollar。
Usually,onsuchvisits,thecolonelmademuchofthedog。To-dayhemerelyglancedupabstractedlyfromhiswriting,atsightofBruce'ssilkenheadathisside。Heunfastenedthemessage,readit,frownedandwentonwithhisreport。
Brucecontinuedtowaghistailandtolookupwistfullyforthewontedpettingandwordofcommendation。Butthecolonelhadforgottenhisexistence。Sopresentlythecollieweariedofwaitingforacaressfromamanwhosecaresses,atbest,hedidnotgreatlyvalue。Heturnedandstrolledoutoftheshed。Hismessagedelivered,heknewhewasatlibertytoamusehimselfashemightchooseto,untilsuchtimeashemustcarrybacktohisgeneralareplytothedispatchhehadbrought。
Fromoutsidecamethevoicesoftiredandloungingsoldiers。A
travelingkitchenhadjustbeensetupnearby。Fromitaroseablendofsmellsthatweremightytemptingtoahealthilyhungrydog。Thither,atadecorousbutexpectantpace,Brucebenthissteps。
Top-SergeantMahanwasgazingwithsolicitousinterestuponthetoilofthecooksatthewheeledkitchen。Besidehim,sharinghisconcerninthesupperpreparations,wasMahan'sclosestcrony,oldSergeantVivier。ThewizenedlittleFrenchman,asaboy,hadbeeninthesurrenderofSedan。Nightly,eversince,hehadbesoughtthesaintstogivehim,someday,atinyshareintheavengingofthatblackdisgrace。
MahanandVivierwerethewarmestofBruce'smanyadmirersinthe"Here-We-Comes。"Ordinarilyadualwhoopofjoyfromthemwouldhavegreetedhisadvent。Thisafternoontheymerelychirpedabstractedlyathim,andMahanpattedhimcarelesslyontheheadbeforereturningtotheinspectionofthecookingfood。
Sinceanhourbeforedawn,bothmenhadbeeninhotaction。Thecommandforthe"Here-We-Comes"toturnasideandbivouacforthenighthadbeenasharpdisappointmenttothem,aswellastoeveryunwoundedmanintheregiment。
Whenagamblerisinthemiddleofawinningstreak,whenanathletefeelshehastheraceinhisownhands,whenabusinessmanhasallbutclosedthedealthatmeansfortunetohim——atsuchcrisesitismaddeningtobehaltedattheveryvergeoftriumph。Buttosoldierswho,aftermonthsofreverses,atlasthavetheirhatedfoeontherun,suchacheckdoesoddthingstotemperandtonerves。
Insuchplightwerethemenofthe"Here-We-Comes,"onthislateafternoon。MahanandVivierweretooseasonedandtoosanetogivewaytotheburstsoftemperandtheswirlsofblasphemythatswayedsomanyoftheircomrades。Neverthelesstheywereglumandsilentandhadnoheartforjollywelcomings,——eventosodearafriendasBruce。
Experiencetoldthemthatasquaremealwouldworkmiraclesinthewayofcalmingandbracingthem。Hence,apartfromstarkhunger,theirinterestinthecookingofsupper。
Brucewastoomuchaphilosopher——andnotdevotedenoughtohissoldierfriends——tobehurtatthelackofwarmthinthegreeting。Withtheairofanepicure,hesniffedatthecontentsofoneofthekitchen'sbubblingkettles。Thenhewalkedoffandcurledhimselfcomfortablyonapileofbedding,theretorestuntilsuppershouldbeready。
Severaltimes,ashelaythere,soldierspassedandrepassed。Oneortwoofthemsnappedtheirfingersatthedogorevenstooped,inpassing,tostrokehishead。Butonthefacesofallofthemwasunrestandacertainwolfisheagerness,whichprecludedplayingwithpetsatsuchatime。Thehotzestoftheman-huntwasuponthem。Itwasgnawingintheveinsofthenewestrecruit,ever,asintheheartoftheusuallyself-containedcoloneloftheregiment。
Thecolonel,infact,hadbeensocarriedawaybythejoyofseeinghismendrivethehatedgraycoatsbeforethemthatdaythathehadoversteppedthespiritofhisownordersfromthedivisioncommander。
Inbrief,hehadmadenoeffortto"dress"hiscommand,intheadvance,upontheregimentstoeithersideofit。Asaresult,whenthesignaltobivouacforthenightwasgiven,the"Here-We-
