nddrilling,anddiscipliningifhehadhis
akeuslikearegintofline;asifthereuldbe
anygoodincarryingoutallthatsortofthing,hfranctireurshehadabouthalfofustogether,forthreeorfourdays;andigiveyouwasasbadasslaverydrill,drill,drill,frooingtillnightiilyglad,icantellyou,ent”
ralphsaerable
classhatdrillanddisciplineies,and
thatitantoshoulderagunfor
hiobeasoldier;soheeasilyavoidedargunt,bytuingthesubjectforaupleofhourstheychatted;andthen,asthefireenhadalreadylaiddoosleep,ralph
suggestedthattheyshoulddothesa
”ihesentriesfirst,hyou,ifyoulike,”he
said
”sentries”theothersaid,ysentry,”and
hepointedtoanstanding,tenpacesoff,leaningagainstatree”thenhavereinanhour
beforeyoudidandiaotgoingtoetheirstrengthbyputtinghalfoftheuttochtheforest
”no,no,iaoadvoyn”
”goodnight,then,”ralphsaid,briefly,andheselfinhiscloak,andlaydown
”edtothissortofthing,percy,”hewhisperedtohisbrother,inenglish,”andidontlikeitnowonderourfranpleoftheir
discipline”
”idontlikeiteither,ralphtheprussiansareadvancing;andifthatfelloastenlesoff,theyareaslikely
asnottobeonlytoinges”
”norieither,percyhoehaveno
authorityoverthisfelloustkethebestofit,andhopethatforoncefollyhaveitsjustreward”
sosaying,theboysreinedsilentforthenightbutalthoughsilent,neitheroftheleptchralphespecially,wasstillverysore,andattispainful,hardlyclosedhiseyeshetoldhielfitheuldnothelplistening,h
painfulattention
hadthenightbeenaquietone,heneednothavestrainedhisears;forashekhenyhourshehadpassedatnightuponguard,thehushissointenseinthesegreatforeststhatonecanhearthefallofauntainstrealesahesnappingofatostthefallingofaleaf,chtheearthe
night,hoherustleofthepineforestwould
havedeadenedallsound,exceptanythingsharp,andnearthesentrydidnotappearsilarlyiressedhthenecessityforanyextraordinaryattentionheipallyoccupiedinstrugglingagainstld,anddron,he
staedhisfoot,huedsnatchesofsongs,yahgreatvigor,andsonagedtokeepawohours;whenherousedthenextforduty,andlaydohagruntofrelief
atlast,afterkeepingawakeforhours,ralphdozedoffhowlongheslept,hekne;butheofullwakefulnessbya
toudoylewhisper:
”hist,sterralph,ivedoubtsthatthereissothingwrongiuldntsleep,inthiscahoutchoroutposts;andforthelastquarterofanhour,ifancyivebeenhearingnoisesidontknoing,butitseetotheyare
allroundusiybeassureasthepiper”
”hush,tiralphsaidtotheirishn,rawled
noiselesslyalong,andhadlaindownbyhisside”percy,areyouawake”
”yes,isen”
theydidlisten;anddistinctly,abovethesighingofthewind,theyuldheararustling,crackingnoisedaybreaking,butthelightsufficientlystrongtoshoshanydistinctness,angthetrees
”byjove,goingto
alarhecahesentry,startledintowakefulness,challengedandfired
thefranctireurs
e,down
”liestill,”hesaid,”foryourlives”
hisendousvolleyrang
outallroundtheandhalfthefranctireursfell”noakearushforahouse
”tothehouses,allofyou,”heshouted,loudly”itisouronlychancedown,here,likesheep”
theofficerofthefranctireurshadalreadyatonedforhiscarelessness,byhislife;andthenobeyedralphscalland,adstaheavyfire,rushedacrossthefiftyyardsofopenspacetothehousesthedoorin,htherush
ralphhadnotstoppedatthefirsthousebut,followedbyhisbrotherandtioyle,hadrunfartheron;andenteredthelasthouseinthevillage
”goinhtheothers,ralphhanceof
defendingourselves,herewehaveonlyourrevolvers””hanceofdefendingourselvesanyy,”ralph
said”therestbeaupleofhundredoftheatleast;andnotabovefifteenortost,ofthefranctireursgainedthehousesresistanceisutterlyuseless;andyet,hadibeenhthosepoorfellotosurrender,when
theyinutesafterwardsweshouldbe
silythrohoutdoingtheleastgood”
thereontafter,halfa
dozenshotshroughtheherewasarushof
soldierstohedoor,open
”an,ingforeet
the”hofficers”
”dontfire,”avoieforward
”youarenotfranctireurs”heasked,forthelightillinsuffitodistinguishunifor
”y,upongeneralcarielsstaffthis
nisanorderly
”hereareoursar”
thegeofficerbowed
”keepyourseniaotin
nd”
atthisnt,anotherofficercaup
”whohaveakeprisoners”
”theyaretajor”
”he”saidthejor,doubtfully
”ento
ceasetheirresistance”
thefrane
ttage,selvesdesperately;andwere
keepingupaheavyfire,frohewindows
”itosurrender,atonce,”ralphsaid,quietly;”ifyougiveyourhattheyshall



