on the firing line-第25部分

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sent　one　man　and　then　another　to　join　the　heap　on　the　ground　at　his　feet。

A　second　bullet　grazed　his　wrist；　and　a　horseman　swept　down　upon　him。　For　an　instant；　he　wavered。　Then　he　straightened　his　shoulders　and　took　careful　aim。　From　ten　feet　away；　he　had　heard　a　ringing　order；　and　the　order　had　been　given；　not　in　the　voice　of　his　own　captain；　but　in　that　of　Captain　Frazer　who；　as　ranking　officer；　had　taken　command　of　the　fight　into　which　chance　had　led　him。　Weldon's　every　nerve　answered　to　the　tonic　of　that　voice。　Not　since　Vlaakfontein　had　he　been　under　its　command。　Nevertheless；　the　old　spell　was　upon　him；　and　he　responded　to　its　call。　An　instant　before；　the　rush　towards　him　had　seemed　indomitable。　Those　furious；　fighting　horsemen　could　not　be　stayed　in　their　course。　Now　he　braced　himself　for　the　shock　of　their　coming；　while　tired　hand　and　blurring　eye　roused　themselves　to　do　the　bidding　of　his　brain。　He　was　dimly　aware　that　Paddy　had　struggled　forward　to　his　other　side　and；　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　him；　was　helping　to　beat　back　the　iron…like　force　pressing　down　upon　them。　Then；　with　the　keen　grasp　of　trifling　detail　which　often　marks　the　supreme　moment　of　mental　exhaustion；　he　became　conscious　that　the　hairy　tail　which　brushed　across　his　face　was　unduly　coarse　and　tangled；　while　a　sudden　cheer　from　around　him　told　that　the　Boers　were　turning　in　flight。

Dazed；　he　drew　his　hand　across　his　face；　and　stared　wonderingly　at　the　scarlet　drops　on　his　fingers。　Then　he　turned　and　looked　down　at　Paddy　with　a　whimsical；　questioning　smile。　Paddy　repeated　his　query。

〃Are　you　hurt；　little　one？〃　he　demanded；　for　the　second　time；　as　he　shook　Weldon's　arm。

Weldon　steadied　at　the　touch。

〃No；　only　scratched　a　bit。　It　is　nothing　to　last　at　all。　Are　you　all　right？〃

Paddy　shut　his　hand　over　a　shattered　finger。

〃Glory　be！　And　the　snakes　of　Boers　is　wriggling　off　to　their　holes。　And　now；　where's　the　Captain？〃

They　found　him　a　little　apart　from　the　line；　slightly　to　the　front　and　close　beside　a　scattered　heap　of　bearded　men。　His　face　was　white　and　the　lines　of　his　face　were　rigid　and　drawn；　but　he　hailed　them　just　as　he　always　had　been　used　to　do。

〃My　luck　has　changed；〃　he　added　quietly。　〃They　have　taken　my　leg；　this　time。　Still；　it's　not　so　very　painful。　I'll　fill　my　pipe　first；　and　then　will　you　two　fellows　help　me　back；　till　we　can　find　an　ambulance？〃




CHAPTER　NINETEEN


In　a　quiet　corner　of　the　crowded　hospital　at　Johannesburg；　one　narrow　bed　was　screened　away　from　its　neighbors。　Beside　the　bed　sat　Ethel　Dent；　and　Weldon　leaned　against　the　wall　beyond。　Both　of　them　were　smiling　bravely　down　into　the　dark…fringed　blue　eyes　which　met　their　eyes　with　a　steady　wishfulness。　With　the　end　so　plain　in　sight；　why　keep　up　the　pretence　of　being　blind　to　its　approach？

An　operation　had　been　the　final　chance；　and　the　chance　had　failed。　Out　from　the　stupor　of　ether；　out　from　the　hours　of　bewildering　pain；　Captain　Frazer　had　come　back　to　an　interval　of　full　consciousness；　of　fuller　knowledge　that；　for　him；　this　painless　interval　was　but　the　prelude　to　the　final　painless　sleep。　Nevertheless；　the　man　who　had　helped　other　men　to　die　unflinchingly　was　facing　death　with　a　grave；　unflinching　smile；　albeit　life　to　him　was　good　and　full　of　promise。　The　interval　was　short。　He　would　pass　through　it　in　manlike　fashion；　and；　meanwhile；　give　thanks　that　beside　his　bed　sat　the　one　woman　in　whom　his　whole　future　so　long　had　centered。

