on the firing line-第11章

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lat　on　their　stomachs　and；　far　before　them；　a　single　flat…topped　hill　and　a　few　heaps　of　scattered　black　rocks。　And　this　was　modern　war。

There　came　a　third　blaze；　a　third　hum　of　Mauser　bullets。　Then　he　heard　a　swift　intake　of　the　breath；　followed　by　Carew's　voice；　the　drawling；　languid　voice　which　Weldon　had　learned　to　associate　with　moments　of　deep　excitement。

〃Say；　Weldon；　some　beggar　has　hit　me　in　the　shoulder！〃

Then　of　a　sudden　Weldon　realized　that　at　last　he　knew　what　it　meant　to　be　under　fire。




CHAPTER　SEVEN


〃Oh；　truce！　Truce！〃　Alice　Mellen　protested。　〃Don't　talk　shop；　Cooee。〃

〃It's　not　shop；　it　is　topics　of　the　day；〃　Ethel　responded　tranquilly。　〃Besides；　I　want　to　hear　about　Mr。　Carew。　Is　he　dangerous？〃

Weldon　laughed。

〃No；　for　his　wound；　yes；　for　his　temper。　One　was　only　a　scratch；　the　other　way；　he　was　horribly　cut　up。〃

〃Did　he　swear？〃　Alice　queried；　while　she　distributed　lumps　of　sugar　among　the　cups。

〃Alice！〃

〃Don't　pretend　to　be　shocked；　Cooee。　Even　if　you　haven't　been　out　but　one　season；　you　ought　to　know　what　happens　when　a　man　turns　testy。　Frankly；　I　think　it　is　a　healthy　sign；　if　a　man　stops　to　swear　when　he　is　hit。　It　shows　there　are　no　morbid　secretions。〃

〃You　prefer　superficial　outbreaks；　Miss　Mellen？〃　Frazer　inquired；　as　he　handed　Ethel　her　cup。

〃Yes。　They　are　far　less　likely　to　produce　mortification　later　on；〃　she　answered；　laughing　up　into　his　steady　eyes。　〃What　do　you　do；　when　you　are　hit；　Captain　Frazer？〃

〃They　call　me　Lucky　Frazer；　you　know；〃　he　replied。　〃I've　been　in　no　end　of　scrimmages；　and　I　was　never　hit　but　once。〃

Bending　over；　Ethel　turned　back　the　cloth　and　thumped　on　the　under　side　of　the　table。

〃Unberufen　and　Absit　omen；〃　she　said　hastily。　〃Don't　tempt　Providence　too　far；　Captain　Frazer。　At　my　coming…out　reception；　I　met　a　man　who　boasted　that　he　always　broke　everything　within　range；　from　hearts　to　china。　Ten　minutes　later；　he　tripped　over　a　rug　and　fell　down　on　top　of　the　plate　of　salad　he　was　bringing　me。　And　he　didn't　break　a　thing〃

〃Except　his　own　record；〃　Weldon　supplemented　unexpectedly。　〃I　suspect　he　also　broke　the　third　commandment。　The　keeping　of　that　and　the　falling　down　in　public　are　totally　incompatible。〃

〃And　that　reminds　me；　you　were　going　to　tell　what　Mr。　Carew　did　when　he　was　hit；〃　Ethel　reminded　him。

〃I　never　tell　tales；　Miss　Dent。〃

〃But；　really；　how　does　it　feel　to　be　under　fire？〃　she　persisted。

〃Ask　Captain　Frazer。　He　has　had　more　experience　than　I。〃

She　barely　turned　her　eyes　towards　Frazer's　face。

〃He　is　talking　to　my　cousin　and　won't　hear。　Were　you　frightened？〃

〃No。〃

〃Truly？　But　you　wouldn't　confess；　if　you　were。〃

He　blushed　at　the　mockery　in　her　tone。

〃Yes。　Why　not？　I　expected　to　be　desperately　afraid；　but　I　was　only　desperately　angry。〃

〃At　what？〃

〃Nothing。　That's　the　point。　There　was　nothing　in　sight　to　be　angry　at。　Bullets　came　from　nowhere　in　a　pelting　shower。　Most　of　them　didn't　hit　anything；　there　was　no　cloud　from　which　the　shower　could　come。　One　resented　it；　without　knowing　exactly　why。　It　was　being　the　big　fellow　who　can't　hit　back　when　the　little　one　torments　him。〃

〃Cooee！〃

The　remonstrance　was　long…drawn　and　forceful。　This　time；　Ethel　heeded。

〃What　is　it；　Alice？〃

〃Do　you　remember　that；　this　noon；　we　agreed　not　to　mention　the　war？　These　men　fight　almost　without　ceasing。　When　they　aren't　fighting；　they　do　sentry　and　stables　and　things。　This　is　an　afternoon　off　for　them。　We　really　must　talk　accordingly。〃

〃What　are　you　and　Captain　Frazer　talking　about？〃

〃Cricket　and　seven…year　locusts。〃

Ethel　held　out　her　empty　cup。

〃Very　well。　Then　Mr。　Weldon　and　I　will　discuss　mosquitoes　and　seven…　day　Baptists。　No　sugar；　please；　and　I'd　like　another　of　those　snappy　things。〃

〃Does　that　mean　a　Mauser？〃　Weldon　asked；　as　he　brought　back　her　cup。

〃No。　I　mean　biscuits；　not　cats。　But　you　sinned　then。　However；　my　cousin　has　her　eye　upon　us；　so　we　must　be　distinctly　frivolous。　Is　there　any　especially　peaceful　subject　you　would　like　to　discuss？〃

