第5章

Whentheyreachedthebridge，theysawstrongcolumnsofGreekinfantry，deadblackinthedimlight，crossingthestreamandslowlydeployingontheothershore。Itwasabracingsighttothedragoman，whothenwentintooneofhisabsurdbabblingmoods，inwhichhewouldhavetalkedtheheadoffanymanwhowasnotborninacountrylavedbythechildishMediterranean。Colemancouldnotunderstandwhathesaidtothesoldiersastheypassed，butitwasevidentlyallgrandiosenonsense。 Twolightbatterieshadprecariouslycrossedthericketybridgeduringthenight，andnowthisforceofseveralthousandinfantry，withthetwobatteries，wasmovingoutovertheterritorywhichthecavalryhadreconnoiteredonthepreviousday。ThegroundbeingfamiliartoColeman，henolongerknewatremour，and，regardinghisdragoman，hesawthatthatinvaluableservitorwasalsoinbetterform。Theymarcheduntiltheyfoundoneofthelightbatteriesunlimberedandalignedonthelakeofgrassaboutamilefromwherepartsofthewhitehouseappearedabovethetree-tops。Herethedragomantalkedwiththecaptainofartillery，atinymanonanimmensehorse，whoforsomeunknownreasontoldhimthatthisforcewasgoingtoraidintoTurkeyandtrytoswingaroundtheopposingarmy\'srightflank。Heannounced，asheshowedhisteethinasmile，thatitwouldbevery，verydangerouswork。ThedragomanprecipitatedhimselfuponColeman。 \"Thisismuchdanger。ThecoptenhetellmethetrupsgonowinbackoftheTurks。Itwillbemuchdanger。IthinkmuchbetterwegoArtawaitforhorse。Muchbetter。\"Coleman，althoughbebelievedhedespisedthedragoman，couldnothelpbutbeinfluencedbyhisfears。Theywere，sotospeak，inaroomwithonewindow，andonlythedragomanlookedforthfromthewindow，soifhesaidthatwhathesawoutsidefrightenedhim，Colemanwasperforcefrightenedalsoinameasure。Butwhenthecorrespondentraisedhiseyeshesawthecaptainofthebatterylookingathim，histeethstillshowinginasmile，asifhisinformation，whethertrueorfalse，hadbeengiventoconvincetheforeignerthattheGreekswereaverysuperiorandbravepeople，notablyonelittleofficerofartillery。HehadapparentlyassumedthatColemanwouldbalkfromventuringwithsuchaforceuponanexcursiontotriflewiththerearofahardfightingOttomanarmy。Heexceedinglydislikedthatman，sittingupthereonhistallhorseandgrinninglikeacruellittleapewithasecret。Intruth，Colemanwastakenbackattheoutlook，buthecouldnomorerefrainfrominstantlyacceptingthishalf-concealedchallengethanhecouldhaverefrainedfromresentinganordinaryformofinsult。Hismindwasnotatpeace，butthesmallvanitiesareverylarge。Hewasperfectlyawarethathewas，beingmisledintothethingbyanoddpride，butanyhow，iteasilymightturnouttobeastrokeuponthedoorsofNikopolis。Henoddedandsmiledattheofficeringratefulacknowledgmentofhisservice。 Theinfantrywasmovingsteadilya-field。Blackblocksofmenweretrailingincolumnslowlyovertheplain。Theywerenotunlikethebacksofdominoesonagreenbaizetable；theyweresovivid，sostartling。Thecorrespondentandhisservantfollowedthem。Eventuallytheyovertooktwocompaniesincommandofacaptain，whoseemedimmenselygladtohavethestrangerswithhim。Astheymarched，thecaptainspokethroughthedragomanuponthevirtuesofhismen，announcingwithothernewsthefactthathisfirstsergeantwasthebravestmanintheworld。 Anumberofcolumnsweremovingacrosstheplainparalleltotheirlineofmarch，andthewholeforceseemedtohaveorderstohaltwhentheyreachedalongditchaboutfourhundredyardsfromwheretheshoreoftheplainarosetotheluxuriantgroveswiththecupolaofthebigwhitehousestickingabovethem。Thesoldierslayalongtheditch，andthebravestmanintheworldspreadhisblanketonthegroundforthecaptain，Colemanandhimself。DuringalongpauseColemantriedtoelucidatethequestionofwhytheGreeksoldiersworeheavyovercoats，eveninthebitterheatofmidday，buthecouldonlylearnthatthedews，whentheycame，wereverydestructivetothelungs，Further，heconvincedhimselfanewthattalkingthroughaninterpretertothemindsofothermenwasassatisfactoryaslookingatlandscapethroughastainedglasswindow。 Afteratimetherewas，infront，astirnearwhereacurioushedgeofdrybramblesseemedtooutlinesomesortofagardenpatch。Manyofthesoldiersexclaimedandraisedtheirguns。Butthereseemedtocomeageneralunderstandingtothelinethatitwaswrongtofire。Thenpresentlyintotheopencameadirtybrownfigure，andColemancouldseethroughhisglassesthatitsheadwascrownedwithadirtyfezwhichhadoncebeenwhite。ThisindicatedthatthefigurewasthatofoneoftheChristianpeasantsofEpirus。