The Red Badge of Courage | Page 9

be
aflare, and the rolling crashes of an engagement come to his ears.
Staring once at the red eyes across the river, he conceived them to be
grow- ing larger, as the orbs of a row of dragons ad- vancing. He turned
toward the colonel and saw him lift his gigantic arm and calmly stroke
his mustache.
At last he heard from along the road at the foot of the hill the clatter of
a horse's galloping hoofs. It must be the coming of orders. He bent

forward, scarce breathing. The exciting clickety-click, as it grew louder
and louder, seemed to be beating upon his soul. Presently a horseman
with jangling equipment drew rein be- fore the colonel of the regiment.
The two held a short, sharp-worded conversation. The men in the
foremost ranks craned their necks.
As the horseman wheeled his animal and gal- loped away he turned to
shout over his shoulder, "Don't forget that box of cigars!" The colonel
mumbled in reply. The youth wondered what a box of cigars had to do
with war.
A moment later the regiment went swinging off into the darkness. It
was now like one of those moving monsters wending with many feet.
The air was heavy, and cold with dew. A mass of wet grass, marched
upon, rustled like silk.
There was an occasional flash and glimmer of steel from the backs of
all these huge crawl- ing reptiles. From the road came creakings and
grumblings as some surly guns were dragged away.
The men stumbled along still muttering specu- lations. There was a
subdued debate. Once a man fell down, and as he reached for his rifle a
comrade, unseeing, trod upon his hand. He of the injured fingers swore
bitterly and aloud. A low, tittering laugh went among his fellows.
Presently they passed into a roadway and marched forward with easy
strides. A dark regiment moved before them, and from behind also
came the tinkle of equipments on the bodies of marching men.
The rushing yellow of the developing day went on behind their backs.
When the sunrays at last struck full and mellowingly upon the earth,
the youth saw that the landscape was streaked with two long, thin,
black columns which disappeared on the brow of a hill in front and
rearward vanished in a wood. They were like two serpents crawling
from the cavern of the night.
The river was not in view. The tall soldier burst into praises of what he
thought to be his powers of perception.

Some of the tall one's companions cried with emphasis that they, too,
had evolved the same thing, and they congratulated themselves upon it.
But there were others who said that the tall one's plan was not the true
one at all. They per- sisted with other theories. There was a vigorous
discussion.
The youth took no part in them. As he walked along in careless line he
was engaged with his own eternal debate. He could not hin- der himself
from dwelling upon it. He was de- spondent and sullen, and threw
shifting glances about him. He looked ahead, often expecting to hear
from the advance the rattle of firing.
But the long serpents crawled slowly from hill to hill without bluster of
smoke. A dun-col- ored cloud of dust floated away to the right. The sky
overhead was of a fairy blue.
The youth studied the faces of his compan- ions, ever on the watch to
detect kindred emo- tions. He suffered disappointment. Some ardor of
the air which was causing the veteran com- mands to move with
glee--almost with song-- had infected the new regiment. The men
began to speak of victory as of a thing they knew. Also, the tall soldier
received his vindication. They were certainly going to come around in
behind the enemy. They expressed commisera- tion for that part of the
army which had been left upon the river bank, felicitating themselves
upon being a part of a blasting host.
The youth, considering himself as separated from the others, was
saddened by the blithe and merry speeches that went from rank to rank.
The company wags all made their best endeav- ors. The regiment
tramped to the tune of laughter.
The blatant soldier often convulsed whole files by his biting sarcasms
aimed at the tall one.
And it was not long before all the men seemed to forget their mission.
Whole brigades grinned in unison, and regiments laughed.
A rather fat soldier attempted to pilfer a horse from a dooryard. He

planned to load his knap- sack upon it. He was escaping with his prize
when a young girl rushed from the house and grabbed the animal's
mane. There followed a wrangle. The young girl, with pink cheeks and
shining eyes, stood like a