all roads lead to calvary-第59章

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e　had　succeeded　in　getting　the　leaky　roof　repaired；　and　in　place　of　the　smoky　stove　that　had　long　been　her　despair　she　had　one　night　procured　a　fine　calorifere　by　the　simple　process　of　stealing　it。　　Madame　Lelanne　had　heard　about　it　from　the　gossips。　　It　had　been　brought　to　a　lonely　house　at　the　end　of　the　village　by　a　major　of　engineers。　　He　had　returned　to　the　trenches　the　day　before；　and　the　place　for　the　time　being　was　empty。　　The　thieves　were　never　discovered。　　The　sentry　was　positive　that　no　one　had　passed　him　but　two　women；　one　of　them　carrying　a　baby。　　Madame　Lelanne　had　dressed　it　up　in　a　child's　cloak　and　hood；　and　had　carried　it　in　her　arms。　　As　it　must　have　weighed　nearly　a　couple　of　hundredweight　suspicion　had　not　attached　to　them。

Space　did　not　allow　of　any　separation；　broken　Frenchmen　and　broken　Germans　would　often　lie　side　by　side。　　Joan　would　wonder；　with　a　grim　smile　to　herself；　what　the　patriotic　Press　of　the　different　countries　would　have　thought　had　they　been　there　to　have　overheard　the　conversations。　　Neither　France　nor　Germany　appeared　to　be　the　enemy；　but　a　thing　called　〃They；〃　a　mysterious　power　that　worked　its　will　upon　them　both　from　a　place　they　always　spoke　of　as　〃Back　there。〃　　One　day　the　talk　fell　on　courage。　　A　young　French　soldier　was　holding　forth　when　Joan　entered　the　hut。

〃It　makes　me　laugh；〃　he　was　saying；　〃all　this　newspaper　talk。　Every　nation；　properly　led；　fights　bravely。　　It　is　the　male　instinct。　　Women　go　into　hysterics　about　it；　because　it　has　not　been　given　them。　　I　have　the　Croix　de　Guerre　with　all　three　leaves；　and　I　haven't　half　the　courage　of　my　dog；　who　weighs　twelve　kilos；　and　would　face　a　regiment　by　himself。　　Why；　a　game　cock　has　got　more　than　the　best　of　us。　　It's　the　man　who　doesn't　think；　who　can't　think；　who　has　the　most　couragewho　imagines　nothing；　but　just　goes　forward　with　his　head　down；　like　a　bull。　　There　is；　of　course；　a　real　courage。　　When　you　are　by　yourself；　and　have　to　do　something　in　cold　blood。　　But　the　courage　required　for　rushing　forward；　shouting　and　yelling　with　a　lot　of　other　fellowswhy；　it　would　take　a　hundred　times　more　pluck　to　turn　back。〃

〃They　know　that；〃　chimed　in　the　man　lying　next　to　him；　〃or　they　would　not　drug　us。　　Why；　when　we　stormed　La　Haye　I　knew　nothing　until　an　ugly…looking　German　spat　a　pint　of　blood　into　my　face　and　woke　me　up。〃

A　middle…aged　sergeant；　who　had　a　wound　in　the　stomach　and　was　sitting　up　in　his　bed；　looked　across。　　〃There　was　a　line　of　Germans　came　upon　us；〃　he　said；　〃at　Bras。　　I　thought　I　must　be　suffering　from　a　nightmare　when　I　saw　them。　　They　had　thrown　away　their　rifles　and　had　all　joined　hands。　　They　came　dancing　towards　us　just　like　a　row　of　ballet　girls。　　They　were　shrieking　and　laughing；　and　they　never　attempted　to　do　anything。　　We　just　waited　until　they　were　close　up　and　then　shot　them　down。　　It　was　like　killing　a　lot　of　kids　who　had　come　to　have　a　game　with　us。　　The　one　I　potted　got　his　arms　round　me　before　he　coughed　himself　out；　calling　me　his　'liebe　Elsa；'　and　wanting　to　kiss　me。　　Lord！　　You　can　guess　how　the　Boche　ink…slingers　spread　themselves　over　that　business：　'Sonderbar！　　Colossal！　　Unvergessliche　Helden。'　　Poor　devils！〃

〃They'll　give　us　ginger　before　it　is　over；〃　said　another。　　He　had　had　both　his　lips　torn　away；　and　appeared　to　be　always　laughing。　〃Stuff　it　into　us　as　if　we　were　horses　at　a　fair。　　That　will　make　us　run　forward；　right　enough。〃

〃Oh；　come；〃　struck　in　a　youngster　who　was　lying　perfectly　flat；　face　downwards　on　his　bed：　　it　was　the　position　in　which　he　could　breathe　easiest。　　He　raised　his　head　a　couple　of　inches　and　twisted　it　round　so　as　to　get　his　mouth　free。　　〃It　isn't　as　bad　as　all　that。　　Why；　the　Thirty…third　swarmed　into　Fort　Malmaison　of　their　own　accord；　though　'twas　like　jumping　into　a　boiling　furnace；　and　held　it　for　three　days　against　pretty　nearly　a　division。　　There　weren't　a　dozen　of　them　left　when　we　relieved　them。　　They　had　no　ammunition　left。　　They'd　just　been　filling　up　the　gaps　with　their　bodies。　　And　they　wouldn't　go　back　even　then。　　We　had　to　drag　them　away。　　'They　shan't　pass；'　'They　shan't　pass！'that's　all　they　kept　saying。〃　　His　voice　had　sunk　to　a　thin　whisper。