Comes"weresomethinglikeamileaheadoftheregimentwhichshouldhavebeenattheirimmediateright,andnearlytwomilesinfrontofthebrigadeattheirleft。
Inotherwords,the"Here-We-Comes"nowoccupiedasalientoftheirown,aheadoftherestoftheFrancoAmericanline。Itwasinrebukeforthisbitofgoodprogressandbadtacticsthatthedivisioncommanderhadwrittentothecolonel,inthedispatchwhichBrucehadbrought。
Germanairmen,sailingfarabove,anddodgingasbesttheycouldthechargesoftheAllied'planes,hadjustnotedthatthe"Here-
We-Comes""salient"wasreallynosalientatall。Sofarhaditadvancedthat,forthemoment,itwasoutoftouchwiththerestofthedivision。Itwas,indeed,inanexcellentpositiontobecutoffanddemolishedbyadashingnightattack。AndareporttothiseffectwasdeliveredtoafuminglydistractedGermanmajorgeneral,whoyearnedforachancetoatoneinsomewayfortheday'sshamefulreverses。
"Iftheyhadn'thaltedusandmadeuscallitaday,justasweweregettingintoourstride,"loudlygrumbledoneYankeeprivatetoanotherasthetwoclumpeduptothekitchen,"we'dhavebeeninFere-en-Tardenoisbynow。Whatlazyguyisrunningthisdrive,anyhow?"
"ThesamelazyguythatwillstickyouintothehoosgowforinsubordinationandleaveyoutodoyourbittherewhiletherestofusstrollontoBerlin!"snappedTop-SergeantMahan,wheelinguponthegrumbler。"Tillyoulearnhowtoobeyorderswithoutgrouching,itisn'tuptoyoutoknockwisermen。Shutup!"
ThoughMahan'stoneofreproofwasprofessionallyharsh,hisspiritwasnotinhiswords。Andthesilencedprivateknewit。Heknew,too,thatthetop-sergeantwasassavageovertheearlyhaltasweretherestofthemen。
Bruce,asarule,whenhehonoredthe"Here-We-Comes"withavisit,spentthebulkofhistimewithMahanandoldVivier。Butto-dayneitherofthesefriendswasaninspiringcompanion。NorweretherestofBruce'sacquaintancesdisposedtofriendliness。
Wherefore,assoonassupperwaseaten,thedogreturnedtohisheapofbedding,forthehourorsooflazinesswhichNatureteachesallherchildrentodemand,afterafullmeal,——andwhichtheso-called"dumb"animalsaloneareintelligentenoughtotake。
DuskhadmergedintonightwhenBrucegottohisfeetagain。Tapshadjustsounded。Thetiredmengladlyrolledthemselvesintotheirblanketsandfellintoadeadsleep。Asentry-reliefsetforthtoreplacethefirstbatchofsentinelswiththesecond。
Mahanwasoftheparty。Thoughthetopsergeanthadbeenastupidcomrade,thusfarto-day,hewasnowevidentlygoingforawalk。
Andeventhoughitwasaduty-walk,yettheideaofitappealedtothedogafterhislonginaction。
SoBrucegotupandfollowed。Ashecamealongsidethestifflymarchingtop-sergeant,thecolliesofarsubverteddisciplineastothrusthisnose,infriendlygreeting,intoMahan'sslightlycuppedpalm。Andthetop-sergeantsofarabettedthebreachofdisciplineastogivethecollie'sheadafurtivepat。Thenightwasdim,asthemoonhadnotrisen;sothemutualcontactofgood-fellowshipwasnotvisibletothemarchingmenoneithersideofMahanandthedog。Anddiscipline,therefore,didnotsuffermuch,afterall。
Atonepostafteranother,asentinelwasrelievedandafreshmantookhisplace。Farthestinfrontofthe"Here-We-Comes"
lines——andnearesttotheGerman——waspostedalankyMissourianwhomBruceliked,amanwhohadawayofdiscoveringinhisdeeppocketsstraybitsoffoodwhichhehadhoardedthereforthecollieanddelightedtodoleouttohim。TheMissourianhadadrawlinglysoftvoicethedogliked,andheusedtotalktoBruceasifthelatterwereanotherhuman。
Forallthesereasons——andbecauseMahanwastoobusyandtoogrumpytobotherwithhim——Bruceelectedtostaywherehewas,forawhile,andsharetheMissourian'svigil。So,whentherestofthepartymovedalongtothenextsentry-go,thedogremained。