Obedienttothecaptain，thesergeantaroseandwavedinvitation。Thepeasantwavered，changedhismind，wasobviouslyterror-stricken，regainedconfidenceandthenbegantoadvancecircuitouslytowardtheGreeklines。Whenhearrivedwithinhailingdis-tance，thecaptain，thesergeant，Coleman\'sdragomanandmanyofthesoldiersyelledhumanmessages，andamomentlaterhewasseentobeapoor，yellow-facedstriplingwithabodywhichseemedtohavebeenfirsttwistedbyanill-birthandafterwardmaimedbyeitherlabouroroppression，thesebeingoftenidenticalintheireffects。 HisreceptionoftheGreeksoldierywasnolessfervidthantheirwelcomeofhimtotheirprotection。Hethrewhisgrimyfezintheairandcroakedoutcheers，whiletearswethischeeks。 Whenhehadcomeupontherightsideoftheditchherancaperingamongthemandthecaptain，thesergeant，thedragomanandanumberofsoldiersreceivedwildembracesandkisses。HemadeadashatColeman，butColemanwasnowwaryinthegame，andretireddexterouslybehinddifferentgroupswithafinishedappearanceofnotnotingthattheyoungmanwishedtogreethim。 Behindthehedgeofdrybramblesthereweremoreindicationsoflife，andthepeasantstoodupandmadebeseechinggestures。SoonawholeflockofmiserablepeoplehadcomeouttotheGreeks，men，womenandchildren，incrudeandcomicsmocks，prancinghereandthere，uproariouslyembracingandkissingtheirdeliverers。Anold，tearful，toothlesshagflungherselfrapturouslyintothearmsofthecaptain，andColeman\'sbrick-and-ironsoulwasmovedtoadmirationatthewayinwhichtheofficeradministeredachastesaluteuponthefurrowedcheek。ThedragomantoldthecorrespondentthattheTurkshadrunawayfromthevillageonupavalleytowardJannina。Everybodywasproudandhappy。 Amajorofinfantrycamefromtherearatthistimeandaskedthecaptaininsharptoneswhowerethetwostrangersincivilianattire。Whenthecaptainhadansweredcorrectlythemajorwasimmediatelymollified，andhaditannouncedtothecorrespondentthathisbattalionwasgoingtomoveimmediatelyintothevillage，andthathewouldbedelightedtohavehiscompany。 Themajorstrodeattheheadofhismenwiththegroupofvillagerssinginganddancingabouthimandlookinguponhimasifhewereagod。Colemanandthedragoman，attheofficer\'srequest，marchedoneoneithersideofhim，andinthismannertheyenteredthevillage。Fromallsortsofhedgesandthickets，peoplecamecreepingouttopassintoadeliriumofjoy。Themajorborrowedthreelittlepackhorseswithrope-bridles，andthusmountedandfollowedbytheclankingcolumn，theyrodeonintriumph。 Itwasprobablymoreofatruefestivalthanmostmenexperienceeveninthelongestlifetime。ThemajorwithhisGreekinstinctofdramawasasplendidpersonificationofpoeticquality；infacthewashimselfalmostalyric。FromtimetotimeheglancedbackatColemanwitheyeshalfdimmedwithappreciation。 Thepeoplegatheredflowers，greatblossomsofpurpleandcorncolour。 Theysprinkledthemoverthethreehorsemenandflungthemdeliriouslyunderthefeetofthelittlenags。BeingnowmountedColemanhadnodifficultyinavoidingtheembracesofthepeasants，buthefelttothetipsofhistoesanabandonmenttoakindofpleasurewithwhichhewasnotatallfamiliar。Ridingthusamidcriesofthanksgivingaddressedathimequallywiththeothers，hefeltaburningvirtueandquitelosthisoldselfinanillusionofnoblebe。nignity。Andtherecontinuedthefragranthailofblossoms。 Miserablelittlehutsstraggledalongthesidesofthevillagestreetasiftheywerefollowingattheheelsofthegreatwhitehouseofthebey。Thecolumnproceedednorthward，announcinglaughinglytothegladvillagersthattheywouldneverseeanotherTurk。BeforethemontheroadwashereandthereafezfromtheheadofafledTurkishsoldierandtheylaylikedropsofbloodfromsomewoundedleviathan。Ultimatelyitgrewcloudy。Itevenrainedslightly。Inthemistydownfallthecolumnofsoldiersinbluewasdimasifitweremerelyalongtrailoflow-hungsmoke。 Theycametotheruinsofachurchandtherethemajorhaltedhisbattalion。Colemanworriedathisdragomantolearnifthehaltwasonlytemporary。Itwasalongtimebeforetherewasanswerfromthemajor，forhehaddrawnuphismeninplatoonsandwasaddressingtheminaspeechasinterminableasanythatColemanhadheardinGreece。Theofficerwavedhisarmsandroaredoutevidentlythegloriesofpatriotismandsoldierlyhonour，thegloriesoftheirancientpeople，andhemayhaveincludedanysubjectinthiswonderfulspeech，forthereasonthathehadplentyoftimeinwhichtodoit。