on the firing line-第19章

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〃You　have　seen　him；　then？〃

〃Yes。　He　is　usually　very　good　about　calling；　whenever　he　comes　to　Cape　Town。〃

〃And　is　he　well？〃

〃Absolutely。　Also　quite　enthusiastic　over　his　troopers　and　the　work　they　did　at　Vlaakfontein。〃

〃Weremany〃

She　understood。

〃Not　very　many；　but　several　were　wounded。　Worst　of　all；　one　or　two　of　the　wounded　ones　were　shot　by　the　Boers。　Mr。　Carew　told　me　that　he　left　a　dozen　of　your　men　in　the　hospital　at　Krugersdorp。〃

〃Carew？　Have　you　seen　him；　too；　Miss　Dent？〃

〃Didn't　you　know　he　was　here？〃

He　stared　at　her　in　blank　amazement。

〃Here　in　Johannesburg？〃

〃Here　in　this　hospital。〃

〃In　what　shape？〃

〃Hilarious　in　his　mind；　and　with　a　foot　that　is　coming　out　right　in　course　of　time。　Didn't　Alice　tell　you？〃

〃No。〃

〃Strange。　She　took　me　to　see　him；　this　morning；　on　my　way　here；　because　he　was　such　a　promising　patient。　She　was　quite　surprised　to　find　we　were　old　acquaintances。〃

〃Oh；〃　Weldon　said　slowly。　〃I　begin　to　see。　Miss　Mellen　had　never　met　Carew；　so　she　had　no　idea　we　were　friends。　What　a　curious　snarl　it　all　is！〃

〃The　hand　of　Fate　is　in　it；〃　Ethel　assented　idly。

〃Do　you　believe　in　Fate；　too？〃

〃Surely。　Why　not？〃

〃Nothing；　only　your　cousin　said　you　didn't。〃

The　girl　frowned。

〃Alice　doesn't　know　all　my　mental　processes；〃　she　said　a　little　severely。

〃She　didn't　pretend　to。　We　were　speaking　of　Fate；　yesterday；　of　the　way　certain　events　in　one's　life　seem　absolutely　inevitable；　at　least；　I　was。　Then　the　conversation　worked　around　to　you；　and　Miss　Mellen　suggested　that　you　usually　rose　superior　to　Fate；〃　Weldon　explained　at　some　length。

Once　again；　Ethel　felt　the　note　of　finality　in　his　tone。　For　an　instant；　she　shut　her　lips。　Then　she　reverted　to　the　main　question。

〃How　do　you　mean　inevitable？〃

〃As　if　you　chose　your　path；　and　then　found　that；　for　always；　it　had　been　the　only　thing　for　you　to　do。　That's　not　so　clear；　I　know；　but　I　can't　put　it　much　better。〃

〃For　instance？〃

〃For　instance；　my　coming　out　here　when　I　did。　I　was　interested　in　the　war；　but　there　was　no　real　question　of　my　coming；　until　the　month　I　sailed。　Then；　all　of　a　sudden；　I　seemed　to　know　why　it　was　that　I　had　spent　my　life　on　horseback。　They　told　me　in　England　that　the　real　war　was　over。　When　I　landed　at　Cape　Town；　I　found　out　that　the　one　thing　needed　was　a　man　who　could　ride；　and　shoot　straight。　From　the　day　I　sailed　from　home；　until　now；　I　have　been　like　an　actor　walking　through　a　part　that　some　one　else　has　written　for　him。　I　have　chosen　nothing；　it　all　has　been　inevitable。〃

She　rose　to　her　feet；　and　stood　leaning　on　the　back　of　her　chair。

〃In　that　case；　Mr。　Weldon；　you　must　include　our　meeting　in　your　scheme　of　things；〃　she　said；　with　a　smile。

His　answering　smile　met　her　smile　with　perfect　frankness。

〃I　sometimes　wonder　if　that　wasn't　the　most　inevitable　part　of　it　all。〃




CHAPTER　TWELVE


The　red…brown　veldt　stretched　away　to　the　sky…line；　sixty　miles　distant。　Level　as　it　looked；　it　was　nevertheless　a　succession　of　softly　rolling　ridges　dotted　with　clumps　of　dried　sagebrush　and　spotted　here　and　there　with　heaps　of　black　volcanic　rocks。　Far　to　the　northward；　a　thin　line　of　poplars　and　willows　marked　the　bed　of　a　river。　Beyond　that；　again；　the　air　was　thick　with　smoke　from　acres　of　burning　veldt。　The　days　were　full　of　dust；　and　the　nights　were　full　of　frost；　it　was　the　month　of　June；　and　winter　was　upon　the　land。

The　camp　was　taking　a　well…earned　rest。　For　days；　the　men　had　swept　over　the　veldt；　following　hard　on　the　trail　of　a　Boer　general　who　only　made　himself　visible　now　and　then　by　a　spatter　of　bullets；　when　his　convoy　train　was　delayed　at　a　difficult　ford。　It　had　been　a　week　of　playing　pussin…the…corner　over　a　charred　and　dusty　land；　where　the　only　roads　were　trails　trodden　out　to　powder　by　the　hoofs　of　those　that　had　gone　before。　Both　men　and　mounts　were　wellnigh　exhausted；　and　the　officers　had　decreed　a　halt。