A　young　officer　was　lying　in　a　corner　behind　a　screen。　　He　leant　forward　and　pushed　it　aside。

〃Oh；　give　the　devil　his　due；　you　fellows；〃　he　said。　　〃War　isn't　a　pretty　game；　but　it　does　make　for　courage。　　We　all　know　that。　　And　things　even　finer　than　mere　fighting　pluck。　　There　was　a　man　in　my　company；　a　Jacques　Decrusy。　　He　was　just　a　stupid　peasant　lad。　　We　were　crowded　into　one　end　of　the　trench；　about　a　score　of　us。　　The　rest　of　it　had　fallen　in；　and　we　couldn't　move。　　And　a　bomb　dropped　into　the　middle　of　us；　and　the　same　instant　that　it　touched　the　ground　Decrusy　threw　himself　flat　down　upon　it　and　took　the　whole　of　it　into　his　body。　　There　was　nothing　left　of　him　but　scraps。　But　the　rest　of　us　got　off。　　Nobody　had　drugged　him　to　do　that。　There　isn't　one　of　us　who　was　in　that　trench　that　will　not　be　a　better　man　to　the　end　of　his　days；　remembering　how　Jacques　Decrusy　gave　his　life　for　ours。〃

〃I'll　grant　you　all　that；　sir；〃　answered　the　young　soldier　who　had　first　spoken。　　He　had　long；　delicate　hands　and　eager；　restless　eyes。　　〃War　does　bring　out　heroism。　　So　does　pestilence　and　famine。　Read　Defoe's　account　of　the　Plague　of　London。　　How　men　and　women　left　their　safe　homes；　to　serve　in　the　pest…houses；　knowing　that　sooner　or　later　they　were　doomed。　　Read　of　the　mothers　in　India　who　die　of　slow　starvation；　never　allowing　a　morsel　of　food　to　pass　their　lips　so　that　they　may　save　up　their　own　small　daily　portion　to　add　it　to　their　children's。　　Why　don't　we　pray　to　God　not　to　withhold　from　us　His　precious　medicine　of　pestilence　and　famine？　So　is　shipwreck　a　fine　school　for　courage。　　Look　at　the　chance　it　gives　the　captain　to　set　a　fine　example。　　And　the　engineers　who　stick　to　their　post　with　the　water　pouring　in　upon　them。　　We　don't　reconcile　ourselves　to　shipwrecks　as　a　necessary　school　for　sailors。　　We　do　our　best　to　lessen　them。　　So　did　persecution　bring　out　heroism。　　It　made　saints　and　martyrs。　　Why　have　we　done　away　with　it？　　If　this　game　of　killing　and　being　killed　is　the　fine　school　for　virtue　it　is　made　out　to　be；　then　all　our　efforts　towards　law　and　order　have　been　a　mistake。　　We　never　ought　to　have　emerged　from　the　jungle。〃

He　took　a　note…book　from　under　his　pillow　and　commenced　to　scribble。

An　old…looking　man　spoke。　　He　lay　with　his　arms　folded　across　his　breast；　addressing　apparently　the　smoky　rafters。　　He　was　a　Russian；　a　teacher　of　languages　in　Paris　at　the　outbreak　of　the　war；　and　had　joined　the　French　Army。

〃It　is　not　only　courage；〃　he　said；　〃that　War　brings　out。　　It　brings　out　vile　things　too。　　Oh；　I'm　not　thinking　merely　of　the　Boches。　That's　the　cant　of　every　nation：　　that　all　the　heroism　is　on　one　side　and　all　the　brutality　on　the　other。　　Take　men　from　anywhere　and　some　of　them　will　be　devils。　　War　gives　them　their　opportunity；　brings　out　the　beast。　　Can　you　wonder　at　it？　　You　teach　a　man　to　plunge　a　bayonet　into　the　writhing　flesh　of　a　fellow　human　being；　and　twist　it　round　and　round　and　jamb　it　further　in；　while　the　blood　is　spurting　from　him　like　a　fountain。　　What　are　you　making　of　him　but　a　beast？　　A　man's　got　to　be　a　beast　before　he　can　bring　himself　to　do　it。　　I　have　seen　things　done　by　our　own　men　in　cold　blood；　the　horror　of　which　will　haunt　my　memory　until　I　die。　　But　of　course；　we　hush　it　up　when　it　happens　to　be　our　own　people。〃

He　ceased　speaking。　　No　one　seemed　inclined　to　break　the　silence。

They　remained　confused　in　her　memory；　these　talks　among　the　wounded　men　in　the　low；　dimly　lighted　hut　that　had　become　her　world。　　At　times　it　was　but　two　men　speaking　to　one　another　in　whispers；　at　others　every　creaking　bed　would　be　drawn　into　the　argument。

One　topic　that　never　lost　its　interest　was：　　Who　made　wars？　　Who　hounded　the　people　into　them；　and　kept　them　there；　tearing　at　one　another's　throats？　　They　never　settled　it。

〃God　knows　I　didn't　want　it；　speaking　personally；〃　said　a　German　prisoner　one　day；　with　a　laugh。　　〃I　had　been　working　at　a　printing　business　sixteen　hours　a　day　for　seven　years。　　It　was　just　beginning　to　pay　me；　and　now　my　wife