Itwasimpossibletotellwhethertheorationwasagoodoneorbadone，becausethemenstoodintheirlooseplatoonswithoutdiscerniblefeelingsasiftothemthisappearedmerelyasoneoftheinevitableconsequencesofacampaign，anestablishedruleofwarfare。 Colemanateblackbreadandchocolatetabletswhilethedragomanhoverednearthemajorwiththeintentionofpouncinguponhimforinformationassoonashislungsyieldedtothestrainuponthem。 Thedragomanatlastreturnedwithaverylongverbaltreatisefromthemajor，whoapparentlyhadnotbeenasexhaustedafterhisspeechtothemenasonewouldthink。ThemajorhadsaidthathehadbeenorderedtohaltheretoformajunctionwithsomeofthetroopscomingdirectfromArta，andthatheexpectedthatinthemorningthearmywouldbedividedandonewingwouldchasetheretreatingTurksontowardJannina，whiletheotherwingwouldadvanceuponPrevasabecausetheenemyhadagarrisontherewhichhadnotretreatedaninch，and，althoughitwascutoff，itwasnecessarytosendeitheraforcetoholditinitsplaceoralargerforcetogothroughwiththebusinessofcapturingit。ElsetherewouldbeleftintherearoftheleftflankofaGreekadvanceuponJanninaabodyoftheenemywhichatanymomentmightbecomeactive。ThemajorsaidthathisbattalionwouldprobablyformpartoftheforcetoadvanceuponPrevasa。NikopoliswasontheroadtoPrevasaandonlythreemilesawayfromit。 CHAPTERXI。 ColemanspentalongafternooninthedrizzleEnvelopedinhismacintoshhesatonaboulderintheleeofoneoftheoldwallsandmoodilysmokedcigarsandlistenedtotheceaselessclatteroftongues。Arayoflightpenetratedthemindofthedragomanandhelabouredassiduouslywithwetfueluntilhehadaccomplishedatinmugofcoffee。Bitsofcinderfloatedinit，butColemanrejoicedandwaskindtothedragoman。 Thenightwasofcruelmonotony。Afflictedbythewindandthedarkness，thecorrespondentsatwithnerveskeyedhighwaitingtohearthepicketsopenfireonanightattack。Hewassounaccountablysurethattherewouldbeatumultandpanicofthiskindatsometimeofthenightthathepreventedhimselffromgettingareasonableamountofrest。Hecouldhearthesoldiersbreathinginsleepallabouthim。Hewishedtoarousethemfromthisslumberwhich，tohisignorance，seemedstupid。 ThequalityofmysteriousmenaceinthegreatgloomandthesilencewouldhavecausedhimtoprayifprayerwouldhavetransportedhimmagicallytoNewYorkandmadehimayoungmanwithnocoatplayingbilliardsathisclub。 Thechilldawncameatlastandwithafineelationwhicheverfollowsadismalnightinwar；anelationwhichboundsinthebosomassoonasdayhasknockedtheshacklesfromatremblingmind。AlthoughColemanhadsleptbutashorttimehewasnowasfreshasatotalabstainercomingfromthebath。Heheardthecreakofbatterywheels；hesawcrawlingbodiesofinfantrymovinginthedimlightlikeghostlyprocessions。Hefeltatremendousvirilitycomewiththisnewhopeinthedaylight。 Heagaintooksatis。factioninhissentimentaljourney。Itwasashiningaffair。Hewasonactiveservice，anactiveserviceoftheheart，andhe\'feltthathewasastrongmanreadytoconquerdifficultyevenastheoldenheroesconquereddifficulty。Heimaginedhimselfinawaylikethem。He，too，hadcomeouttofightforlovewithgiants，dragonsandwitches。Hehadneverknownthathecouldbesopleasedwiththatkindofaparallel。 Thedragomanannouncedthatthemajorhadsuddenlylenttheirhorsestosomeotherpeople，andaftercursingthisversatilityofinterest，hesummonedhishenchmenandtheymovedoutonfoot，followingthesoundofthecreakingwheels。 Theycameintimetoabridge，andonthesideofthisbridgewasahardmilitaryroadwhichsprangawayintwodirections，northandwest。Sometroopswerecreepingoutthewestwardwayandthedragomanpointingatthemsaid:\"TheygoingPrevasa。ThatisroadtoNikopolis。\" Colemangrinnedfromeartocarandslappedhisdragomanviolentlyontheshoulder。Foramomentheintendedtohandthemanalouisofreward，buthechangedhismind。 Theirtrapswereinthewayofbeingheavy，buttheymindedlittlesincethedragomanwasnowavictimoftheinfluenceofColeman\'senthusiasm。Theroadwoundalongthebaseofthemountainrange，sheeringaroundtheabutmentsinwidewhitecurvesandthencirclingintoglenswhereimmensetreesspreadtheirshadeoverit。Someofthegreattrunkswereoppressedwithvinesgreenasgarlands，andthesevinesevenranlikeverdantfoamovertherocks。Streamsoftranslucentwatershowereddownfromthehills，andmadepoolsinwhicheverypebble，everyeafofawaterplantshonewithmagiclustre，andifthebottomofapoolwasonlyofclay，theclayglowedwithsapphirelight。Thedaywasfair。Thecountrywaspartofthatlandwhichturnedthemindsofitsancientpoetstowardamoretenderdreaming，sothatindeedtheirnymphswoulddie，oneissure，inthecoldmythologyofthenorthwithitsstormsamidthegloomofpineforests。