The　slow　moments　passed　by；　unheeded。　It　was　an　hour　since　the　surgeons　had　gone　away；　it　was　nearly　an　hour　since　Alice　Mellen　had　followed　the　surgeons。　Instinctively　she　realized　that　her　place　was　otherwhere。　There　was　no　need　now　for　skilled　nurses。　Ethel　could　do　all　the　little　which　would　be　required；　and　it　was　Ethel's　right　to　stay。

Since　Alice　had　left　them；　no　word　had　been　spoken。　The　Captain　had　little　strength　for　words　as　yet。　It　was　taking　all　his　energy　and　courage　to　face　the　truth　and　to　accept　it。　Only　an　hour　before；　his　crippled　career　had　seemed　to　him　unbearable。　Now；　as　he　lay　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　girl　beside　him；　he　realized　how　much　of　potential　sweetness　that　dreary　alternative　had　held。　And　yet；　Fate　had　drawn　him　into　the　battle；　and　it　was　something　that　he　had　met　Fate　bravely　and　in　the　foremost　rank。　So　far；　he　had　never　funked　a　fight；　if　it　took　his　last　bit　of　strength；　he　would　go　pluckily　through　this　last；　worse　fight　which　he　was　destined　to　face。　He　stirred　slightly；　and　shut　his　teeth　on　his　lower　lip；　but　his　eyes　never　dropped　from　Ethel's　face。　From　the　farther　side　of　the　bed；　Weldon；　too；　was　watching　Ethel。　If　he　lived　to　full　fivescore　years；　he　could　never　forget　her　face　as　he　had　met　her　at　the　hospital　door；　that　morning。　Exhausted　with　the　excitement　of　the　battle；　stiff　with　his　half…dressed　wounds；　soiled　and　untidy　and　haggard；　he　had　paused　beside　the　ambulance　while　the　attendants　had　lifted　the　stretcher　and　borne　the　Captain　up　the　low　flight　of　steps。　Then；　like　a　man　in　a　dream；　he　had　followed　along　behind　them　until；　on　the　very　threshold；　he　had　raised　his　heavy　eyes　to　see　Ethel　standing　before　him；　a　broad　shaft　of　sunshine　pouring　down　upon　her　to　rest　in　the　locks　of　sunshiny　hair　which　straggled　out　from　beneath　her　crisp　white　cap。

〃Cooee！〃　he　said　huskily；　as　he　took　her　hand。　Then；　for　the　first　time　in　all　those　terrible　hours　since　the　battle；　his　lips　had　quivered；　and　two　big；　boyish　tears　had　rolled　out　across　his　cheeks。

Already　the　fight　seemed　to　him　to　be　months　old。　From　the　first；　it　had　been　the　Captain's　wish　that　Weldon　should　go　with　him　to　the　hospital；　and　Weldon　would　have　allowed　no　other　man　to　go　in　his　place。　Wounded　and　weak　from　loss　of　blood；　nevertheless　he　forgot　his　own　weakness　as　he　saw　the　leg；　shattered　by　two　bullets；　explosive　bullets　such　as　are　denied　to　warfare　of　any　but　barbarous　nations。　Young　though　he　was；　Weldon　had　seen　many　a　man　wounded　before　now。　He　was　not　slow　to　realize　the　nature　of　the　alternatives　which　lay　before　the　man　who　was　at　once　his　hero　and　his　friend。　Mercifully；　he　had　as　yet　no　knowledge　how　soon　the　one　alternative　must　be　taken　from　him。

The　case　was　too　grave　a　one　for　the　surgeons　of　the　field　hospital。　In　after　years；　that　ambulance　journey　into　Kroonstad　seemed　branded　upon　Weldon's　memory：　the　baking　heat　of　the　February　sun；　the　interminable　miles　of　dusty　road　stretching　away　between　other　interminable　miles　of　grassy　veldt；　scarred　and　seamed　here　and　there　with　ridges　of　naked　rock。　And　at　last　the　ambulance　had　jogged　into　Kroonstad；　only　to　find　that　no　help　lay　in　the　hospital　there；　that　the　journey　must　be　dragged　onward　through　a　night　ride　to　Johannesburg。