TheMissourianwasonlytoogladtohavehimdoso。Itistediousandstupidtopaceadesolatebeat,alone,atdeadofnight,afteradayofhardfighting。Andthemanwelcomedthecompanionshipofthedog。
Foratime,astheMissourianpacedhissolitarystretchofbrokenandshrub-grownground,Brucegravelypacedtoandfroathisside。Butpresentlythisaimlesspromenadebegantowaxuninteresting。And,asthetwocametothefarendofthebeat,Bruceyawnedandlaydown。Itwaspleasantertoliethereandtowatchthesentineldothewalking。
Stretchedout,inalittlegrass-hollow,thedogfollowedblinkinglywithhissoftbrowneyesthependulumlikeprogressofhisfriend。Andalwaysthedog'splumedtailwouldbeatrhythmicwelcomeagainstthegroundasthesentryapproachedhim。
Thusnearlyanhourworeon。Afatmoonbutteditslazywaythroughthesmoke-mistsoftheeasternskyline。
Thensomethinghappened——somethingthatBrucecouldreadilyhaveforestalledifthewindhadbeenblowingfromtheotherdirection,andifadog'seyeswerenotasnearsightedashisnoseisfarsmelling。
TheMissourianpausedtorunhishandcaressinglyoverthecollie'sroughmane,andmovedon,downthelonelybeat。Brucewatchedhisrecedingfigure,drowsily。Attheendofninetyyardsormore,theMissourianpassedbyabunchoflowbusheswhichgrewatthenearsideofastretchofhillyandshellpockedground。Hemovedpastthebushes,stillwatchedbythesomewhatboreddog。
ItwasthenthatBrucesawapatchofbushshadowdetachitselffromtherest,undertheglowoftherisingmoon。Theshadowwashumpyandsquat。Noiseless,itglidedoutfromamongthebushes,closeatthesentry'sheels,andcreptafterhim。
Bruceprickedhisearsandstartedtogetup。Hiscuriositywasroused。Thedirectionofthewindpreventedhimfromsmellingoutthenatureofthemystery。Italsokepthiskeenhearingfromsupplyinganyclue。Andthedistancewouldnotpermithimtoseewithanydistinctness。
Stillhiscuriositywasverymild。Surely,ifdangerthreatened,thesentinelwouldrealizeit。ForbythistimetheShadowwasabarethreefeetbehindhimnearenough,byBruce'ssystemoflogic,fortheMissouriantohavesmelledandheardthepursuer。
SoBrucegotup,inthemostleisurelyfashion,preparatorytostrollingacrosstoinvestigate。Butatalmosthisfirststephesawsomethingthatchangedhisgracefullyslouchingwalkintoachargingrun。
TheShadowsuddenlyhadmergedwiththesentinel。Foraninstant,instarksilence,thetwoseemedtoclingtogether。ThentheShadowfled,andthelankyMissourianslumpedtotheearthinasprawlingheap,histhroatcut。
Theslayerhadbeenadefthandatthejob。NosoundhadescapedtheMissourian,fromthemomentthestranglinglytightleftarmhadbeenthrownaroundhisthroatfrombehinduntil,asecondlater,hefellbleedingandlifeless。
Intwentyleapingstrides,Brucecameuptotheslainsentinelandbentoverhim。Dog-instincttoldthecolliehisfriendhadbeendonetodeath。Andthedog'spowerofscenttoldhimitwasaGermanwhohaddonethekilling。
Formanymonths,BrucehadbeenfamiliarwiththescentofGermansoldiers,sodifferentfromthatofthearmyinwhichhetoiled。
Andhehadlearnedtohateit,evenasadoghatesthevague"crushedcucumber"smellofapitviper。Butwhileeverydogdreadstheviper-smellasmuchasheloathesit,Brucehadnofearatallofthebocheodor。Instead,italwaysawokeinhimablood-lust,asfierceasanythathadburnedinhiswolf-
ancestors。
Thissamefuryswepthimnow,ashestood,quivering,abovethebodyofthekindlymanwhosolatelyhadpettedhim;thisandacravingtorevengethemurderofhishumanfriend。
Forthebriefesttime,Brucestoodthere,hisdarkeyesabrimwithunhappinessandbewilderment,ashegazeddownonthehuddledforminthewetgrass。Thenanelectricchangecameoverhim。Thesoftnessfledfromhiseyes,leavingthembloodshotandblazing。Hisgreattawnyruffbristledlikeanangrycat's。Thelazygracefulnessdepartedfromhismightybody。Itbecametenseandterrible。Inthegrowingmoonlighthisteethgleamedwhitelyfromunderhisupcurledlip。