〃Yes。　Please　explain　your　name。〃

She　looked　up　at　him　with　sudden　literalness。

〃It　is　for　my　grandmother。　For　four　hundred　years　there　has　been　an　Ethel　Dent　in　every　generation。〃

〃I　meant　the　other。〃

〃Oh；　Cooee？〃　She　laughed。　〃It　dates　from　our　first　coming　out　here；　when　we　were　children。　My　old　Kaffir　nurseI　was　only　five；　that　first　tripused　to　call　me　so；　and　every　one　took　it　up。　We　went　back　to　England；　after　a　few　weeks；　and　the　name　was　dropped；　but　my　uncle　stayed　out　here；　and　he　and　my　cousin　always　kept　the　old　word。〃

Weldon　stirred　his　tea　thoughtfully。

〃I　rather　like　it；　do　you　know？〃　he　said。

〃Surely；　you　don't　think　it　fits　me？〃

His　eyes　moved　from　her　shining　hair　to　the　hem　of　her　elaborate　white　gown。　Then　he　smiled　and　shook　his　head。

〃Not　to…day；　perhaps。　But　the　Miss　Dent　of　the　Dunottar　Castle〃

She　interrupted　him　a　little　abruptly。

〃Does　that　mean　I　am　two…sided？〃

〃No；　only　complex。〃

She　smiled　in　gracious　response。

〃You　did　that　very　well；　Mr。　Weldon；〃　she　said；　with　a　slight　accent　of　superiority　which　galled　him。　Then；　before　he　could　reply；　she　changed　the　subject；　speaking　with　a　lowered　voice。　〃And　what　of　the　Captain？〃

It　suited　his　mood　not　to　understand　her。

〃In　what　way？〃

〃Every　way。　What　do　you　think　of　him？〃

Then　she　drew　back；　abashed　by　the　fervor　of　the　answer；　as　he　said　slowly；

〃That　the　Creator　made　him；　and　then　broke　the　pattern。〃

The　little　pause　which　followed　caught　the　alert　attention　of　the　hostess；　and　convinced　her　that　it　was　time　to　shift　the　groups　to　another　combination。　A　swift　gesture　summoned　Weldon　to　the　table；　while　Frazer　dropped　into　his　vacant　chair。　Ethel　met　the　Captain　with　only　a　half…concealed　eagerness。　This　was　not　the　first　time　that　a　consciously　trivial　word　of　hers　had　been　crushed　out　of　life　by　Weldon's　serious　dignity。　She　was　never　quite　able　to　understand　his　mood　upon　such　occasions。　The　man　was　no　prig。　At　times；　he　was　as　merry　as　a　boy。　At　other　times；　he　showed　an　inflexible　seriousness　which　left　her　with　the　vague　feeling　of　being　somehow　or　other　in　the　wrong。　The　result　was　a　mood　of　pique；　rather　than　of　antagonism。　Up　to　that　time；　Ethel　Dent　had　known　only　unreserved　approval。　Weldon's　occasional　gravity；　to　her　mind；　suggested　certain　reservations。　By　way　of　overcoming　these　reservations；　she　focussed　her　whole　attention　upon　Captain　Leo　Frazer。　Across　the　table；　Weldon；　in　the　intervals　of　his　talk　with　his　hostess；　could　hear　the　low　murmur　of　their　absorbed　conversation。

It　had　been　at　Ethel's　suggestion　that　the　tea…table　had　been　set；　that　hot　afternoon；　under　the　trees　in　the　heart　of　the　garden。　Just　at　the　crossing　of　two　broad　walks；　a　vine…roofed　kiosk　gave　shelter　from　the　late　sunshine；　while　its　bamboo　screens　were　half　raised　to　show　the　long　perspective　of　garden　walk　and　distant　lawn。　Save　for　the　orange　grove　at　the　left　and　the　ash…colored　leaves　of　the　silver　wattle　above　them；　Weldon　could　almost　have　fancied　himself　in　England。　The　lawn　with　its　conventional　tennis　court　was　essentially　English；　English；　too；　the　tray　with　its　fixtures。　There；　however；　the　resemblance　stopped。　The　ebony　handmaiden　who　brought　out　the　tray　was　never　found　in　private　life　outside　the　limits　of　South　Africa。　When　she　sought　foreign　countries；　it　was　merely　as　a　denizen　of　a　midway　plaisance。

〃Yes；　and　their　names　are　their　most　distinctive　feature；〃　Alice　assented　to　Weldon's　comment。

〃More　than　their　mouths？〃　he　asked；　with　a　flippant　recollection　of　Kruger　Roberts　engrossed　in　his　jam　tin。

〃At　least　as　much　so；〃　she　responded；　laughing。　〃You　notice　that　I　called　our　maid　Syb。　She　told　me；　when　she　came；　that　her　old　master　named　her　Sybarite。　I　understood　it；　the　next　day；　when　I　found　her　snoring　on　the　drawing…room　sofa。〃

During　the　time　of　her　answer；　Weldon　took　his　opportunity　to　look　steadily　at　his　young　hostess。　Up　to　the　moment　of　the　shifting　of　the　groups；　he　had　been　too　fully　absorbed　in　the　pleasure　of　once　more　meeting　Ethel　to　pay　much　heed　to　any　one　else。　Now　he　turned　his　gray　eyes　upon　Alice　Mellen；　partly　from　real　interest　in　her　personali