Chapter 21

Presently they knew that no firing threatened them. All ways seemed once more opened to them. The dusty blue lines of their friends were disclosed a short distance away. In the distance there were many colossal noises, but in all this part of the field there was a sudden stillness.

Soon they knew they were not threatened by gunfire. All paths seemed open to them again. A short distance away, they could see the dusty blue lines of their friends. In the distance, there were many enormous noises, but a sudden stillness had fallen over this part of the field.

They perceived that they were free. The depleted band drew a long breath of relief and gathered itself into a bunch to complete its trip.

They realized they were free. The diminished group took a long breath of relief and gathered together to finish the journey.

In this last length of journey the men began to show strange emotions. They hurried with nervous fear. Some who had been dark and unfaltering in the grimmest moments now could not conceal an anxiety that made them frantic. It was perhaps that they dreaded to be killed in insignificant ways after the times for proper military deaths had passed. Or, perhaps, they thought it would be too ironical to get killed at the portals of safety. With backward looks of perturbation, they hastened.

During the last stretch of the journey, the men began to show strange emotions. They hurried along in nervous fear. Some who had been grim and steady in the darkest moments could no longer hide their anxiety. It made them frantic. Perhaps they feared being killed in insignificant ways after the time for proper military deaths had passed. Or perhaps they thought it would be too ironic to be killed on the threshold of safety. They hurried on, looking back anxiously.

As they approached their own lines there was some sarcasm exhibited on the part of a gaunt and bronzed regiment that lay resting in the shade of the trees. Questions were wafted to them.

As they approached their own lines, a lean, sunbrowned regiment resting in the shade of the trees greeted them with some sarcasm. Questions drifted toward them.

“Where th’ hell yeh been?”

“Where the hell have you been?”

“What yeh comin’ back fer?”

“What are you coming back for?”

“Why didn’t yeh stay there?”

“Why didn’t you stay there?”

“Was it warm out there, sonny?”

“Was it hot out there, son?”

“Goin’ home now, boys?”

“Going home now, boys?”

One shouted in taunting mimicry: “Oh, mother, come quick an’ look at th’ sojers!”

One shouted in a mocking imitation: “Oh, mother, come quickly and look at the soldiers!”

There was no reply from the bruised and battered regiment, save that one man made broadcast challenges to fist fights and the red-bearded officer walked rather near and glared in great swashbuckler style at a tall captain in the other regiment. But the lieutenant suppressed the man who wished to fist fight, and the tall captain, flushing at the little fanfare of the red-bearded one, was obliged to look intently at some trees.

The bruised and battered regiment made no reply, except for one man who shouted challenges to fistfights. The red-bearded officer also walked close to a tall captain in the other regiment and glared at him with exaggerated bravado. But the lieutenant restrained the man who wanted to fight. The tall captain, flushing at the red-bearded officer’s little show, was forced to stare intently at some trees.

The youth’s tender flesh was deeply stung by these remarks. From under his creased brows he glowered with hate at the mockers. He meditated upon a few revenges. Still, many in the regiment hung their heads in criminal fashion, so that it came to pass that the men trudged with sudden heaviness, as if they bore upon their bended shoulders the coffin of their honor. And the youthful lieutenant, recollecting himself, began to mutter softly in black curses.

The remarks stung the youth deeply. He frowned and glared with hatred at the men mocking him. He thought of a few ways to get revenge. Still, many men in the regiment hung their heads like criminals. They suddenly trudged heavily, as if they carried the coffin of their honor on their bent shoulders. The young lieutenant came to his senses and began to mutter bitter curses under his breath.

They turned when they arrived at their old position to regard the ground over which they had charged.

When they reached their old position, they turned to look at the ground they had charged across.

The youth in this contemplation was smitten with a large astonishment. He discovered that the distances, as compared with the brilliant measurings of his mind, were trivial and ridiculous. The stolid trees, where much had taken place, seemed incredibly near. The time, too, now that he reflected, he saw to have been short. He wondered at the number of emotions and events that had been crowded into such little spaces. Elfin thoughts must have exaggerated and enlarged everything, he said.

As the youth thought about this, he was struck with amazement. He realized that the distances were tiny and absurd compared with the vivid measures in his mind. The unmoving trees, where so much had happened, seemed impossibly close. And when he thought about it, he saw that only a short time had passed. He wondered how so many emotions and events could have been crowded into such small spaces. He told himself that his thoughts must have played tricks on him, exaggerating and enlarging everything.

It seemed, then, that there was bitter justice in the speeches of the gaunt and bronzed veterans. He veiled a glance of disdain at his fellows who strewed the ground, choking with dust, red from perspiration, misty-eyed, disheveled.

