michael-第56部分

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In　front；　from　just　outside　the　parapet　to　a　depth　of　some　twenty　yards；　stretched　the　spider…web　of　wire　entanglements；　and　a　little　farther　down　on　the　right　there　had　been　a　copse　of　horn…beam　saplings。　　An　attempt　had　been　made　by　the　enemy　during　the　morning　to　capture　and　entrench　this；　thus　advancing　their　lines；　but　the　movement　had　been　seen；　and　the　artillery　fire；　which　had　been　so　incessant　all　the　morning；　denoted　the　searching　of　this　and　the　rendering　of　it　untenable。　　How　thorough　that　searching　had　been　was　clear；　for　that　which　had　been　an　acre　of　wood　was　now　but　a　heap　of　timber　fit　only　for　faggots。　　Scarcely　a　tree　was　left　standing；　and　Michael；　looking　out　of　one　of　the　peep…holes　by　the　light　of　a　star…shell　saw　that　the　wire　entanglements　were　thick　with　leaves　that　the　wind　and　the　firing　had　detached　from　the　broken　branches。　　In　turn；　the　wire　entanglements　had　come　in　for　some　shelling　by　the　enemy；　and　a　squad　of　men　were　out　now　under　cover　of　the　darkness　repairing　these。　　There　was　a　slight　dip　in　the　ground　here；　and　by　crouching　and　lying　they　were　out　of　sight　of　the　trenches　opposite；　but　there　were　some　snipers　in　that　which　had　been　a　wood；　from　whom　there　came　occasional　shots。　　Then；　from　lower　down　to　the　right；　there　came　a　fusillade　from　the　English　lines　suddenly　breaking　out；　and　after　a　few　minutes　as　suddenly　stopping　again。　　But　the　sniping　from　the　wood　had　ceased。

Michael　did　not　come　on　duty　till　six　in　the　morning；　and　for　the　present　he　had　nothing　to　do　except　eat　his　rations　and　sleep　as　well　as　he　could　in　his　dug…out。　　He　had　plenty　of　room　to　stretch　his　legs　if　he　sat　half　upright；　and　having　taken　his　Major's　advice　in　the　matter　of　bringing　his　fur　coat　with　him；　he　found　himself　warm　enough；　in　spite　of　the　rather　bitter　wind　that；　striking　an　angle　in　the　trench　wall；　eddied　sharply　into　his　retreat；　to　sleep。　　But　not　less　justified　than　the　advice　to　bring　his　fur　coat　was　his　Major's　assurance　that　the　attack　of　the　horrors　which　had　seized　him　after　dinner　that　day；　would　pass　off　when　the　waiting　was　over。　　Throughout　the　evening　his　nerves　had　been　perfectly　steady；　and；　when　in　their　progress　up　the　communication　trench　they　had　passed　a　man　half　disembowelled　by　a　fragment　of　a　shell；　and　screaming；　or　when；　as　he　trod　on　one　of　the　uneasy　places　an　arm　had　stirred　and　jerked　up　suddenly　through　the　handful　of　earth　that　covered　it；　he　had　no　first…hand　sense　of　horror：　he　felt　rather　as　if　those　things　were　happening　not　to　him　but　to　someone　else；　and　that；　at　the　most；　they　were　strange　and　odd；　but　no　longer　horrible。　　But　now；　when　reinforced　by　food　again　and　comfortable　beneath　his　fur　cloak　he　let　his　mind　do　what　it　would；　not　checking　it；　but　allowing　it　its　natural　internal　activity；　he　found　that　a　mood　transcending　any　he　had　known　yet　was　his。　　So　far　from　these　experiences　being　terrifying；　so　far　from　their　being　strange　and　unreal；　they　suddenly　became　intensely　real　and　shone　with　a　splendour　that　he　had　never　suspected。　Originally　he　had　been　pitchforked　by　his　father　into　the　army；　and　had　left　it　to　seek　music。　　Sense　of　duty　had　made　it　easy　for　him　to　return　to　it　at　a　time　of　national　peril；　but　during　all　the　bitter　anxiety　of　that　he　had　never；　as　in　the　light　of　the　perception　that　came　to　him　now；　as　the　wind　whistled　round　him　in　the　dim　lit　darkness；　had　a　glimpse　of　the　glory　of　service　to　his　country。　　Here；　out　in　this　small；　evil…smelling　cavern；　with　the　whole　grim　business　of　war　going　on　round　him；　he　for　the　first　time　fully　realised　the　reality　of　it　all。　　He　had　been　in　the　trenches　before；　but　until　now　that　had　seemed　some　vague；　evil　dream；　of　which　he　was　incredulous。　　Now　in　the　darkness　the　darkness　cleared；　and　the　knowledge　that　this　was　the　very　thing　itself；　that　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　away　were　the　lines　of　the　enemy；　whose　power；　for　the　honour　of　England　and　for　the　freedom　of　Europe；　had　to　be　broken　utterly；　filled　him　with　a　sense　of　firm；　indescribable　joy。　　The　minor　problems　which　had　worried　him；　the　fact　of　millions　of　treasure　that　might　have　fed　the　poor　and　needy　over　all　Britain　for　a　score　of　years；　being　outpoured　in　fire　and　steel；　the　fact　of　thousands　of　useful　and　happy　lives　being　sacrificed；　of　widows　and　orphans　and　childless　mothers　growing　ever　a　greater　companyall　these　things；　terrible　to　look　at；　if　you　looked　at　them　alone；　sank　quietly　into　their　sad　appointed　places　when　you　looked　at　the　thing　entire。　　His　own　case　sank　there；　too；　music　and　life　and　love　for　which　he　would　so　rapturously　have　lived；　were　covered　up　now；　and　at　this　moment　he　would　as　rapturously　have　died；　if；　by　his　death；　he　could　have　served　in　his　own　infinitesimal　degree；　the　cause　he　fought　for。