Inaflashheturnedandsetoffatalopingrun,noseclosetoground,hislongstridedeceptivelyswift。Thezestoftheman-
hunthadobsessedhim,ascompletelyas,thatday,ithadspurredtheadvanceofthe"Here-We-Comes。"
Thetrailoftheslayerwasfresh,evenoversuchbrokenground。
FastastheGermanhadfled,Brucewasflyingfaster。Despitethemurderer'slongstart,thedogspeedilycutdownthedistancebetweenhisquarryandhimself。Nottrustingtosight,butsolelytohisunerringsenseofsmell。Brucespedon。
Then,inamomentortwo,hishearingre-enforcedhisscent。Hecouldcatchthepad-pad-padofrunningfeet。Andtheincreasingofthesoundtoldhimhewasgainingfast。
Butinanotherboundhisearstoldhimsomethingelse——somethinghewouldhaveheardmuchsooner,hadnotthenightwindbeensettingsostronglyintheotherdirection。Heheardnotonlythepoundingofhisprey'sheavy-shodfeet,butthesoftthudofhundreds——perhapsthousands——ofotherarmyshoes。Andnow,despitetheadversewind,theodorofinnumerablesoldierscametohisfiercelysniffingnostrils。Notonlywasitthescentofsoldiers,butofGermansoldiers。
Forthefirsttime,Bruceliftedhisheadfromtheground,asheran,andpeeredinfrontofhim。Themoonhadrisenabovethelow-lyinghorizonvaporsintoaclearsky,andthereachofcountrywassharplyvisible。
Brucesawthemanhewaschasing,——sawhimplainly。TheGermanwasstillrunning,butnotatallasonewhofleesfromperil。Heran,rather,asmightthebearerofgladtidings。Andhewasevennowdrawinguptoagroupofmenwhoawaitedeagerlyhiscoming。
Theremusthavebeenfiftymeninthegroup。Behindthem——inopenformationandasfarasthedog'snear-sightedeyescouldsee——
weremoremen,andmore,andmore——thousandsofthem,allmovingstealthilyforward。
Now,acollie(inbrain,thoughneverinheart)ismuchmorewolfthandog。Abullterrier,oranAiredale,wouldhavechargedonathisfoe,andwouldhavelethimselfbehackedtopiecesbeforeloosinghisholdontheman。
But——evenasawolfcheckshispursuitofagallopingsheepwhenthelatterdashesintotheguardedfold——Brucecametoanabrupthalt,atsightofthesereenforcements。Hestoodirresolute,stillmadwithvengefulanger,butnotfoolishenoughtoassailawholebrigadeofarmedmen。
Itisquiteimpossible(thoughMahanandVivierusedtoswearitmustbetrue)thatBrucehadthereasoningpowerstofigureoutthewholesituationwhichconfrontedhim。HecouldnothaveknownthataGermanbrigadehadbeensenttotakeadvantageofthe"Here-We-Comes"temporarilyisolatedposition——thatthreesentrieshadbeenkilledinsilenceandthattheirdeathshadleftawidegapthroughwhichthebrigadehopedtocreepunobserveduntiltheyshouldbewithinstrikingdistanceoftheirunsuspectinglyslumberingvictims。
Brucecouldnothaveknownthis。Hecouldnothavegraspedtheslightestfractionoftheidea,beingonlyareal-lifedogandnotafairytaleanimal。ButwhathecouldanddidrealizewasthatamassofdetestedGermanswasmovingtowardhim,andthathecouldnothopetoattackthem,single-handed;also,thathewasnotmindedtoslinkpeacefullyawayandleavehisfriendunavenged。
Thwartedragedraggedfromhisfurrythroatadeepgrowl;agrowlthatresoundedeerilythroughthatsilentplaceofstealthymoves。Andhesteppedmajesticallyforthfromthesurroundinglonggrass,intothefullglareofmoonlight。
Thedeceptiveglowmadehimloomgiganticandblack,andtingedhissnowychestwiththephosphorousgleamofasnowfield。Hiseyesshonelikeawildbeast's。
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CorporalRudolphFreund,oftheKoniginLuiseRegiment,hadjustfinishedhisthree-wordreporttohissuperior。Hehadmerelysalutedandannounced"Heisdead!"
