首页 >出版文学> Bruce>第4章

第4章

  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。
  ***********
  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。
  ************
  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。
  ***********
  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!"
  ***********
  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。