【】nddrilling,anddisciplining.ifhehadhis
akeuslikearegintofline;asifthereuldbe
anygoodincarryingoutallthatsortofthing,hfranc
tireurs.hehadabouthalfofustogether,forthreeorfourdays;
andigiveyouwasasbadasslavery.drill,drill,
drill,frooingtillnight.iilyglad,itell
you,ent.”
ralphsaerable
classhatdrillanddisciplineies,and
thatitantoshoulderagunfor
hiobeasoldier;soheeasilyavoidedargunt,bytuingthe
subject.foraupleofhourstheychatted;andthen,asthefire
enhadalreadylaiddoosleep,ralph
suggestedthattheyshoulddothesa.
”ihesentriesfirst,hyou,ifyoulike,”he
said.
”seheothersaid,ysentry,”and
hepoioanstanding,tenpacesoff,leaningagainsta
tree.”thenhavereinanhour
beforeyoudidandiaotgoiheirstrengthby
puttinghalfoftheuttochtheforest.
”no,no,iaoadvoyn.”
”goodnight,then,”ralphsaid,briefly,andheselfin
hiscloak,andlaydown.
”edtothissortofthing,percy,”hewhispered
tohisbrother,inenglish,”andidontlikeit.nowonderour
fraheir
discipline.”
”idontlikeiteither,ralph.theprussiansareadvang;andif
thatfelloastenlesoff,theyareaslikely
asnottobeonlytoinges.”
”her,percy.hoehaveno
authorityoverthisfelloustkethebestofit,and
hopethatforoncefollyhaveitsjustreward.”
sosaying,theboysreinedsilentforthenight.butalthough
sileheroftheleptchralphespecially,was
stillverysore,andattispainful,hardlyclosedhiseyes.he
toldhielfitheuldnothelplistening,h
painfulattention.
hadthenightbeenaquietone,hehavestrainedhisears;
forashekhenyhourshehadpassedatnightupon
guard,thehushissointehesegreatforeststhatone
hearthefallofauntainstrealesahesnappingof
atostthefallingofaleaf,chtheear.the
night,hoherustleofthepineforestwould
havedeadenedallsound,exceptanythingsharp,andnear.
thesentrydidnotappearsilarlyiressedhthey
foraraordinaryattention.heipallyoupiedin
strugglingagainstld,anddron,he
staedhisfoot,huedsnatchesofsongs,yahgreat
vigor,andsookeepawohours;whenheroused
theforduty,andlaydohagruntofrelief.
atlast,afterkeepingawakeforhours,ralphdozedoff.howlong
heslept,hekheofullwakefulnessbya
toudoylewhisper:
”hist,sterralph,ivedoubtsthatthereissothingwrong.
iuldntsleep,inthishoroutposts;andfor
thelastquarterofanhour,ifancyivebeenhearingnoises.i
dontknoing,butitseetotheyare
allroundus.iybeassureasthepiper”
”hush,tiralphsaidtotheirishn,rawled
noiselesslyalong,andhadlaindownbyhisside.
”percy,areyouawake”
”yes,isen.”
theydidlisten;anddistinctly,abovethesighingofthewind,
theyuldheararustling,cragnoise.daybreaking,
butthelightsuffitlystrongtoshoshany
distiness,arees.
”byjove,goingto
alarhecahesentry,startledintowakefulness,
challengedandfired.
thefranctireurs
e,down.
”liestill,”hesaid,”foryourlives.”
hisendousvolleyrang
outallroundtheandhalfthefranctireursfell.
”noakearushforahouse.
”tothehouses,allofyou,”heshouted,loudly.”itisouronly
ce.down,here,likesheep.”
theofficerofthefranctireurshadalreadyatonedforhis
carelessness,byhislife;andthenobeyedralphscalland,
adstaheavyfire,rushedacrossthefiftyyardsofopenspaceto
thehouses.thedoorin,htherush.
ralphhadnotstoppedatthefirsthousebut,followedbyhis
brotherandtioyle,hadrunfartheron;aeredthelast
houseinthevillage.
”goihers,ralphhanceof
defendingourselves,here.wehaveonlyourrevolvers.”
”hanceofdefendingourselvesanyy,”ralph
said.”therestbeaupleofhuheatleast;andnot
abovefifteenortost,ofthefranctireursgaihe
houses.resistaterlyuseless;a,hadibeenh
thosepoorfellotosurrender,when
theyierwards.weshouldbe
silythrohoutdoingtheleastgood.”
thereontafter,halfa
dozenshhtheherewasarushof
soldierstohedoor,open.
”an,ingforeet
the”hofficers.”
”dontfire,”avoieforward.
”youarenotfranctireurs”heasked,forthelightill
insuffitodistinguishunifor.
”y,upongeneralcarielsstaff.this
nisanorderly.
”hereareoursar.”
thegernofficerbowed.
”keepyoursen.iaotin
nd.”
atthisnt,anotheroffiaup.
”whohaveakeprisoners”
”theyaretajor.”
”he”saidthejor,doubtfully.
”ento
ceasetheirresistance.”
thefrane
ttage,selvesdesperately;andwere
keepingupaheavyfire,frohewindows.
”itosurreonce,”ralphsaid,quietly;”if
yougiveyourhattheyshall
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