the red acorn-第62部分

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A　hundred　boisterous　drums　were　now　making　the　thickets　ring　with　the　〃long　roll。〃　　Rachel　saw　the　men　in　front　of　her　leave　their　coffee…making；　rush　to　the　musket　stacks　and　take　their　places　in　line。　　In　another　minute　they　were　ordered　forward　to　the　fence　in　front　of　them；　upon　which　they　rested　their　muskets。　　Rachel　rode　through　their　line　and　turned　around　to　look。　　The　broad　cotton　field　was　covered　with　solid　masses　of　Rebels；　rushing　forward　with　their　peculiar　fierce　yell。

〃Fire！〃　shouted　the　Colonel　in　front　of　her。　　The　six　field…pieces　to　her　right　split　her　ears　with　their　crash。　　A　thousand　muskets　blazed　out　a　fire　that　withered　the　first　line　of　the　advancing　foe。　　Another　crash；　and　the　Rebels　had　answered　with　musketry　and　artillery；　that　tore　the　cedars　around　her；　sent　the　fencerails　flying　into　the　air；　and　covered　the　ground　with　blue…coats。　　Her　faithful　mare　shied；　caught　her　hoof　in　a　crack　in　the　limestone；　and　fell　with　a　broken　leg。

So　began　that　terrible　Wednesday；　December　31；　1862。

Bragg's　plan　of　battle　was　very　simple。　　Rosencrans　had　stretched　out　a　long　thin　wing　through　the　cedars　to　the　right　of　the　pike。　At　the　pike　it　was　very　strong；　but　two　miles　away　it　degenerated　into　scattered　regiments；　unskilfully　disposed。　　Bragg　threw　against　these　three　or　four　to　one；　with　all　the　fury　of　the　Southern　soldier　in　the　onset。　　The　line　was　crumbled；　and　before　noon　crushed　back　to　the　pike。

Rachel　disengaged　herself　from　her　fallen　steed；　and　leaning　against　a　sapling；　watched　the　awful　collision。　　She　forgot　the　great　danger　in　the　fascination　of　the　terrible　spectacle。　　She　thought　she　had　seen　men　scale　the　whole　gamut　of　passion；　but　their　wildest　excesses　were　tame　and　frothy　beside　this　ecstacy　of　rage　in　the　fury　of　battle。　　The　rustic　Southerners　whom　she　had　seen　at　ball…play；　the　simple…hearted　Northerners　whom　she　had　alarmed　at　their　coffee…making；　were　now　transformed　into　furies　mad　with　the　delirium　of　slaughter；　and　heedless　of　their　own　lives　in　the　frenzy　of　taking　those　of　others。

〃You　had　better　run　back；　young　woman；〃　said　some　one　touching　her　elbow。　　〃The　whole　line's　going　to　fall　back。　　We're　flanked。〃

A　disorderly　stream　of　men；　fragments　of　the　shattered　right；　caught　her　in　its　rush；　and　she　was　borne　back　to　the　open　fields　lying　along　the　pike。　　There；　as　when　a　turbulent　river　empties　into　a　bay；　the　force　of　the　current　subsided；　and　she　was　dropped　like　silt。　　The　cowardly　ones；　hatless　and　weaponless；　ran　off　toward　the　pike；　but　the　greater　portion　halted；　formed　in　line；　called　for　their　comrades　to　join　them；　and　sent　for　more　cartridges。

Almost　dropping　with　fatigue；　Rachel　made　her　way　to　a　pile　of　cracker…boxes　by　an　Osage…orange　hedge；　on　a　knoll；　and　sat　down。　Some　fragments　of　hard…bread；　dropped　on　the　trampled　sod　while　rations　were　being　issued；　lay　around。　　She　was　so　hungry　that　she　picked　up　one　or　two　that　were　hardly　soiled；　and　nibbled　them。

The　dreadful　clamor　of　battle　grew　louder　continually。　　The　musketry　had　swollen　into　a　sullen　roar；　with　the　artillery　pulsating　high　above　it。　　Crashing　vollies　of　hundreds　of　muskets　fired　at　once；　told　of　new　regiments　joining　in　the　struggle。　　Rebel　brigades　raised　piercing　treble　yells　as　they　charged　across　the　open　fields　against　the　Union　positions。　　The　latter　responded　with　deep…lunged　cheers；　as　they　hurled　their　assailants　back。　　Clouds　of　slowly　curling　smoke　rose　above　thickets　filled　with　maddened　men；　firing　into　one　another's　breasts。　　Swarms　of　rabbits　and　flocks　of　birds　dashed　out　in　terror　from　the　dark　coverts　in　which　they　had　hitherto　found　security。