It seemed, then, that the thin, sun-browned veterans’ words held a bitter truth. He hid his contempt as he glanced at his fellow soldiers lying scattered on the ground. They were choking on dust, red with sweat, teary-eyed, and disheveled.

They were gulping at their canteens, fierce to wring every mite of water from them, and they polished at their swollen and watery features with coat sleeves and bunches of grass.

They gulped from their canteens, determined to get every last drop of water. They wiped their swollen, wet faces with their coat sleeves and handfuls of grass.

However, to the youth there was a considerable joy in musing upon his performances during the charge. He had had very little time previously in which to appreciate himself, so that there was now much satisfaction in quietly thinking of his actions. He recalled bits of color that in the flurry had stamped themselves unawares upon his engaged senses.

However, the young man took considerable pleasure in thinking about how he had performed during the charge. Earlier, he had had very little time to appreciate himself. So he now found much satisfaction in quietly thinking about his actions. He recalled flashes of color that had registered without his awareness as his senses were occupied in the confusion.

As the regiment lay heaving from its hot exertions the officer who had named them as mule drivers came galloping along the line. He had lost his cap. His tousled hair streamed wildly, and his face was dark with vexation and wrath. His temper was displayed with more clearness by the way in which he managed his horse. He jerked and wrenched savagely at his bridle, stopping the hard-breathing animal with a furious pull near the colonel of the regiment. He immediately exploded in reproaches which came unbidden to the ears of the men. They were suddenly alert, being always curious about black words between officers.

The regiment lay panting from its strenuous work in the heat. The officer who had called the men mule drivers came galloping along the line. He had lost his cap. His messy hair streamed wildly, and his face was dark with frustration and anger. The way he handled his horse showed his temper even more clearly. He jerked and pulled savagely at the bridle, stopping the hard-breathing animal with a furious pull near the regiment’s colonel. He immediately burst out with angry criticisms that the men could not help hearing. They were suddenly alert, always curious about angry exchanges between officers.

“Oh, thunder, MacChesnay, what an awful bull you made of this thing!” began the officer. He attempted low tones, but his indignation caused certain of the men to learn the sense of his words. “What an awful mess you made! Good Lord, man, you stopped about a hundred feet this side of a very pretty success! If your men had gone a hundred feet farther you would have made a great charge, but as it is—what a lot of mud diggers you’ve got anyway!”

“Oh, damn it, MacChesnay, what a terrible mess you made of this!” the officer began. He tried to speak quietly, but he was so angry that some of the men heard what he said. “What an awful mess you made! Good Lord, man, you stopped about a hundred feet short of a real success! If your men had gone a hundred feet farther, you would have made a great charge. But as it is, what a bunch of mud diggers you’ve got!”

The men, listening with bated breath, now turned their curious eyes upon the colonel. They had a ragamuffin interest in this affair.

The men listened with bated breath and turned curious eyes toward the colonel. They watched the affair with the interest of a ragged crowd.

The colonel was seen to straighten his form and put one hand forth in oratorical fashion. He wore an injured air; it was as if a deacon had been accused of stealing. The men were wiggling in an ecstasy of excitement.

The colonel straightened up and held out one hand as if giving a speech. He looked offended, as if a deacon had been accused of stealing. The men squirmed with excitement.

But of a sudden the colonel’s manner changed from that of a deacon to that of a Frenchman. He shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, well, general, we went as far as we could,” he said calmly.

But suddenly the colonel’s manner changed from that of a deacon to that of a Frenchman. He shrugged. “Oh, well, general, we went as far as we could,” he said calmly.

“As far as you could? Did you, b’Gawd?” snorted the other. “Well, that wasn’t very far, was it?” he added, with a glance of cold contempt into the other’s eyes. “Not very far, I think. You were intended to make a diversion in favor of Whiterside. How well you succeeded your own ears can now tell you.” He wheeled his horse and rode stiffly away.

“As far as you could? Did you, by God?” snorted the other man. “Well, that wasn’t very far, was it?” he added, looking into the man’s eyes with cold contempt. “Not very far, I think. You were supposed to create a diversion to help Whiterside. You can hear for yourself how well you succeeded.” He turned his horse and rode stiffly away.

The colonel, bidden to hear the jarring noises of an engagement in the woods to the left, broke out in vague damnations.

The colonel was told to listen to the jarring sounds of a battle in the woods to the left. He burst out with vague curses.

The lieutenant, who had listened with an air of impotent rage to the interview, spoke suddenly in firm and undaunted tones. “I don’t care what a man is—whether he is a general or what—if he says th’ boys didn’t put up a good fight out there he’s a damned fool.”