ItwasallwinetoColeman\'sspirit。Itenlivenedhimtothinkofsuccesswithabsolutesurety。Tobesureoneofhisbootsbegansoontorasphistoes，buthegaveitnoshareofhisattention。Theypassedatamuchfasterpacethanthetroops，andeverywheretheymetlaughterandconfidenceandthecry。\"OntoPrevasa!\" Atmiddaytheywereattheheelsoftheadvancebattalion，amongitsstragglers，takingitswhitedustintotheirthroatsandeyes。ThedragomanwaswaningandhemadeanumberofattemptstostayColeman，butnoonecouldhavehadinfluenceuponColeman\'ssteadyrushwithhiseyesalwaysstraighttothefrontasifthustosymbolizehissteadinessofpurpose。 Rivuletsofsweatmarkedthedustonhisface，andtwoofhistoeswerenowpainingasiftheywerebeingburnedoff。Hewasobligedtoconcedeaprivilegeoflimping，buthewouldnotstop。 Atnightfalltheyhaltedwiththeoutpostbatallionoftheinfantry。Allthecavalryhadinthemeantirnecomeupandtheysawtheiroldfriends。TherewasavillagefromwhichtheChristianpeasantscameandcheeredlikeatrainedchorus。 Soldiersweredrivingagreatflockoffatsheepintoacorral。 TheyhadbelongedtoaTurkishbeyandtheybleatedasiftheyknewthattheywerenowmerespoilsofwar。Colemanlayonthestepsofthebey\'shousesmokingwithhisheadonhisblanketroll。Campfiresglowedoffinthefields。HewasnowaboutfourmilesfromNikopolis。 Withinthehouse，thecommanderofthecavalrywaswritingdispatches。Officersclankedupanddownthestairs。ThedashingyoungcaptaincameandsaidthattherewouldbeageneralassaultonPrevasaatthedawnofthenextday。Afterwardthedragomandescendeduponthevillageandinsomewaywrenchedalittlegreyhorsefromaninhabitant。Itspacksaddlewasonitsbackanditwouldveryhandilycarrythetraps。Inthismatterthedragomandidnotconsiderhismaster；heconsideredhisownsoreback。 Colemanatemorebreadandchocolatetabletsandalsosometinnedsardines。Hewascontentwiththeday\'swork。Hedidnotseehowhecouldhaveimprovedit。TherewasonlyoneroutebywhichtheWainwrightpartycouldavoidhim，andthatwasbygoingtoPrevasaandthencetakingship。ButsincePrevasawasblockadedbyaGreekfleet，heconceivedthateventtobeimpossible。Hence，hehadthemhedgedonthispeninsulaandtheymustbeeitheratNikopolisorPrevasa。Hewouldprobablyknowallearlyinthemorning。Hereflectedthathewastootiredtocareiftheremightbeanightattackandthenwrappedinhisblanketshewentpeacefullytosleepinthegrassunderabigtreewiththecrooningofsomesoldiersaroundtheirfireblendingintohisslumber。 Andnow，althoughthedragomanhadperformedanumberoffeatsofincapacity，heachievedduringtheonehourofColeman\'ssleepingablunderwhichforrealfinishwassimplyaperfectionofart。WhenColeman，muchlater，extractedthefullstory，itappearedthatringing。eventshappenedduringthatsinglehourofsleep。Tenminutesafterhehadlaindownforanightofoblivion，thebattalionofinfantry，whichhadadvancedalittlebeyondthevillage，wasrecalledandbeganahurriednightmarchbackonthewayithadsofestivelycome。Itwassignificantenoughtoappealtoalmostanymind，butthedragomanwasabletonotunderstandit。Heremainedjabberingtosomeacquaintancesamongthetroopers。Colemanhadbeenasleephishourwhenthedashingyoungcaptainperceivedthedragoman，andcompletelyhorrifiedbyhispresenceatthatplace，rantohimandwhisperedtohimswiftlythatthegamewastoflee，flee，flee。ThewingofthearmywhichhadadvancednorthwarduponJanninahadalreadybeentumbledbackbytheTurksandalltheotherwinghadbeenrecalledtotheLourosriverandtherewasnownothingpracticallybetweenhimandhissleepingmasterandtheenemybutacavalrypicket。Thecavalrywasimmediatelygoingtomakeaforcedmarchtotherear。Thestrickendragomancouldeventhenseetroopersgettingintotheirsaddles。He，rushedto，the，tree，andin。apanicsimplybundledColemanuponhisfeetbeforehewasawake。Hestutteredouthistale，andthedazed，correspondenthearditpunctuatedbythesteadytrampleoftheretiringcavalry。 Thedragomansawaman\'sfacethenturninaflashfromanexpressionofluxuriousdrowsinesstoanexpressionofuttermalignancy。However，hewasintoomuchofahurrytobeafraidofit；heranofftothelittlegreyhorseandfrenziedlybutskilfullybegantobindthetrapsuponthepacksaddle。Heappearedinamomenttuggingatthehalter。Hecouldonlysay:\"Come!Come!Come!Queek!Queek!\"Theyslidhurriedlydownabanktotheroadandstartedtodoagainthatwhichtheyhadaccomplishedwithconsiderableexpenditureofphysicalpowerduringtheday。