The　hours　went　on；　whether　swiftly　or　slowly　he　did　not　consider。　The　wind　fell；　and　for　some　minutes　a　heavy　shower　of　rain　plumped　vertically　into　the　trench。　　Once　during　it　a　sudden　illumination　blazed　in　the　sky；　and　he　saw　the　pebbles　in　the　wall　opposite　shining　with　the　fresh…falling　drops。　　There　were　a　dozen　rifle…　shots　and　he　saw　the　sentry　who　had　just　passed　brushing　the　edge　of　his　coat　against　Michael's　hand；　pause；　and　look　out　through　the　spy…hole　close　by；　and　say　something　to　himself。　　Occasionally　he　dozed　for　a　little；　and　woke　again　from　dreaming　of　Sylvia；　into　complete　consciousness　of　where　he　was；　and　of　that　superb　joy　that　pervaded　him。　　By　and　by　these　dozings　grew　longer；　and　the　intervals　of　wakefulness　less；　and　for　a　couple　of　hours　before　he　was　roused　he　slept　solidly　and　dreamlessly。

His　spell　of　duty　began　before　dawn；　and　he　got　up　to　go　his　rounds；　rather　stiff　and　numb；　and　his　sleep　seemed　to　have　wearied　rather　than　refreshed　him。　　In　that　hour　of　early　morning；　when　vitality　burns　lowest；　and　the　dying　part　their　hold　on　life；　the　thrill　that　had　possessed　him　during　the　earlier　hours　of　the　night；　had　died　down。　　He　knew；　having　once　felt　it；　that　it　was　there；　and　believed　that　it　would　come　when　called　upon；　but　it　had　drowsed　as　he　slept；　and　was　overlaid　by　the　sense　of　the　grim；　inexorable　side　of　the　whole　business。　　A　disconcerting　bullet　was　plugged　through　a　spy…hole　the　second　after　he　had　passed　it；　it　sounded　not　angry；　but　merely　business…like；　and　Michael　found　himself　thinking　that　shots　〃fired　in　anger；〃　as　the　phrase　went；　were　much　more　likely　to　go　wide　than　shots　fired　calmly。　。　。　。　That；　in　his　sleepy　brain；　did　not　sound　nonsense：　it　seemed　to　contain　some　great　truth；　if　he　could　bother　to　think　it　out。