The lieutenant had listened to the conversation with helpless rage. Suddenly, he spoke in a firm, fearless voice. “I don’t care who a man is, whether he’s a general or anything else. If he says the boys didn’t put up a good fight out there, he’s a damned fool.”

“Lieutenant,” began the colonel, severely, “this is my own affair, and I’ll trouble you—”

“Lieutenant,” the colonel began sternly, “this is my own business, and I’ll ask you to...”

The lieutenant made an obedient gesture. “All right, colonel, all right,” he said. He sat down with an air of being content with himself.

The lieutenant made a gesture of obedience. “All right, colonel, all right,” he said. He sat down, looking pleased with himself.

The news that the regiment had been reproached went along the line. For a time the men were bewildered by it. “Good thunder!” they ejaculated, staring at the vanishing form of the general. They conceived it to be a huge mistake.

News that the regiment had been criticized spread along the line. For a while, the men were bewildered. “Good grief!” they exclaimed, staring at the general as he disappeared. They thought it was a huge mistake.

Presently, however, they began to believe that in truth their efforts had been called light. The youth could see this conviction weigh upon the entire regiment until the men were like cuffed and cursed animals, but withal rebellious.

Soon, however, they began to believe that their efforts really had been called inadequate. The youth could see this belief weighing on the entire regiment. The men were like animals that had been beaten and cursed, but they were still rebellious.

The friend, with a grievance in his eye, went to the youth. “I wonder what he does want,” he said. “He must think we went out there an’ played marbles! I never see sech a man!”

The friend went to the youth with a resentful look in his eyes. “I wonder what he wants,” he said. “He must think we went out there and played marbles! I’ve never seen a man like him!”

The youth developed a tranquil philosophy for these moments of irritation. “Oh, well,” he rejoined, “he probably didn’t see nothing of it at all and got mad as blazes, and concluded we were a lot of sheep, just because we didn’t do what he wanted done. It’s a pity old Grandpa Henderson got killed yestirday—he’d have known that we did our best and fought good. It’s just our awful luck, that’s what.”

The young man had found a calm way to think about moments like these. “Oh, well,” he replied, “he probably didn’t see any of it and got really mad. He decided we were a bunch of sheep just because we didn’t do what he wanted. It’s a shame old Grandpa Henderson was killed yesterday. He would have known we did our best and fought well. It’s just our terrible luck, that’s what it is.”

“I should say so,” replied the friend. He seemed to be deeply wounded at an injustice. “I should say we did have awful luck! There’s no fun in fightin’ fer people when everything yeh do—no matter what—ain’t done right. I have a notion t’ stay behind next time an’ let ’em take their ol’ charge an’ go t’ th’ devil with it.”

“I should say so,” his friend replied. He seemed deeply hurt by the injustice. “We certainly did have awful luck! There’s no fun in fighting for people when nothing you do is ever right. I feel like staying behind next time and letting them take their old charge and go to the devil with it.”

The youth spoke soothingly to his comrade. “Well, we both did good. I’d like to see the fool what’d say we both didn’t do as good as we could!”

The young man spoke soothingly to his comrade. “Well, we both did well. I’d like to see the fool who’d say we didn’t both do the best we could!”

“Of course we did,” declared the friend stoutly. “An’ I’d break th’ feller’s neck if he was as big as a church. But we’re all right, anyhow, for I heard one feller say that we two fit th’ best in th’ reg’ment, an’ they had a great argument ’bout it. Another feller, ’a course, he had t’ up an’ say it was a lie—he seen all what was goin’ on an’ he never seen us from th’ beginnin’ t’ th’ end. An’ a lot more stuck in an’ ses it wasn’t a lie—we did fight like thunder, an’ they give us quite a sendoff. But this is what I can’t stand—these everlastin’ ol’ soldiers, titterin’ an’ laughin’, an then that general, he’s crazy.”

“Of course we did,” the friend declared firmly. “And I’d break the fellow’s neck if he was as big as a church. But we’re all right, anyway. I heard one fellow say that we two fought the best in the regiment, and they had a great argument about it. Another fellow, of course, had to speak up and say it was a lie. He said he saw everything that was going on and never saw us from beginning to end. And a lot more joined in and said it wasn’t a lie. We did fight like thunder, and they gave us a lot of praise. But here’s what I can’t stand: those everlasting old soldiers, giggling and laughing. And then there’s that general. He’s crazy.”

The youth exclaimed with sudden exasperation: “He’s a lunkhead! He makes me mad. I wish he’d come along next time. We’d show ’im what—”

The young man suddenly burst out in frustration: “He’s an idiot! He makes me mad. I wish he’d come along next time. We’d show him what...”

He ceased because several men had come hurrying up. Their faces expressed a bringing of great news.

He stopped because several men had hurried up. Their faces showed that they brought important news.

