第 14 节
作者:风雅颂      更新:2021-02-21 10:00      字数:9322
  staggering up to headquartersone mass of blood; and three
  inches thick with caked dirt。 His right side was torn open from a
  shell…wound; and he had two machine…gun bullets in his shoulder。
  He's deaf as a post; too; from shell…shock。 He tumbled over in a
  heap on the steps of headquarters。 But he GOT there。 That's
  Bruce; all over。 That's the best type of collie; all over。 Some
  of us were for putting him out of his misery with a shot through
  the head。 We'd have done it; too; if it had been any other dog。
  But the surgeon…general waded in and took a hand in the game
  carried Bruce to his own quarters。 We left him working over the
  dog himself。 And he swears Bruce will pull through!〃
  CHAPTER IV。 When Eyes Were No Use
  〃Yes; it's an easy enough trade to pick up;〃 lectured Top…
  Sergeant Mahan; formerly of the regular army。 〃You've just got to
  remember a few things。 But you've got to keep on remembering
  those few; all the time。 If you forget one of 'em; it's the last
  bit of forgetting you're ever likely to do。〃
  Top…Sergeant Mahan; of the mixed French…and…American regiment
  known as 〃Here…We…Come;〃 was squatting at ease on the trench
  firing step。 From that professorial seat he was dispensing
  useful knowledge to a group of fellow…countrymen…newly arrived
  from the base; to pad the 〃Here…We…Come〃 ranks; which had been
  thinned at the Rache attack。
  〃What sort of things have we got to remember; Sergeant?〃 jauntily
  asked a lanky Missourian。 〃 We've got the drill pretty pat; and
  the trench instructions and〃
  〃Gee!〃 ejaculated Mahan。 〃I had no idea of that! Then why don't
  you walk straight ahead into Berlin? If you know all you say you
  do; about war; there's nothing more for you to learn。 I'll drop a
  line to General Foch and suggest to him that you rookies be
  detailed to teach the game to us oldsters。〃
  〃I didn't mean to be fresh;〃 apologized the jaunty one。 〃Won't
  you go ahead and tell us the things we need to remember?〃
  〃Well;〃 exhorted Mahan; appeased by the newcomer's humility;
  〃there aren't so many of them; after all。 Learn to duck; when you
  hear a Minnie grunt or a whizzbang cut loose; or a five…nine
  begin to whimper。 Learn not to bother to duck when the rifles get
  to jabberingfor you'll never hear the bullet that gets you。
  Study the nocturnal habits of machine…guns and the ways of
  snipers and the right time not to play the fool。 And keep saying
  to yourself: 'The bullet ain't molded that can get ME!' Mean it
  when you say it。 When you've learned those few things; the rest
  of the war…game is dead easy。〃
  〃Except;〃 timidly amended old Sergeant Vivier; the gray little
  Frenchman; 〃except when eyes areare what you call it; no use。〃
  〃That's right;〃 assented Mahan。 〃In the times when eyes are no
  use; all rules fail。 And then the only thing you can do is to
  trust to your Yankee luck。 I remember〃
  〃'When eyes are no use'?〃 repeated the recruit。 〃If you mean
  after dark; at nighthaven't we got the searchlights and the
  starshells and all that?〃
  〃Son;〃 replied Mahan; 〃we have。 Though I don't see how you ever
  guessed such an important secret。 But since you know everything;
  maybe you'll just kindly tell us what good all the lights in the
  world are going to do us when the filthy yellow…gray fog begins
  to ooze up out of the mud and the shell…holes; and the filthy
  gray mist oozes down from the clouds to meet it。 Fog is the one
  thing that all the warscience won't overcome。 A fogpenetrator
  hasn't been invented yet。 If it had been; there'd be many a husky
  lad living today; who has gone West; this past few years; on
  account of the fogs。 Fog is the boche's pet。 It gives Fritzy a
  lovely chance to creep up or; us。 It〃
  〃It is the helper of US; too;〃 suggested old Vivier。 〃More than
  one time; it has kept me safe when I was on patrol。 And did it
  not help to save us at Rache; when〃
  〃The fog may have helped us; one per cent; at Rache;〃 admitted
  Mahan。 〃But Bruce did ninety…nine per cent of the saving。〃
  〃A Scotch general?〃 asked the recruit; as Vivier nodded cordial
  affirmation of Mahan's words; and as others of the old…timers
  muttered approval。
  〃No;〃 contradicted Mahan。 〃A Scotch collie。 If you were dry
  behind the ears; in this life; you wouldn't have to ask who Bruce
  is。〃
  〃I don't understand;〃 faltered the rookie; suspicious of a
  possible joke。
  〃You will soon;〃 Mahan told him。 〃Bruce will be here to…day。 I
