第 17 节
作者:
插翅难飞 更新:2021-04-30 17:18 字数:9322
madI; Etienne Gerard!
In a moment it came upon me; this spirit of sport; this desire to excel;
this hatred of the fox。 Accursed animal; should he then defy us? Vile
robber; his hour was come!
Ah; it is a great feeling; this feeling of sport; my friends; this desire to
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trample the fox under the hoofs of your horse。 I have made the fox chase
with the English。 I have also; as I may tell you some day; fought the box…
fight with the Bustler; of Bristol。 And I say to you that this sport is a
wonderful thingfull of interest as well as madness。
The farther we went the faster galloped my horse; and soon there were
but three men as near the dogs as I was。
All thought of fear of discovery had vanished。 My brain throbbed;
my blood ran hotonly one thing upon earth seemed worth living for; and
that was to overtake this infernal fox。 I passed one of the horsemena
Hussar like myself。 There were only two in front of me now: the one in a
black coat; the other the blue artilleryman whom I had seen at the inn。
His grey whiskers streamed in the wind; but he rode magnificently。 For a
mile or more we kept in this order; and then; as we galloped up a steep
slope; my lighter weight brought me to the front。
I passed them both; and when I reached the crown I was riding level
with the little; hard…faced English huntsman。
In front of us were the dogs; and then; a hundred paces beyond them;
was a brown wisp of a thing; the fox itself; stretched to the uttermost。
The sight of him fired my blood。 〃Aha; we have you then; assassin!〃 I
cried; and shouted my encouragement to the huntsman。 I waved my hand
to show him that there was one upon whom he could rely。
And now there were only the dogs between me and my prey。 These
dogs; whose duty it is to point out the game; were now rather a hindrance
than a help to us; for it was hard to know how to pass them。 The
huntsman felt the difficulty as much as I; for he rode behind them; and
could make no progress toward the fox。 He was a swift rider; but
wanting in enterprise。 For my part; I felt that it would be unworthy of the
Hussars of Conflans if I could not overcome such a difficulty as this。
Was Etienne Gerard to be stopped by a herd of fox…dogs?
It was absurd。 I gave a shout and spurred my horse。
〃Hold hard; sir! Hold hard!〃 cried the huntsman。
He was uneasy for me; this good old man; but I reassured him by a
wave and a smile。 The dogs opened in front of me。 One or two may
have been hurt; but what would you have? The egg must be broken for
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the omelette。 I could hear the huntsman shouting his congratulations
behind me。 One more effort; and the dogs were all behind me。 Only
the fox was in front。
Ah; the joy and pride of that moment! To know that I had beaten the
English at their own sport。 Here were three hundred; all thirsting for the
life of this animal; and yet it was I who was about to take it。 I thought of
my comrades of the light cavalry brigade; of my mother; of the Emperor;
of France。 I had brought honour to each and all。 Every instant brought
me nearer to the fox。 The moment for action had arrived; so I unsheathed
my sabre。 I waved it in the air; and the brave English all shouted behind
me。
Only then did I understand how difficult is this fox chase; for one may
cut again and again at the creature and never strike him once。 He is small;
and turns quickly from a blow。 At every cut I heard those shouts of
encouragement from behind me; and they spurred me to yet another effort。
And then at last the supreme moment of my triumph arrived。 In the very
act of turning I caught him fair with such another back…handed cut as that
with which I killed the aide…de…camp of the Emperor of Russia。 He flew
into two pieces; his head one way and his tail another。 I looked back and
waved the blood… stained sabre in the air。 For the moment I was exalted …
…superb!
Ah! how I should have loved to have waited to have received the
congratulations of these generous enemies。
There were fifty of them in sight; and not one who was not waving his
hand and shouting。 They are not really such a phlegmatic race; the
English。 A gallant deed in war or in sport will always warm their hearts。
As to the old huntsman; he was the nearest to me; and I could see with my
own eyes how overcome he was by what he had seen。 He was like a man
paralysed; his mouth open; his hand; with outspread fingers; raised in the
air。 For a moment my inclination was to return and to embrace him。
But already the call of duty was sounding in my ears; and these
English; in spite of all the fraternity which exists among sportsmen; would
certainly have made me prisoner。 There was no hope for my mission
now; and I had done all that I could do。 I could see the lines of Massena's
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camp no very great distance off; for; by a lucky chance; the chase had
taken us in that direction。
I turned from the dead fox; saluted with my sabre; and galloped away。
But they would not leave me so easily; these gallant huntsmen。 I was
the fox now; and the chase swept bravely over the plain。 It was only at
the moment when I started for the camp that they could have known that I
was a Frenchman; and now the whole swarm of them were at my heels。
We were within gunshot of our pickets before they would halt; and then
they stood in knots and would not go away; but shouted and waved their
hands at me。 No; I will not think that it was in enmity。 Rather would I
fancy that a glow of admiration filled their breasts; and that their one
desire was to embrace the stranger who had carried himself so gallantly
and well。
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IV。 How the Brigadier Saved the
Army
I have told you; my friends; how we held the English shut up for six
months; from October; 1810; to March; 1811; within their lines of Torres
Vedras。 It was during this time that I hunted the fox in their company;
and showed them that amidst all their sportsmen there was not one who
could outride a Hussar of Conflans。 When I galloped back into the
French lines with the blood of the creature still moist upon my blade the
outposts who had seen what I had done raised a frenzied cry in my honour;
whilst these English hunters still yelled behind me; so that I had the
applause of both armies。 It made the tears rise to my eyes to feel that I
had won the admiration of so many brave men。 These English are
generous foes。 That very evening there came a packet under a white flag
addressed 〃To the Hussar officer who cut down the fox。〃 Within; I found
the fox itself in two pieces; as I had left it。 There was a note also; short
but hearty; as the English fashion is; to say that as I had slaughtered the
fox it only remained for me to eat it。 They could not know that it was not
our French custom to eat foxes; and it showed their desire that he who had
won the honours of the chase should also partake of the game。 It is not
for a Frenchman to be outdone in politeness; and so I returned it to these
brave hunters; and begged them to accept it as a side…dish for their next
dejeuner de la chasse。
It is thus that chivalrous opponents make war。
I had brought back with me from my ride a clear plan of the English
lines; and this I laid before Massena that very evening。
I had hoped that it would lead him to attack; but all the marshals were
at each other's throats;