Thehoofbeatsofthecavalryhadalreadydiedawayandthemountainsshadowedtheminlonelysilence。Theyweretherearguardaftertherearguard。 Thedragomanmutteredhastilyhislastdirerumours。FivehundredCircassiancavalrywerecoming。ThemountainswerenowinfestedwiththedreadAlbanianirregulars，Colemanhadthoughtinhisdaylighttrampthathehadappreciatedthenobledistances，buthefoundthatheknewnothingoftheirnobilityuntilhetriedthisnightstumbling。Andthehoofsofthelittlehorsemadeonthehardroadmorenoisethancouldbemadebymenbeatingwithhammersuponbrazencylinders。Thecorrespondentglancedcontinuallyupatthecrags。Fromtheothersidehecouldsometimeshearthemetallicclinkofwaterdeepdowninaglen。Forthefirsttimeinhislifeheseriouslyopenedtheflapofhisholsterandlethisfingersremainonthehandleofhisrevolver。Fromjustinfrontofhimhecouldhearthechatteringofthedragoman\'steethwhichnoattemptatmorecoolnesscouldseemtoprevent。InthemeantimethecasualmannerofthelittlegreyhorsestruckColemanwithmaddeningvividness。IftheblankdarknesswassimplyfilledwithferociousAlbanians，thehorsedidnotcareabutton；heleisurelyputhisfeetdownwitharesoundingring。 Colemanwhisperedhastilytothedragoman。\"Iftheyrushus，jumpdownthebank，nomatterhowdeepitis。That\'souronlychance。Andtrytokeeptogether。\" Alltheysawoftheuniversewas，infrontofthem，aplacefaintlyluminousneartheirfeet，butfadinginsixyardstothedarknessofadungeon。Thisrepre- sentedthebrightwhiteroadofthedaytime。Ithadnoend。Colemanhadthoughtthathecouldtellfromtheveryfeeloftheairsomeofthelandmarksofhisdaytimejourney，buthehadnownosenseoflocationatall。Hewouldnothavedeniedthathewassquirmingonhisbellylikeawormthroughblackmud。 Theywentonandon。VisionsofhispastweresweepingthroughColeman\'smindpreciselyastheyaresaidtosweepthroughthemindofadrowningperson。Buthehadnoregretforanybaddeeds；heregrettedmerelydistanthoursofpeaceandprotection。Hewasnolongeraherogoingtorescuehislove。Hewasaslavemakingagaspingattempttoescapefromthemostincredibletyrannyofcircumstances。HehalfvowedtohimselfthatiftheGodwhomhehadinnowiseheeded，wouldpermithimtocrawloutofthisslaveryhewouldneveragainventureayardtowardadangeranygreaterthanmaybeincurredfromthepoliceofamostpropermetropolis。Ifhisjuvenileandupliftingthoughtsofotherdayshadreproachedhimhewouldsimplyhaverepeatedandrepeated: \"Adventurebedamned。\" Itbecameknowntothemthatthehorsehadtobeled。Thedebasedcreaturewasassertingitsrighttodoasithadbeentrained，tofollowitscustoms；itwasassertingthisrightduringasituationwhichrequiredconductsuperiortoalltrainingandcustom。ItwassogrosslyconventionalthatColemanwouldhaveunderstoodthatdemoniacformofangerwhichsometimesleadsmentojabknivesintowarmbodies。Colemanfromcowardicetriedtoinducethedragomantogoaheadleadingthehorse，andthedragomanfromcowardicetriedtoinduceColemantogoaheadleadingthehorse。Colemanofcoursehadtosuccumb。Thedragomanwasonlygoodtowalkbehindandtearfullywhispermaledictionsasheproddedtheflanksoftheirtranquilbeast。 Intheabsoluteblackofthefrequentforests，Colemancouldnotseehisfeetandheoftenfeltlikeamanwalkingforwardtofallatanymomentdownathousandyardsofchasm。Heheardwhispers；hesawskulkingfigures，andthesefrightsturnedouttobethevoiceofalittletrickleofwaterortheeffectsofwindamongtheleaves，buttheywerereplacedbythesameterrorsinslightlydifferentforms。 Thenthepoignantthinginterpolated。Avolleycrashedaheadofthemsomehalfofamileawayandanothervolleyansweredfromastillnearerpoint。Swishingnoiseswhichthecorrespondenthadheardintheairhenowknowtohavebeenfromthepassingofbullets。Heandthedragomancamestockstill。Theyheardthreeothervolleyssoundingwiththeabruptclamourofahailoflittlestonesuponahollowsurface。Colemanandthedragomancameclosetogetherandlookedintothewhitesofeachother\'seyes。Theghastlyhorseatthatmomentstretcheddownhisneckandbeganplacidlytopluckthegrassattheroadside。Thetwomenwereequallyblankwithfearandeachseemedtoseekintheothersomenewlyrampantmanhooduponwhichhecouldleanatthistime。BehindthemweretheTurks。Infrontofthemwasafightinthedarkness。InfrontitwasmathematictosupposeinfactwerealsotheTurks。Theywerebarred；enclosed；cutoff。Theendwascome。 Evenatthatmomenttheyheardfrombehindthemthesoundofslow，stealthyfootsteps。Theybothwheeledinstantly，chokingwiththisadditionalterror。