No　gallantry　could　avail　against　such　overwhelming　numbers　as　assailed　the　Union　right。　　The　stream　of　disorganized　men　flowing　back　from　the　thickets　became　wider　and　swifter　every　minute；　every　minute；　too；　the　din　of　the　conflict　came　closer；　every　minute　the　tide　of　battle　rolled　on　to　regiments　lying　nearer　the　pike。

A　Surgeon　with　a　squad　of　stretcher…bearers　came　up　to　where　Rachel　was　sitting。

〃Pull　down　some　of　those　boxes；　and　fix　a　place　to　lay　the　Colonel　till　we　can　make　other　arrangements；〃　said　a　familiar　voice。　　Rachel　looked　up；　and　with　some　difficulty　reconciled　a　grimy…faced　man　in　torn　clothes　with　the　trim　Hospital　Surgeon　she　had　known。

〃Can　that　be　you；　Dr。　Denslow？〃　she　said。

He　had　equal　difficulty　in　recognizing　her。

〃Is　it　possible　that　it　is　you；　Miss　Bond？〃　he　said　in　amazement；　after　she　had　spoken　to　him　again。　　〃Yes；　this　is　I；　or　as　much　as　is　left　of　me。　　And　here；〃　and　his　voice　trembled；　〃is　about　all　that　is　left　of　the　regiment。　　The　rest　are　lying　about　the　roots　of　those　accursed　cedars；　a　full　mile　from　here。〃

〃And　Harry　Glenwhere　is　he？〃　she　said；　rising　hurriedly　from　the　boxes　and　passing　along　the　line　of　stretchers；　scanning　each　face。

A　new　pain　appeared　in　the　Doctor's　face；　as　he　watched　her。

〃You'll　not　find　him　there；〃　he　said。　　〃The　last　I　saw　of　him　he　was　forming　a　handful　of　the　regiment　that　were　still　on　their　feet；　to　retake　cannon　which　the　Rebels　had　captured。　　I　was　starting　off　with　the　Colonel　here；　when　they　dashed　away。〃

〃Come；〃　he　said；　after　making　some　temporary　provisions　for　the　comfort　of　his　wounded。　　〃You　must　get　away　from　here　as　quickly　as　possible。　　I　fear　the　army　is　badly　defeated；　and　it　may　be　a　rout　soon。　　You　must　get　away　before　the　rush　begins；　for　then　it　will　be　terrible。〃

He　took　her　over　the　pike；　and　across　it　to　where　some　wagons　were　standing。　　As　he　was　about　to　put　Rachel　in　one　of　these　their　attention　was　arrested　by　an　officer；　apparently　acting　as　Provost　Marshal；　dragging　from　behind　a　huge　rock　a　Lieutenant　who　was　skulking　there。　　They　were　too　far　away　to　hear　what　was　said；　but　not　so　far　that　they　could　not　recognize　the　skulker　as　Lieutenant　Jacob　Alspaugh。　　The　Provost　Marshal　apparently　demanded　the　skulker's　name；　and　wrote　it　in　a　book。　　Alspaugh　seemed　to　give　the　information；　and　accompanied　it　with　a　lugubrious　pointint　to　a　bandage　around　his　knee。　　The　Provost　Marshal　stooped　and　took　the　handkerchief　off；　to　find　that　not　even　the　cloth　of　the　pantaloons　had　been　injured。　　He　contemptuously　tore　the　straps　from　Alspaugh's　shoulders；　and　left　him。

〃The　rascal's　cowardice　is　like　the　mercy　of　God；〃　said　Denslow；　〃for　it　endureth　forever。〃

He　put　Rachel　in　the　wagon；　and　ordered　the　driver　to　start　at　once　for　Nashville　with　her。　　She　pressed　his　hand；　as　they　separated　with　fatigue　and　grief。

How　had　it　been　faring　all　this　time　with　Harry　Glen　and　those　with　him？

The　fierce　wave　had　dashed　against　the　regiment　early　in　the　morning；　and　although　the　first　fire　received　from　the　Rebels　made　gaps　in　the　ranks　where　fifty　men　fell；　it　did　not　recoil　a　step；　but　drove　its　assailants　back　with　such　slaughter　that　their　dead；　lying　in　the　open　ground　over　which　they　crossed；　were　grimly　compared　by　Abe　Bolton　to　〃punkins　layin'　in　a　field　where　the　corn's　been　cut　off。〃

Then　the　fight　settled　into　a　murderous　musketry　duel　across　the　field；　in　which　the　ranks　on　both　sides　melted　away　like　frost　in　the　sun。　　In　a　few　minutes　all　the　field　officers　were　down；　a