If　the　jolting；　crawling　ambulance　had　been　bad；　the　jarring　train　was　infinitely　worse。　The　Captain　made　no　complaints；　he　was　grateful　for　every　slight　attention；　he　even　forced　himself　to　joke　a　little　now　and　then。　Nevertheless；　Weldon；　sitting　beside　him　and　occasionally　laying　his　own　fingers　across　the　steady　hand　on　the　blanket；　was　maddened　by　the　noise　of　the　engine；　by　the　ceaseless　thud；　thud　as　the　wheels　took　every　new　rail；　by　the　roar；　and　the　rush；　and　the　dust　which　filtered　in　upon　them。　There　was　nothing　he　could　do。　He　merely　sat　there　beside　his　friend；　and　thought。　Occasionally；　he　thought　of　Ethel；　but；　for　the　most　part；　his　mind　was　on　the　man　before　him；　the　man　whose　active　career　all　at　once　had　been　cut　in　two。　Now　and　then　he　thought　of　the　one　who　had　chosen　to　fire　those　bullets；　taboo　of　all　but　the　most　brutal　warfare。　At　such　times；　he　rose　and　fell　to　pacing　restlessly　up　and　down　the　car。　Then　he　controlled　himself　and　resumed　his　seat。

Moment　by　moment；　almost　second　by　second；　the　dreary　night　had　worn　away。　It　was　full　morning　when　the　train　had　halted　inside　the　familiar　station。　After　his　vigil；　the　healthy　stir　of　the　streets　appeared　to　Weldon　like　the　confused　picture　of　a　dream；　and　it　had　been　like　a　man　in　a　dream　that　he　had　been　driven　away　to　the　hospital。　Then；　on　the　steps；　he　had　seen　Ethel；　and　the　dream　had　been　shattered；　giving　way；　for　the　instant；　to　the　perfect　happiness　of　reality。

But　the　surgeons　at　Johannesburg　had　shaken　their　heads。　The　delay；　although　unavoidable；　had　been　full　of　danger。　One　only　chance　remained；　and　they　would　take　that　chance。　Weldon　had　lingered　until　he　was　ordered　away；　then；　with　Ethel　beside　him；　he　had　gone　to　find　a　doctor　who　could　dress　his　own　wounds　and　make　him　fit　to　face　the　ordeal　which　he　knew　was　awaiting　him。　For　one　short　moment；　he　had　felt　Ethel's　hands　busy　about　his　shoulder　and　head　and　wrist；　had　rejoiced　in　the　quiet　strength　of　their　soothing　touch。　For　another　moment；　their　eyes　had　met；　but　no　word　had　been　spoken　between　them。　Then　Alice　had　come　to　them；　bringing　the　surgeon's　verdict。　That　had　been　an　hour　before。　Now　they　still　were　there；　watching　the　slow　approach　of　the　inevitable　summons。

Slowly　the　day　waxedand　waned。　For　the　waning　life；　there　was　no　interval　of　waxing。　Slowly；　steadily；　by　infinitesimal　degrees；　Leo　Frazer　was　sinking　down　into　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow。　Once　the　head　surgeon　had　stepped　behind　the　screens　and　bent　over　the　bed。　Only　Ethel　had　seen　the　brief　contraction　of　his　brows；　but　no　one　of　them　was　deceived　by　his　cheery　words　of　parting。　And　still　the　blue　eyes　rested　upon　Ethel；　as　if　seeking　to　gain　from　her　the　answer　to　some　unspoken　question；　as　if　begging　her　to　share　with　him　some　fraction　of　her　quiet　strength。　Now　and　then　Ethel　wondered　at　her　own　quiet。　This　was　the　second　week　of　her　promised　month　with　her　cousin；　but　it　was　the　first　time　she　had　come　face　to　face　with　death；　the　first　time；　too；　that　her　work　had　taken　on　any　hint　of　personality。　Now；　suddenly　confronted　with　these　three；　Death　and　the　two　men　who；　during　the　past　fourteen　months；　had　played　so　active　parts　in　her　life；　she　was　surprised　to　find　that　she　faced　them　steadily　and　in　silence。　As　yet；　she　felt　no　wish　to　make　any　moan。　That　would　come　later；　when　her　nerves　had　relaxed　a　little　from　the　stretching　strain。　And；　meanwhile；　as　she　sat　watching　the　face　on　the　pillow；　grieving　for　the　waning　life；　now　and　then　she　raised　her　eyes　to　the