bruce-第26章

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in　stark　silence；　the　two　seemed　to　cling　together。　Then　the

Shadow　fled；　and　the　lanky　Missourian　slumped　to　the　earth　in　a

sprawling　heap；　his　throat　cut。



The　slayer　had　been　a　deft　hand　at　the　job。　No　sound　had　escaped

the　Missourian；　from　the　moment　the　stranglingly　tight　left　arm

had　been　thrown　around　his　throat　from　behind　until；　a　second

later；　he　fell　bleeding　and　lifeless。



In　twenty　leaping　strides；　Bruce　came　up　to　the　slain　sentinel

and　bent　over　him。　Dog…instinct　told　the　collie　his　friend　had

been　done　to　death。　And　the　dog's　power　of　scent　told　him　it　was

a　German　who　had　done　the　killing。



For　many　months；　Bruce　had　been　familiar　with　the　scent　of　German

soldiers；　so　different　from　that　of　the　army　in　which　he　toiled。

And　he　had　learned　to　hate　it；　even　as　a　dog　hates　the　vague

〃crushed　cucumber〃　smell　of　a　pitviper。　But　while　every　dog

dreads　the　viper…smell　as　much　as　he　loathes　it；　Bruce　had　no

fear　at　all　of　the　boche　odor。　Instead；　it　always　awoke　in　him　a

blood…lust；　as　fierce　as　any　that　had　burned　in　his　wolf…

ancestors。



This　same　fury　swept　him　now；　as　he　stood；　quivering；　above　the

body　of　the　kindly　man　who　so　lately　had　petted　him；　this　and　a

craving　to　revenge　the　murder　of　his　human　friend。



For　the　briefest　time；　Bruce　stood　there；　his　dark　eyes　abrim

with　unhappiness　and　bewilderment；　as　he　gazed　down　on　the

huddled　form　in　the　wet　grass。　Then　an　electric　change　came　over

him。　The　softness　fled　from　his　eyes；　leaving　them　bloodshot　and

blazing。　His　great　tawny　ruff　bristled　like　an　angry　cat's。　The

lazy　gracefulness　departed　from　his　mighty　body。　It　became　tense

and　terrible。　In　the　growing　moonlight　his　teeth　gleamed　whitely

from　under　his　upcurled　lip。



In　a　flash　he　turned　and　set　off　at　a　loping　run；　nose　close　to

ground；　his　long　stride　deceptively　swift。　The　zest　of　the　man…

hunt　had　obsessed　him；　as　completely　as；　that　day；　it　had　spurred

the　advance　of　the　〃Here…We…Comes。〃



The　trail　of　the　slayer　was　fresh；　even　over　such　broken　ground。

Fast　as　the　German　had　fled；　Bruce　was　flying　faster。　Despite　the

murderer's　long　start；　the　dog　speedily　cut　down　the　distance

between　his　quarry　and　himself。　Not　trusting　to　sight；　but　solely

to　his　unerring　sense　of　smell。　Bruce　sped　on。



Then；　in　a　moment　or　two；　his　hearing　re…enforced　his　scent。　He

could　catch　the　pad…pad…pad　of　running　feet。　And　the　increasing

of　the　sound　told　him　he　was　gaining　fast。



But　in　another　bound　his　ears　told　him　something　elsesomething

he　would　have　heard　much　sooner；　had　not　the　night　wind　been

setting　so　strongly　in　the　other　direction。　He　heard　not　only　the

pounding　of　his　prey's　heavy…shod　feet；　but　the　soft　thud　of

hundredsperhaps　thousandsof　other　army　shoes。　And　now；

despite　the　adverse　wind；　the　odor　of　innumerable　soldiers　came

to　his　fiercely　sniffing　nostrils。　Not　only　was　it　the　scent　of

soldiers；　but　of　German　soldiers。



For　the　first　time；　Bruce　lifted　his　head　from　the　ground；　as　he

ran；　and　peered　in　front　of　him。　The　moon　had　risen　above　the

low…lying　horizon　vapors　into　a　clear　sky；　and　the　reach　of

country　was　sharply　visible。



Bruce　saw　the　man　he　was　chasing；saw　him　plainly。　The　German

was　still　running；　but　not　at　all　as　one　who　flees　from　peril。　He

ran；　rather；　as　might　the　bearer　of　glad　tidings。　And　he　was　even

now　drawing　up　to　a　group　of　men　who　awaited　eagerly　his　coming。

There　must　have　been　fifty　men　in　the　group。　Behind　themin　open

formation　and　as　far　as　the　dog's　near…sighted　eyes　could　see

were　more　men；　and　more；　and　morethousands　of　them；　all　moving

stealthily　forward。



Now；　a　collie　（in　brain；　though　never　in　heart）　is　much　more　wolf

than　dog。　A　bullterrier；　or　an　Airedale；　would　have　charged　on　at

his　foe；　and　would　have　let　himself　be　hacked　to　pieces　before

loosing　his　hold　on　the　man。



Buteven　as　a　wolf　checks　his　pursuit　of　a　galloping　sheep　when