The　strain　had　been　intense。　Now；　with　the　relaxing　of　it；　its　memory　vanished；　and　the　halt　swiftly　took　upon　itself　the　appearance　of　a　school　holiday。　Laughing　and　chaffing　each　other；　groups　of　men　loitered　here　and　lounged　there；　smoking；　writing　letters；　and　taking　stout；　unlovely　stitches　in　their　time…worn　khaki　clothing。　At　one　side　of　the　camp　was　the　tent　of　the　mess　sergeant；　equipped　like　a　portable　species　of　corner　grocery。　Near　by；　Paddy　apparently　was　in　his　element；　presiding　over　his　camp…　kitchen；　a　vast　bonfire　encircled　with　a　dozen　iron　pots。　At　the　farther　edge　of　the　camp　Weldon　was　umpiring　a　game　of　football　between　his　own　squadron　and　a　company　of　the　Derbys。　Owing　to　the　athletic　zeal　of　the　hour；　it　was　big…side；　and　Weldon　was　too　busy　in　keeping　his　eye　upon　so　many　players　to　pay　much　attention　to　his　own　loneliness。

In　all　truth；　however；　he　was　lonely。　The　week　since　he　had　rejoined　his　squadron　had　dragged　perceptibly。　Captain　Frazer　was　in　Cape　Town；　Carew　was　still　in　hospital　at　Johannesburg　where；　under　the　eyes　of　Alice　Mellen　and　her　cousin；　he　was　fast　resuming　his　old　finical　habits。　Dingy　and　veldt…stained　though　he　might　be；　Carew　at　heart　would　always　remain　the　exquisite。　However；　exquisite　that　he　was　bound　to　be；　he　was　even　more　the　soldier；　and　his　gay　eyes　had　clouded；　as　he　had　wrung　Weldon's　hand　in　parting。

〃Lucky　dog！〃　he　said　enviously。　〃I　am　off　duty　for　two　weeks　more；　and　you　are　going　back　to　the　thick　of　things。　One　must　take　it　as　it　comes；　but　I　say；　old　man；　don't　forget　me　when　the　bullets　begin　to　pelt　at　you　again。〃

And　Weldon　had　been　better　than　his　promise。　He　had　thought　of　Carew；　day　and　night；　for　the　entire　week；　thought　of　him　and　missed　him　acutely。　Carew　was　an　ideal　comrade　in　that　he　never；　under　any　circumstances；　took　himself　in　earnest。

A　leg　which　will　carry　a　man　on　horseback　is　by　no　means　fit　for　football。　Weldon；　finished　player　that　he　was；　found　it　tame　work　to　umpire　a　team　whose　sole　idea　of　tactics　was　to　get　there　in　any　way　that　offered　itself。　Half　an　hour　sufficed；　then；　appointing　an　understudy；　he　walked　away　in　search　of　Paddy。　From　the　midst　of　a　torrent　of　instructions　to　his　quartette　of　black　subordinates；　Paddy's　voice　sang　out　a　cheery　greeting。

〃Come　along；　little　feller！　Come　and　get　something　to　eat。　It's　hungry　you　ought　to　be；　the　day；　after　the　way　you've　been　walking　all　over　the　country　on　horseback　and　an　empty　stomach。　Try　this；　as　a　sample　of　your　dinner；　and　sit　down　by　the　edge　of　the　fire；　whilst；　and　tell　me　how　it　tastes。〃

The　iron　spoon　scraped　lustily　over　the　iron　dixey。　Then　Weldon　returned　them　both　with　a　low　bow。

〃Like　yourself；　Paddy；　short　and　sweet。〃

Paddy　brandished　the　spoon；　weapon…wise。

〃Short　is　it；　you　little　Canuck！　So　is　a　pepperpot　short；　but　it　holds　a　hell　of　a　flavor。　Leave　Paddy　a　gun　in　his　hand；　and　his　short　legs　will　keep　up　with　your　long　ones；　when　it's　the　firing　line　that's　before　him。〃

〃The　old　sing…song；　Paddy。　Give　us　something　new。〃

〃So　will　I；　when　I　get　my　wishing。　Till　then；　you'll　hear　it　over　and　over　again。　A　man　of　my　temper；　little　one；　will　never　rest　content　at　a　firing　line　that's　all　surrounded　about　with　ten…quart　pots　of　boiling　beef。〃

〃Why　don't　you　resign；　then？〃

〃Resigned！　How　can　I　be　resigned？　I'm　a　chunk　of　dynamite　in　a　suet…　pot；　hard　to　manage　and　ready　to　go　off　at　any　time　that　something　strikes　me。　Meantime；　I　am　like　what　they　say　is　dirt：　matter　out　of　place。〃

〃Then　why　don't　you　get　out？〃　Weldon　queried。

〃I　am　out　of　place　now；　I'm　telling　you；〃　Paddy　returned；　as　he　pensively　rested　his　cheek　upon　the　bowl　of　the　spoon　in　his　hand。

〃Yes；　but　why　not　refuse　to　stay　here　as　cook？〃

Sorrowfully　Paddy　shook　his　head；　spoon　and　all。

〃That's　what　I　did　do；　little　one。〃

〃And　what　happened？〃

〃This。〃　The　spoon　came　into　evidence　once　more。　〃They　blarneyed　me　up　and　they　blarneyed　me　down；　and　they　said　nobody　could　cook　like　Paddy。　Anybody　could　shoot　a　baker's　dozen　of　Boers；　but　only　one　man　in　the　camp　could　fill　up　the　boys　to　give　them　a　fit　and　level　stomach　for　the　battle。　And　here　I　am；　and　here　I'm　like　to　be；　till　the　new　moon　in　the　heavens　turns　to　a　curly　strip　of　bully　beef。　If　I'd　kno