Colemansawthedragomanmoveswiftlytothesideoftheroad，readytojumpintowhateverabysshappenedtobethere。Colemanstillgrippedthehalterasifitwereintruthastraw。Thestealthyfootstepsweremuchnearer。Thenitwasthataninsanitycameuponhimasiffearhadflamedupwithinhimuntilitgavehimallthemagnificentdesperationofamadman。 Hejerkedthegreyhorsebroadsidetotheapproachingmystery，andgrabbingouthisrevolveraimeditfromthetopofhisimprovisedbulwark。Hehailedthedarkness。 \"Halt。Who\'sthere？\"Hehadexpectedhisvoicetosoundlikeagroan，butinsteadithappenedtosoundclear，stern，commanding，likethevoiceofayoungsentryatanencampmentofvolunteers。Hedidnotseemtohaveanyprivilegeofselectionastothewords。Theywerebornofthemselves。 Hewaitedthen，blanchedandhopeless，fordeathtowingoutofthedarknessandstrikehimdown。Heheardavoice。Thevoicesaid:\"DoyouspeakEnglish？\"ForoneortwosecondshecouldnotevenunderstandEnglish，andthenthegreatfactswelledupandwithinhim。ThisvoicewithallitsnewquaverswasstillundoubtedlythevoiceofProf。HarrisonB。WainwrightofWashurstCollegeCHAPTERXII。 ACHANGEflashedoverColemanasifithadcomefromanelectricstorage。Hehadknowntheprofessorlong，buthehadneverbeforeheardaquaverinhisvoice，anditwasthislittlequaverthatseemedtoimpelhimtosupremedisregardofthedangerswhichhelookeduponasbeingthefinaldangers。Hisownvoicehadnotquavered。 Whenhespoke，hespokeinalowtone，itwasthevoiceofthemasterofthesituation。Hecouldhearhisdupesflutteringthereinthedarkness。\"Yes，\"hesaid，\"IspeakEnglish。Thereissomedanger。Staywhereyouareandmakenonoise。\"Hewasascoolasaniceddrink。Tobesurethecircumstanceshadinnowisechangedastohispersonaldanger，butbeyondtheimportantfactthattherewerenowotherstoendureitwithhim，heseemedabletoforgetitinastrange，unauthorizedsenseofvictory。Itcamefromtheprofessor\'squavers。 Meanwhilehehadforgottenthedragoman，butherecalledhimintimetobidhimwait。Then，aswellconcealedasamonkhidinginhiscowl，hetip-toedbackintoagroupofpeoplewhoknewhimintimately。 Hediscernedtwowomenmountedonlittlehorsesandaboutthemweredimmen。Hecouldhearthembreathinghard。\"Itisallright\"hebegansmoothly。\"Youonlyneedtobeverycareful——\" Suddenlyoutoftheblacknessprojectedahalfphosphorescentface。Itwasthefaceofthelittleprofessor。Hestammered。\"We-we-doyoureallyspeakEnglish？\"Colemaninhisfeelingofsuperbtriumphcouldalmosthavelaughed。Hisnerveswereassteadyashemp，buthewasinhasteandhishasteallowedhimtoadministerrebuketohisoldprofessor。 \"Didn\'tyouhearme？\"hehissedthroughhistighteninglips。 \"Theyarefightingjustaheadofusontheroadandifyouwanttosaveyourselvesdon\'twastetime。\" Anotherfaceloomedfaintlylikeamaskpaintedindarkgrey。 ItbelongedtoCoke，anditwasamaskfiguredinprofoundstupefaction。Thelipsopenedandtenselybreathedoutthename:\"Coleman。\"Instantlythecorrespondentfeltabouthimthatkindofatumultwhichtriestosuppressitself。Heknewthatitwasthemosttheatricmomentofhislife。Heglancedquicklytowardthetwofiguresonhorseback。Hebelievedthatonewasmakingfoolishgesticulationwhiletheothersatrigidandsilent。 ThislatteroneheknewtobeMarjory。Hewascontentthatshedidnotmove。Onlyawomanwhowasgladhehadcomebutdidnotcareforhimwouldhavemoved。ThisapplieddirectlytowhathethoughtheknewofMarjory\'snature。 Therewasconfusionamongthestudents，butColemansuppresseditasinsuchsituationmightacenturion。\"S-s-steady!\" Heseizedthearmoftheprofessoranddrewhimforciblyclose。\"Theconditionisthis，\"hewhisperedrapidly。 \"Weareinafixwiththisfightonuptheroad。Iwassentafteryou，butIcan\'tgetyouintotheGreeklinesto-night。Mrs。WainwrightandMarjorymustdismountandIandmymanwilltakethehorsesonandhidethem。Alltherestofyoumustgoupaboutahundredfeetintothewoodsandhide。WhenIcomeback，I\'llhailyouandyouanswerlow。\"Theprofessorwaslikepulpinhisgrasp。Hechokedouttheword\"Coleman\"inagonyandwonder，butheobeyedwithapalpablegratitude。ColemansprangtothesideoftheshadowyfigureofMarjory。\"Come，\"hesaidauthoritatively。 Shelaidinhispalmalittleicycoldhandanddroppedfromherhorse。Hehadanimpulsetoclingtothesmallfingers，butheloosenedthemimmediately，im- partingtohismanner，aswellasthedarknessper- mittedhim，akindofcasualpolitenessasifheweretoointentuponthebusinessinhand。Hebunchedthecrowdandpushedthemintothewood。Thenheandthedragomantookthehorsesahundredyardsonwardandtetheredthem。