the　latter　dashes　into　the　guarded　foldBruce　came　to　an　abrupt

halt；　at　sight　of　these　reenforcements。　He　stood　irresolute；

still　mad　with　vengeful　anger；　but　not　foolish　enough　to　assail　a

whole　brigade　of　armed　men。



It　is　quite　impossible　（though　Mahan　and　Vivier　used　to　swear　it

must　be　true）　that　Bruce　had　the　reasoning　powers　to　figure　out

the　whole　situation　which　confronted　him。　He　could　not　have　known

that　a　German　brigade　had　been　sent　to　take　advantage　of　the

〃Here…We…Comes〃　temporarily　isolated　positionthat　three

sentries　had　been　killed　in　silence　and　that　their　deaths　had

left　a　wide　gap　through　which　the　brigade　hoped　to　creep

unobserved　until　they　should　be　within　striking　distance　of　their

unsuspectingly　slumbering　victims。



Bruce　could　not　have　known　this。　He　could　not　have　grasped　the

slightest　fraction　of　the　idea；　being　only　a　real…life　dog　and

not　a　fairytale　animal。　But　what　he　could　and　did　realize　was

that　a　mass　of　detested　Germans　was　moving　toward　him；　and　that

he　could　not　hope　to　attack　them；　single…handed；　also；　that　he

was　not　minded　to　slink　peacefully　away　and　leave　his　friend

unavenged。



Thwarted　rage　dragged　from　his　furry　throat　a　deep　growl；　a　growl

that　resounded　eerily　through　that　silent　place　of　stealthy

moves。　And　he　stepped　majestically　forth　from　the　surrounding

long　grass；　into　the　full　glare　of　moonlight。



The　deceptive　glow　made　him　loom　gigantic　and　black；　and　tinged

his　snowy　chest　with　the　phosphorous　gleam　of　a　snowfield。　His

eyes　shone　like　a　wild　beast's。



　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*



Corporal　Rudolph　Freund；　of　the　Konigin　Luise　Regiment；　had　just

finished　his　three…word　report　to　his　superior。　He　had　merely

saluted　and　announced



〃He　is　dead！〃



Corporal　Freund　did　not　thrill；　as　usual；　to　the　colonel's　grunt

of　approval。　The　Corporal　was　worried。　He　was　a　Black　Forest

peasant；　and；　while　iron　military　life　had　dulled　his　native

superstitions；　it　had　not　dispelled　them。



The　night　was　mystic；　in　its　odd　blend　of　moon　and　shadows。

However　hardened　one　may　be；　it　is　a　nerve…strain　to　creep

through　long　grass；　like　a　red　Indian；　to　the　murder　of　a　hostile

sentinel。　And　every　German　in　the　〃Pocket〃　had　been　under

frightful　mental　and　physical　stress；　for　the　past　week。



Corporal　Rudolph　Freund　was　a　brave　man　and　a　brute。　But　that

week　had　sapped　his　nerve。　And　the　work　of　this　night　had　been

the　climax。　The　desolate　ground；　over　which　he　had　crawled　to　the

killing；　had　suddenly　seemed　peopled　with　evil　gnomes　and

goblins；　whose　existence　no　true　Black　Forest　peasant　can　doubt。

And；　on　the　run　back；　he　had　been　certain　he　heard　some　unseen

monster　tearing　through　the　underbrush　in　hot　pursuit　of　him。　So

certain　had　he　been；　that　he　had　redoubled　his　speed。



There　were　no　wolves　or　other　large　wild　animals　in　that　region。

When　he　had　wriggled　toward　the　slow…pacing　American　sentinel；　he

had　seen　and　heard　no　creature　of　any　sort。　Yet　he　was　sure　that

on　the　way　back　he　had　been　pursued　byby　Something！　And　into

his　scared　memory；　as　he　ran；　had　flashed　the　ofttold　Black

Forest　tale　of　the　Werewolfthe　devilbeast　that　is　entered　by

the　soul　of　a　murdered　man　and　which　tracks　the　murderer　to　his

death。



Glad　was　the　unnerved　Corporal　Freund　when　his　run　ceased　and　he

stood　close　to　his　grossly　solid　and　rank…scented　fellowmen　once

more。　Almost　he　was　inclined　to　laugh　at　his　fears　of　the　fabled

Werewolfand　especially　at　the　idea　that　he　had　been　pursued。　He

drew　a　long　breath　of　relief。　He　drew　the　breath　in。　But　he　did

not　at　once　expel　it。　For　on　his　ears　came　the　sound　of　a　hideous

menacing　growl。



Corporal　Freund　spun　about；　in　the　direction　of　the　mysterious

threat。　And　there；　not　thirty　feet　from　him；　in　the　ghostly

moonlight；　stood　the　Werewolf！



This　time　there　could　be　no　question　of　overstrained　nerves　and

of　imagination。　The　Thing　was　THERE！



Horribly　visible　in　every　detail；　th