CorporalFreunddidnotthrill,asusual,tothecolonel'sgruntofapproval。TheCorporalwasworried。HewasaBlackForestpeasant;and,whileironmilitarylifehaddulledhisnativesuperstitions,ithadnotdispelledthem。
Thenightwasmystic,initsoddblendofmoonandshadows。
Howeverhardenedonemaybe,itisanerve-straintocreepthroughlonggrass,likearedIndian,tothemurderofahostilesentinel。AndeveryGermaninthe"Pocket"hadbeenunderfrightfulmentalandphysicalstress,forthepastweek。
CorporalRudolphFreundwasabravemanandabrute。Butthatweekhadsappedhisnerve。Andtheworkofthisnighthadbeentheclimax。Thedesolateground,overwhichhehadcrawledtothekilling,hadsuddenlyseemedpeopledwithevilgnomesandgoblins,whoseexistencenotrueBlackForestpeasantcandoubt。
And,ontherunback,hehadbeencertainheheardsomeunseenmonstertearingthroughtheunderbrushinhotpursuitofhim。Socertainhadhebeen,thathehadredoubledhisspeed。
Therewerenowolvesorotherlargewildanimalsinthatregion。
Whenhehadwriggledtowardtheslow-pacingAmericansentinel,hehadseenandheardnocreatureofanysort。Yethewassurethatonthewaybackhehadbeenpursuedby——bySomething!Andintohisscaredmemory,asheran,hadflashedtheofttoldBlackForesttaleoftheWerewolf——thedevil——beastthatisenteredbythesoulofamurderedmanandwhichtracksthemurderertohisdeath。
GladwastheunnervedCorporalFreundwhenhisrunceasedandhestoodclosetohisgrosslysolidandrank-scentedfellowmenoncemore。AlmosthewasinclinedtolaughathisfearsofthefabledWerewolf——andespeciallyattheideathathehadbeenpursued。Hedrewalongbreathofrelief。Hedrewthebreathin。Buthedidnotatonceexpelit。Foronhisearscamethesoundofahideousmenacinggrowl。
CorporalFreundspunabout,inthedirectionofthemysteriousthreat。Andthere,notthirtyfeetfromhim,intheghostlymoonlight,stoodtheWerewolf!
Thistimetherecouldbenoquestionofoverstrainednervesandofimagination。TheThingwasTHERE!