Noonewouldcareiftheywerestolen；thegreatpointwastogetthemwheretheirnoisewouldhavenopowerofrevealingthewholeparty。Therehadbeennofurtherfiring。 Afterhehadtiedthelittlegreyhorsetoatreeheunropedhisluggageandcarriedthemostofitbacktothepointwheretheothershadlefttheroad。Hecalledoutcautiouslyandreceivedasibilantanswer。 Heandthedragomanbuntedamongthetreesuntiltheycametowhereaforlorncompanywasseatedawaitingthemliftingtheirfaceslikefrogsoutofapond。Hisfirstquestiondidnotgivethemanyassurance。Hesaidatonce:\"Areanyofyouarmed？\"Unanimouslytheylowlybreathed:\"No。\" Hesearchedthemoutonebyoneandfinallysankdownbytheprofessor。Hekeptsortofahypnotichandcuffuponthedragoman，becauseheforesawthatthismanwasreallygoingtobethekeytothebestmeansofescape。Toalargeneutralpartywanderingbetweenhostilelinestherewastechnicallynodanger，butactuallytherewasagreatdeal。Botharmieshadtoomanyirregulars，lawlesshillsmencomeouttofightintheirownway，andiftheywereencounteredinthedeadofnightonsuchhazardousgroundtheGreekhillsmenwiththeirwhitecrossonabluefieldwouldbepreciselyasdangerousastheblood-hungryAlbanians。ColemanknewthattherationalwaywastoreachtheGreeklines，andhehadnointentionofreachingtheGreeklineswithoutatongue，andtheonlytonguewasinthemouthofthedragoman。Hewascorrectinthinkingthattheprofessor\'sdeepknowledgeoftheancientlanguagewouldgivehimsmallcluetothespeechofthemodernGreek。 Ashesettledhimselfbytheprofessorthebandofstudents，eightinnumberpushedtheirfacesclose。 Hedidnotseeanyreasonforspeaking。TherewerethirtysecondsofdeepsilenceinwhichhefeltthatallwerebendingtohearkentohiswordsofcounselTheprofessorhuskilybrokethestillness。Well***whatarewetodonow？\" Colemanwasdecisive，indeedabsolute。\"We\'llstayhereuntildaylightunlessyoucaretogetshot。\" \"Allright，\"answeredtheprofessor。Heturnedandmadeauselessremarktohisflock。\"Stayhere。\" Colemanaskedcivilly，\"Haveyouhadanythingtoeat？ Haveyougotanythingtowraparoundyou？\" \"Wehaveabsolutelynothing，\"answeredtheprofessor。\" Ourservantsranawayand**andthenwelefteverythingbehindus**andI\'veneverbeeninsuchapositioninmylife。\" Colemanmovedsoftlyinthedarknessandunbuckledsomeofhistraps。Onhiskneehebrokethehardcakesofbreadandwithhisfingershebrokethelittletabletsofchocolate。Thesehedistributedtohispeople。AndatthistimehefeltfullytheappreciationoftheconductoftheeightAmericancollegestudentsTheyhadnotyetsaidaword-withtheexceptionofthebewilderedexclamationfromCoke。Theyallknewhimwell。Inanycircumstanceoflifewhichasfarashetrulybelieved，theyhadyetencountered，theywouldhavebeenprivilegedtoaccosthimineveryformoftheirremarkablevocabulary。Theywereasnewtothisgameas，wouldhavebeeneightnewly-caughtApacheIndiansifsuchweresettoruntheelevatorsintheTractSocietyBuilding。Hecouldseetheireyesgazingathimanxiouslyandhecouldheartheirdeep- drawnbreaths。Buttheysaidnoword。Heknewthattheywerelookinguponhimastheirleader，almostastheirsaviour，andheknewalsothattheyweregoingtofollowhimwithoutamurmurintheconvictionthatheknewten-foldmorethantheyknew。Itoccurredtohimthathispositionwasludicrouslyfalse，but，anyhow，hewasglad。Surelyitwouldbeaveryeasythingtoleadthemtosafetyinthemorningandheforesawthecreditwhichwouldcometohim。Heconcludedthatitwasbeneathhisdignityaspreservertovouchsafethemmanywords。Hisbusinesswastobethecold，masterful，enigmaticman。Itmightbesaidthatthesereflectionswereonlyhalf-thoughtsinhismind。Meanwhileasectionofhisintellectwasflyinghitherandthither，speculatingupontheCircassiancavalryandtheAlbanianguerillasandeventheGreekoutposts。 HeunbuckledhisblanketrollandtakingoneblanketplaceditabouttheshouldersoftheshadowwhichwasMrs。Wainwright。Theshadowprotestedincoherently，。huthemuttered\"Ohthat\'sallright。\"ThenhetookhisotherblanketandwenttotheshadowwhichwasMarjory。Itwassomethinglikeputtingawrapabouttheshouldersofastatue。Hewasbaseenoughtolingerinthehopesthathecoulddetectsomeslighttremblingbutasfaraslieknewshewasofstone。Hismacintoshhefoldedaroundthebodyoftheprofessoramidquitesenileprotest，sosenilethattheprofessorseemedsuddenlyproventohimasanold，oldman，afactwhichhadneveroccurredtoWashurstorherchildren。