“O Flem, yeh jest oughta heard!” cried one, eagerly.

“Oh, Flem, you should have heard!” one of them cried eagerly.

“Heard what?” said the youth.

“Heard what?” the young man said.

“Yeh jest oughta heard!” repeated the other, and he arranged himself to tell his tidings. The others made an excited circle. “Well, sir, th’ colonel met your lieutenant right by us—it was damnedest thing I ever heard—an’ he ses: ‘Ahem! ahem!’ he ses. ‘Mr. Hasbrouck!’ he ses, ‘by th’ way, who was that lad what carried th’ flag?’ he ses. There, Flemin’, what d’ yeh think ’a that? ‘Who was th’ lad what carried th’ flag?’ he ses, an’ th’ lieutenant, he speaks up right away: ‘That’s Flemin’, an’ he’s a jimhickey,’ he ses, right away. What? I say he did. ‘A jimhickey,’ he ses—those ’r his words. He did, too. I say he did. If you kin tell this story better than I kin, go ahead an’ tell it. Well, then, keep yer mouth shet. Th’ lieutenant, he ses: ‘He’s a jimhickey,’ and th’ colonel, he ses: ‘Ahem! ahem! he is, indeed, a very good man t’ have, ahem! He kep’ th’ flag ’way t’ th’ front. I saw ’im. He’s a good un,’ ses th’ colonel. ‘You bet,’ ses th’ lieutenant, ‘he an’ a feller named Wilson was at th’ head ’a th’ charge, an’ howlin’ like Indians all th’ time,’ he ses. ‘Head ’a th’ charge all th’ time,’ he ses. ‘A feller named Wilson,’ he ses. There, Wilson, m’boy, put that in a letter an’ send it hum t’ yer mother, hay? ‘A feller named Wilson,’ he ses. An’ th’ colonel, he ses: ‘Were they, indeed? Ahem! ahem! My sakes!’ he ses. ‘At th’ head ’a th’ reg’ment?’ he ses. ‘They were,’ ses th’ lieutenant. ‘My sakes!’ ses th’ colonel. He ses: ‘Well, well, well,’ he ses. ‘They deserve t’ be major-generals.’”

“You should have heard it!” the other man repeated, settling in to share his news. The others gathered around him excitedly. “Well, sir, the colonel met your lieutenant right beside us. It was the damnedest thing I ever heard. The colonel says, ‘Ahem! Ahem! Mr. Hasbrouck, by the way, who was that lad who carried the flag?’ There, Fleming, what do you think of that? ‘Who was the lad who carried the flag?’ he says. And the lieutenant speaks up right away: ‘That’s Fleming, and he’s a jimhickey,’ he says. What? I say he did. ‘A jimhickey,’ he says. Those were his words. He did say it. I say he did. If you can tell this story better than I can, go ahead and tell it. Well, then, keep your mouth shut. “The lieutenant says, ‘He’s a jimhickey,’ and the colonel says, ‘Ahem! Ahem! He is, indeed, a very good man to have, ahem! He kept the flag way out front. I saw him. He’s a good one,’ says the colonel. ‘You bet,’ says the lieutenant. ‘He and a fellow named Wilson were at the head of the charge, howling like Indians all the time,’ he says. ‘At the head of the charge all the time,’ he says. ‘A fellow named Wilson,’ he says. There, Wilson, my boy, put that in a letter and send it home to your mother, huh? ‘A fellow named Wilson,’ he says. “And the colonel says, ‘Were they, indeed? Ahem! Ahem! My goodness!’ he says. ‘At the head of the regiment?’ he says. ‘They were,’ says the lieutenant. ‘My goodness!’ says the colonel. ‘Well, well, well,’ he says. ‘They deserve to be major-generals.’”

The youth and his friend had said: “Huh!” “Yer lyin’ Thompson.” “Oh, go t’ blazes!” “He never sed it.” “Oh, what a lie!” “Huh!” But despite these youthful scoffings and embarrassments, they knew that their faces were deeply flushing from thrills of pleasure. They exchanged a secret glance of joy and congratulation.

The young man and his friend had said: “Huh!” “You’re lying, Thompson.” “Oh, go to blazes!” “He never said it.” “Oh, what a lie!” “Huh!” But despite their youthful scorn and embarrassment, they knew their faces were flushed with pleasure. They exchanged a secret glance of joy and congratulations.

They speedily forgot many things. The past held no pictures of error and disappointment. They were very happy, and their hearts swelled with grateful affection for the colonel and the youthful lieutenant.

They quickly forgot many things. They no longer remembered their mistakes and disappointments. They were very happy, and their hearts filled with grateful affection for the colonel and the young lieutenant.