Horriblyvisibleineverydetail,theWerewolfwasglaringathim。Hecouldseetheredglowofthegiganticdevil-beast'seyes,thewhiteflashofitsteeth,theghostlyshimmeringofitssnowychest。Thesoulofthemanhehadslainhadtakenthistraditionalformandwashuntingdowntheslayer!AthousandstoriesofFreund'schildhoodverifiedthefrightfultruth。Andoverwroughthumannature'sendurancewenttopiecesundertheshock。
Amaniachowlofterrorsplitthemidnightstillness。Shriekaftershriekrenttheair。Freundtumbledconvulsivelytothegroundathiscolonel'sfeet,grippingtheofficer'sbootedkneesandscreechingforprotection。Thecolonel,ragingthatthesurpriseattackshouldbeimperiledbysucharacket,beatthefranticmanoverthemouthwithhisheavyfist,kickingferociouslyathisupturnedwrithingface,andsnarlingtohimtobesilent。
TheshowerofblowsbroughtFreundbacktosanity,totheextentofchanginghiscraventerrorintoFear'ssecondaryphase——theimpulsetostrikebackatthethingthathadcausedthefright。
Rollingoverandoverontheground,undertheimpactofhissuperior'sfistblowsandkicks,Freundsomehowregainedhisfeet。
Reelinguptothenearestsoldier,thepanic-crazedcorporalsnatchedtheprivate'srifleandfiredthreetimes,blindly,atBruce。Then,foamingatthemouth,Freundfellheavilytoearthagain,chatteringandtwitchinginafit。
Bruce,atthesecondshot,leapedhighintheair,andcollapsed,inaninertfurryheap,amongthebushes。Therehelay,——hiscareerasacourier-dogforeverended。
CorporalRudolphFreundwasperhapsthebestsniperinhisregiment。Wildlythoughhehadfired,marksman-instincthadguidedhisbullets。Andatsuchcloserangetherewasnomissing。
Brucewenttoearthwithonerifleballthroughhisbody,andanotherinhisleg。Athirdhadreachedhisskull。
Now,thecompleteelementofsurprisewasall-needfulfortheattacktheGermanshadplannedagainstthe"Here-We-Comes。"
Deprivedofthatadvantagetheexpeditionwasdoomedtoutterfailure。For,givenachancetowakeandtorally,theregimentcouldnotpossiblybe"rushed,"invividmoonlight,beforethenearestAlliedforcescouldmoveuptoitssupport。Andthoseforceswereonlyamileorsototherear。Therecanbenopossiblehopeforasurpriseattackuponawell-appointedcampwhenthenight'sstillnesshasbeenshatteredbyaseriesofmaniacscreamsandbythreeechoingrifle-shots。
Alreadytheguardwasout。Abuglewasblowing。Inanotherminute,thesentry-callswouldlocatethegapmadebythethreemurderedsentinels。
Aswiftgutturalconferenceamongtheleadersofthegray-cladmarauderswasfollowedbythebarkingofequallygutturalcommands。AndtheGermanswithdrewasquietlyandasrapidlyastheyhadcome。
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Itwasthemouthingandjabberingofthefit-possessedCorporalRudolphFreundthatdrewtohimthenoticeofasquadofYankeesledbyTop-SergeantMahan,tenminuteslater。Itwastheshudder——accompaniedpointingofthedeliriousman'sfinger,towardthenearbyclumpofundergrowth,thatrevealedtothemthestillwarmbodyofBruce。
Backtocamp,carriedlovinglyinMahan'sstrongarms,wentallthatwasleftofthegreatcourier-dog。Backtocamp,propelledbetweentwonone-too-gentlesoldiers,staggeredthefit-riddenCorporalFreund。
Atthecolonel'squarters,acompellingdoseofstimulantclearedsomeofthemistsfromtheprisoner'sbrain。Hisnerveandhiswill-powerstillgonetosmash,hebabbledeagerlyenoughofthenightattack,ofthekillingofthesentriesandofhisencounterwiththeWerewolf。
"Isawhimfall!"heraved。"Butheisnotdead。TheWerewolfcanbekilledonlybyasilverbullet,markedwithacrossandblessedbyapriest。Hewilllivetotrackmedown!Lockmewherehecannotfindme,forthesakeofsweetmercy!"