  heard the K。O。 saying the big dog is going to be sent down with
  some dispatches or something; from headquarters。 It's his first
  trip since he was cut up so。〃
  〃I am saving himthis!〃 proclaimed Vivier; disgorging from the
  flotsam of his pocket a lump of once…white sugar。 〃My wife; she
  smuggle three of these to me in her last paquet。 One I eat in my
  cafe noir; one I present to mon cher vieux; ce bon Mahan; one I
  keep for the grand dog what save us all that day。〃
  〃What's the idea?〃 queried the mystified rookie。 〃I don't〃
  〃We were stuck in the front line of the Rache salient;〃 explained
  Mahan; eager to recount his dog…friend's prowess。 〃On both sides
  our supports got word to fall back。 We couldn't get the word;
  because our telephone connection was knocked galley…west。 There
  we were; waiting for a Hun attack to wipe us out。 We couldn't
  fall back; for they were peppering the hillslope behind us。 We
  were at the bottom。 They'd have cut us to ribbons if we'd shown
  our carcasses in the open。 Bruce was here; with a message he'd
  brought。 The K。O。 sent him back to headquarters for the reserves。
  The boche heavies and snipers and machine…guns all cut loose to
  stop him as he scooted up the hill。 And a measly giant of a
  German police dog tried to kill him; too。 Bruce got through the
  lot of them; and he reached headquarters with the SOS call that
  saved us。 The poor chap was cut and gouged and torn by bullets
  and shell…scraps; and he was nearly dead from shell…shock; too。
  But the surgeon general worked over him; himself; and pulled him
  back to life。 He〃
  〃He is a loved pet of a man and a woman in your America; I have
  heard one say;〃 chimed in Vivier。 〃And his home; there; was in
  the quiet country。 He was lent to the cause; as a patriotic
  offering; ce brave! And of a certainty; he has earned his
  welcome。〃
  When Bruce; an hour later; trotted into the trenches; on the way
  to the 〃Here…We…Come〃 colonel's quarters; he was received like a
  visiting potentate。 Dozens of men hailed him eagerly by name as
  he made his way to his destination with the message affixed to
  his collar。
  Many of these men were his well…remembered friends and comrades。
  Mahan and Vivier; and one or two more; he had grown to likeas
  well as he could like any one in that land of horrors; three
  thousand miles away from The Place; where he was born; and from
  the Mistress and the Master; who were his loyally worshiped gods。
  Moreover; being only mortal and afflicted with a hearty appetite;
  Bruce loved the food and other delicacies the men were forever
  offering him as a variation on the stodgy fare dished out to him
  and his fellow war…dogs。
  As much to amuse and interest the soldiers whose hero he was; as
  for any special importance in the dispatch he carried; Bruce had
  been sent now to the trenches of the Here…We…Comes。 It was his
  first visit to the regiment he had saved; since the days of the
  Rache assault two months earlier。 Thanks to supremely clever
  surgery and to tender care; the dog was little the worse for his
  wounds。 His hearing gradually had come back。 In one shoulder he
  had a very slight stiffness which was not a limp; and a
  new…healed furrow scarred the left side of his tawny coat。
  Otherwise he was as good as new。
  As Bruce trotted toward the group that so recently had been
  talking of him; the Missouri recruit watched with interest for
  the dog's joy at this reunion with his old friends。 Bruce's snowy
  chest and black…stippled coat were fluffed out by many recent
  baths。 His splendid head high and his dark eyes bright; the
  collie advanced toward the group。
  Mahan greeted him joyously。 Vivier stretched out a hand which
  displayed temptingly the long…hoarded lump of sugar。 A third man
  produced; from nowhere in particular; a large and meat…fringed
  soup…bone。
  〃I wonder which of you he'll come to; first;〃 said the interested
  Missourian。
  The question was answered at once; and right humiliatingly。 For
  Bruce did not falter in his swinging stride as he came abreast of
  the group。 Not by so much as a second glance did he notice
  Mahan's hail and the tempting food。
  As he passed within six inches of the lump of sugar which Vivier
  was holding out to him; the dog's silken ears quivered slightly;
  sure sign of hard…repressed emotion in a thoroughbred collie;
  but he gave no other manifestation that he knew any one was
  there。
  〃Well; I'll be blessed!〃 snickered the Missourian in high
  derisio