But　for　that；　all　was　quiet　again；　and　he　had　returned　to　his　dug…　out；　just　noticing　that　the　dawn　was　beginning　to　break；　for　the　clouds　overhead　were　becoming　visible　in　outline　with　the　light　that　filtered　through　them；　and　on　their　thinner　margin　turning　rose…grey；　when　the　alarm　of　an　attack　came　down　the　line。　Instantly　the　huddled；　sleeping　bodies　that　lay　at　the　side　of　the　trench　started　into　being；　and　in　the　moment's　pause　that　followed；　Michael　found　himself　fumbling　at　the　butt　of　his　revolver；　which　he　had　drawn　out　of　its　case。　　For　that　one　moment　he　heard　his　heart　thumping　in　his　throat；　and　felt　his　mouth　grow　dry　with　some　sudden　panic　fear　that　came　from　he　knew　not　where；　and　invaded　him。　　A　qualm　of　sickness　took　him；　something　gurgled　in　his　throat；　and　he　spat　on　the　floor　of　the　trench。　　All　this　passed　in　one　second；　for　at　once　he　was　master　of　himself　again；　though　not　master　of　a　savage　joy　that　thrilled　himthe　joy　of　this　chance　of　killing　those　who　fought　against　the　peace　and　prosperity　of　the　world。　　There　was　an　attack　coming　out　of　the　dark；　and　thank　God；　he　was　among　those　who　had　to　meet　it。

He　gave　the　order　that　had　been　passed　to　him；　and　on　the　word；　this　section　of　the　trench　was　lined　with　men　ready　to　pour　a　volley　over　the　low　parapet。　　He　was　there；　too；　wildly　excited；　close　to　the　spy…hole　that　now　showed　as　a　luminous　disc　against　the　blackness　of　the　trench。　　He　looked　out　of　this；　and　in　the　breaking　dawn　he　saw　nothing　but　the　dark　ground　of　the　dip　in　front；　and　the　level　lines　of　the　German　trenches　opposite。　　Then　suddenly　the　grey　emptiness　was　peopled；　there　sprang　from　the　earth　the　advance　line　of　the　surprise；　who　began　hewing　a　way　through　the　entanglements；　while　behind　the　silhouette　of　the　trenches　was　broken　into　a　huddled；　heaving　line　of　men。　　Then　came　the　order　to　fire；　and　he　saw　men　dropping　and　falling　out　of　sight；　and　others　coming　on；　and　yet　again　others。　　These；　again；　fell；　but　others　（and　now　he　could　see　the　gleam　of　bayonets）　came　nearer；　bursting　and　cutting　their　way　through　the　wires。　　Then；　from　opposite　to　right　and　left　sounded　the　crack　of　rifles；　and　the　man　next　to　Michael　gave　one　grunt；　and　fell　back　into　the　trench；　moving　no　more。

Just　immediately　opposite　were　the　few　dozen　men　whose　part　it　was　to　cut　through　the　entanglements。　　They　kept　falling　and　passing　out　of　sight；　while　others　took　their　places。　　And　then；　for　some　reason；　Michael　found　himself　singling　out　just　one　of　these；　much　in　advance　of　the　others；　who　was　now　close　to　the　parapet。　　He　was　coming　straight　on　him；　and　with　a　leap　he　cleared　the　last　line　of　wire　and　towered　above　him。　　Michael　shot　him　with　his　revolver　as　he　stood　but　three　yards　from　him；　and　he　fell　right　across　the　parapet　with　head　and　shoulders　inside　the　trench。　　And；　as　he　dropped；　Michael　shouted；　〃Got　him！〃　and　then　he　looked。　　It　was　Hermann。

Next　moment　he　had　scaled　the　side　of　the　trench　and；　exerting　all　his　strength；　was　dragging　him　over　into　safety。　　The　advance　of　this　section；　who　were　to　rush　the　trench；　had　been　stopped；　and　again　from　right　and　left　the　rifle…fire　poured　out　on　the　heads　that　appeared　above　the　parapet。　　That　did　not　seem　to　concern　him；　all　he　had　to　do　that　moment　was　to　get　Hermann　out　of　fire；　and　just　as　he　dragged　his　legs　over　the　parapet；　so　that　his　weight　fell　firm　and　solid　on　to　him；　he　felt　what　seemed　a　sharp　tap　on　his　right　arm；　and　could　not　understand　why　it　had　become　suddenly　powerless。　　It　dangled　loosely　from　somewhere　above　the　elbow；　and　when　he　tried　to　move　his　hand　he　found　he　could　not。

Then　came　a　stab　of　hideous　pain；　which　was　over