Andinthisway,the"Here-We-Comes"learnedofBruce'spartinthenight'saverteddisaster。
OldVivierweptunashamedoverthebodyofthedoghehadloved。
Top-SergeantMahan——thebigtearssplashing,unnoted,fromhisownredeyes——besoughttheFrenchmantostriveforbetterself-
controlandnottosetacry-babyexampletothemen。
Thenagroupofgrim-facedsoldiersdugagrave。And,carriedbyMahanandVivier,thebeautifuldog'sbodywasbornetoitsresting-place。Athrongofmeninthegraydawnstoodwordlessaroundthegrave。Someoneshamefacedlytookoffhishat。Withequalshamefacedness,everybodyelsefollowedtheexample。
Mahanlaidthedog'sbodyontheground,atthegrave'sbrink。
Then,lookingabouthim,heclearedhisthroatnoisilyandspoke。
"Boys,"hebegan,"whenahumandiesforotherhumans,there'saChristianburialservicereadoverhim。I'dhaveaskedthechaplaintoreadoneoverBruce,here,ifIhadn'tknownhe'dsayno。ButtheBigDogisn'tgoingtorestwithoutawordsaidoverhisgrave,forallthat。"
Mahanclearedhisthroatnoisilyoncemore,winkedfast,thenwenton:——
"Youcanlaughatme,ifanyofyoufeellikeit。Butthere'ssomeofyouherewhowouldn'tbealivetolaugh,ifBrucehadn'tdonewhathedidlastnight。Hewasonlyjustadog——withnosoul,andwithnolifeafterthisone,Is'pose。Sohewentaheadanddidhisworkandtooktherisks,andaskednopay。
"Andbyandbyhedied,stilldoinghisworkandaskingnopay。
"Hedidn'tworkwiththeideaofgettingacrossoraribbonorapromotionorapensionorhisnameinthepaperortomakethecrowdcheerhimwhenhegotbackhome,ortobragtothehomefolksabouthowhewasahero。HejustwentaheadandWASahero。That'sbecausehewasonlyadog,withnosoul——andnotaman。
"Allofushumansareworkingforsomereward,evenifit'sonlyforourpayorforthefunofdoingourshare。ButBrucewasaherobecausehewasjustadog,andbecausehedidn'tknowenoughtobeanythingelsebutahero。
"I'veheardabouthim,beforehejoinedupwithus。Iguessmostofushave。HelivedupinJersey,somewhere。Withfolksthathadbredhim。I'llbetayear'spayhewasmadealotofbythosefolks;andthatitwrenched'emtolethimgo。Youcouldseehe'dbeenbroughtupthatway。Lifemust'a'beenprettyhappyfortheoldchap,backthere。Thenhewaspickedupandslungintothemiddleofthishell。
"Sowastherestofus,saysyou。Butyou'rewrong。Thoseofusthatwaitedforthedrafthadourchoiceofgoingtothehoosgow,as'conscientiousobjectors,'ifwedidn'twanttofight。Andeverymother'ssonofusknewwewasfightingfortheRight;andthatwewasmakingtheworldadecenterandsaferplaceforourgrandchildrenandourwomenfolkstolivein。Wedidn'tbragaboutGodbeingonourside,likethebochesdo。ItwasenoughforustoknowWEwasonGOD'SsideandfightingHisgreatfightforHim。WehadpatriotismandreligionandRight,behindus,togiveusstrength。
"Bruciehadn'taoneofthosethings。Hedidn'tknowwhathewasherefor——andwhyhe'dbeenpitchedoutofhisnicehome,intoallthis。Hedidn'thaveachancetosayYesorNo。Hedidn'thaveanyspellbinderstotellhimhewasmakingtheworldsafeford'mocracy。HewasMADEtocome。
"Howwouldanyofushumanshaveacted,ifadeallikethathadbeenhandedtous?We'd'a'grouchedandslackedandmaybedeserted。That'sbecausewe'relordsofcreationandhavesoulsandbrainsandsuch。WhatdidBrucedo?Hejumpedintothisgame,withbellson。Heriskedhislifeahundredtimes;andhewasjustasreadytoriskitagainthenextday。
"Yes,andheknewhewasriskingit,too。There'sblamelittlehedidn'tknow。Hesawwar-dogs,allaroundhim,chokingtodeathfromgas,orscreamingtheirlivesout,inNoMan'sLand,whenabitofshellhaddisemboweled'emorabullethadcrackedtheirbackbones。Hesaw'emstarvetodeath。Hesaw'emonebloodymassofscarsandsores。Hesaw'emdieofpneumoniaandmangeandeveryrottentrenchdisease。Andheknewitmightbehisturn,anytimeatall,todieastheyweredying;andheknewthehumanswastoobusynursingotherhumans,tohavetimetospareoncaringfortortureddogs。(Thoughthosesamedogsweredyingforthehumans,ifitcomestothat。)
"Yes,Bruceknewwhattheendwasboundtobe。Heknewit。Andhekepton,asgayandasbraveasifhewasonaday'sromp。Heneverflinched。NoteventhattimetheK。O。senthimupthehillforreenforcementsatRache,wheneverysharpshooterinthebochetrencheswaslayingforhim,andwhenthemachinegunsweretrainedonhim,too。Bruceknewhewasrunningintodeath——,thenandadozenothertimes。Andhewentatitlikeawhiteman。
"I'm——I'mgettinglongwinded。AndI'llstop。But——maybeifyouboyswillremembertheBigDog——andwhathedidforus,——whenyougetbackhome,——ifyou'llrememberhimandwhathedidandwhatthousandsofotherwar-dogshavedone,——thenmaybeyou'llbemenenoughtopunchthejawofanyguywhogetstosayingthatdogsarenuisancesandthatvivisection'sagoodthing,andallthat。
Ifyou'lljustdothatmuch,then——well,thenBrucehasn'tlivedanddiedfornothing!
"Brucie,oldboy,"bendingtoliftthetawnybodyandloweritintothegrave,"it'sgood-by。It'sgood-bytothecleanest,whitestpalthatapoordubofadoughboyeverhad。I——"
Mahangloweredacrossattheclumpofsilentmen。
"IfanybodythinksI'mcrying,"hecontinuedthickly,"he'saliar。Igotacold,and——"
"SacrebonDieu!"yelledoldVivier,insanely。"Regarde-donc!Nomd'unepipe!"
Hekneltquicklybesidethebody,inanecstasyofexcitement。
Theotherscranedtheirneckstosee。Thenfromahundredthroatswentupagaspofamazement。
Bruce,slowlyanddazedly,wasliftinghismagnificenthead!
"Chaseoffforthesurgeon!"bellowedMahan,plumpingdownonhiskneesbesideVivierandexaminingthewoundinthedog'sscalp。
"Thebulletonlycreasedhisskull!Itdidn'tgothrough!It'sjustputhimoutforafewhours,likeI'veseenitdotomen。
Getthesurgeon!Ifthatbulletinhisbodydidn'thitsomethingvital,we'llpullhimaround,yet!GLORYBE!"
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ItwaslatesummeragainatThePlace,lateopulentsummer,withthepeaceofgreenearthandbluesky,theheavydroningofbeesandthepromiseofharvest。Thelongshadowsoflateafternoonstretchedlovinglyacrossthelawn,fromthegreatlakesidetrees。Overeverythingbroodedadreamyamberlight。Thewarseemedamillionmilesaway。
TheMistressandtheMastercamedownfromthevine-shadedverandafortheirsunsetwalkthroughthegrounds。Atsoundoftheirstepsonthegravel,ahugedark-brown-and-whitecollieemergedfromhisresting-placeunderthewistaria-arbor。
Hestretchedhimselflazily,foreandaft,incollie-fashion。
ThenhetrotteduptohistwodeitiesandthrusthismuzzleplayfullyintotheMistress'spalm,ashefellintostepwiththepromenaders。
Hewalkedwithastiffnessinoneforeleg。Hisgaitwasnotalimp。Buttheleg'sstrengthcouldnolongerbereliedonforaten-milegallop。Alonghisforeheadwasanew-healedbullet-
crease。Andthefuronhissideshadscarcelyyetgrownoverthemarkofthehigh-poweredballwhichhadgoneclearthroughhimwithouttouchingamortalspot。
Truly,theregimentalsurgeonofthe"Here-We-Comes"haddoneajobworthyofhisownhighfame!Andthedog'swonderfulconditionhaddonetherest。
Apartfromscarsandstiffness,Brucewasnonetheworseforhisyearonthebattle-front。Hecouldservenolongerasadashingcourier。Buthislifeasapetwasinnowayimpaired。
"Here'ssomethingthatcamebytheafternoonmail,Bruce,"theMastergreetedhim,asthecollierangedalongside。"Itbelongstoyou。Takealookatit。"
TheMasterdrewfromhispocketaleatherbox,andopenedit。Ontheoblongofwhitesatin,withinthecover,waspinnedaverysmallandverythingoldmedal。But,lightasitwas,ithadrepresentedmuchabstinencefromestaminetsandtobacco-shops,onthepartofitsdonors。
"Listen,"theMastersaid,holdingthemedalinfrontofthecollie。"Listen,whileIreadyoutheinscription:'ToBruce。
Fromsomeoftheboyshesavedfromtheboches。'"
Brucewassniffingthethingoldlozengeinterestedly。Theinscriptionmeantnothingtohim。But——strongandvividtohistrainednostrils——hescentedonthemedalthelovingfinger-
touchofhisoldfriendandadmirer,TopSergeantMahan。
第4章