Thenhewenttothedragomanandpre-emptedhalfofhisblankets，ThedragomangruntedbutColemanItwouldnotdotohavethisdragomandevelopaluxurioustemperamentwheneightAmericancollegestudentswere，withoutspeech，shiveringinthecoldnight。 Colemanreallybeguntoruminateuponhisglory，buthefoundthathecouldnotdothiswellwithoutSmoking，sohecreptawaysomedistancefromthisfireless，encampment，andbendinghisfacetothegroundatthefootofatreehestruckamatchandlitacigar。Hisretuntotheotherswouldhavebeensomewhatinthemannerofcoolnessasdisplayedonthestageifhehadnotbeenpreventedbythenecessityofmakingnonoise。HesawregardinghimasbeforethedimlyvisibleeyesoftheeightstudentsandMarjoryandherfatherandmother。 Thenhewhisperedtheconventionalwords。\"Gotosleepifyoucan。 You\'llneedyourstrengthinthemorning。Iandthismanherewillkeepwatch。\"Threeofthecollegestudentsofcoursecrawleduptohimandeachsaid:\"I\'llkeepwatch，oldman。\" \"No。We\'llkeepwatch。Youpeopletrytosleep。\" Hedeemedthatitmightbebettertoyieldthedragomanhisblanket，andSohegotupandleanedagainstatree，holdinghishandtocoverthebrilliantpointofhiscigar。Heknewperfectlywellthatnoneofthemcouldsleep。Buthestoodtheresomewhatlikeasentrywithouttheattitude，butwithalltheeffectofresponsibility。 Hehadnodoubtbutwhatescapetocivilisationwouldbeeasy，butanyhowhisheroismshouldbepreserved。Hewastherescuer。HisthoughtsofMarjoryweresomewhatinapuzzle。 Themeetinghadplacedhiminsuchapositionthathehadexpectedalotofcondescensiononhisownpart。Insteadshehadexhibitedaboutasmuchrecognitionofhimaswouldastonefountainonhisgrandfather\'splaceinConnecticut。Thisinhisopinionwasnotthewaytogreettheknightwhohadcometotherescueofhislady。Hehadnotexpecteditsotohappen。InfactfromAthenstothisplacehehadengagedhimselfwithimageryofpossiblemeetings。Hewasvexed，certainly，but，farbeyondthat，heknewadeeperadminirationforthisgirl。Tohimsherepresentedthesex，andsothesexasembodiedinherseemedamysterytobefeared。Hewonderedifsafetycameonthemorrowhewouldnotsurrendertothisfeminineinvulnerability。Shehadnotdoneanythingthathehadexpectedofherandsoinasmuchashelovedherhelovedhermore。Itwasbewitching。Hehalfconsideredhimselfafool。Butatanyratehethoughtresentfullysheshouldbethankfultohimforhavingrenderedheragreatservice。 However，whenhecametoconsiderthispropositionheknewthatonabasisofabsolutemanlyendeavourhehadrenderedherlittleornoservice。 Thenightwaslong。 CHAPTERXIII。 COLEMANsuddenlyfoundhimselflookinguponhispalliddragoman。Hesawthathehadbeenasleepcrouchedatthefootofthetree。Withoutanyexchangeofspeechatallheknewtherehadbeenalarmingnoises。Thenshotssoundedfromnearby。Somewerefromriflesaimedinthatdirectionandsomewerefromriflesopposedtothem。Thiswasdistinguishabletotheexperiencedman，butallthatColemanknewwasthattheconditionsofdangerwerenowtriplicated。Unconsciouslyhestretchedhishandsinsupplicationoverhischarges。\"Don\'tmove!Don\'tmove!Andkeepclosetotheground!\"AllheededhimbutMarjory。Shestillsatstraight。Hehimselfwasonhisfeet，buthenowknewthesoundofbullets，andheknewthatnobulletshadspunthroughthetrees。Hecouldnotseeherdistinctly，butitwasknowntohiminsomewaythatshewasmutinous。Heleanedtowardherandspokeasharshlyaspossible。\"Marjory，getdown!\"Shewaveredforamomentasifresolvedtodefyhim。Asheturnedagaintopeerinthedirectionofthefiringitwentthroughhismindthatshemustlovehimverymuchindeed。Hewasassuredofit。 Itmusthavebeensomesmalloutpourbetweennervouspicketsandeagerhillsmen，foritendedinamoment。Thepartywaitedinabasementforwhatseemedtothematime，andthebluedawnbegan，tolaggardlyshiftthenightastheywaited。 Thedawnitselfseemedprodigiouslylonginarrivingatanythinglikediscerniblelandscape。Whenthiswasconsummated，Coleman，insomewhatthemannerofthefatherofachurch，dealtbitsofchocolateouttotheothers。Hehadalreadytakentheprecautiontoconferwiththedragoman，sohesaid:\"Well，comeahead。We\'llmakeatryforit。\"Theyaroseathisbiddingandfollowedhimtotheroad。Itwasthesamebroad，whiteroad，onlythatthewhitewasinthedawningsomethinglikethegreyofaveil。Ittooksomecouragetoventureuponthisthoroughfare，butColemansteppedout-afterlookingquicklyinbothdirections。Thepartytrampedtowherethehorseshadbeenleft，andtheretheywerefoundwithoutchangeofarope。 Colemanrejoicedtoseethathisdragomannowfollowedhiminthewayofagoodlieutenant。Theybothdashedinamongthetreesandhadthehorsesoutintotheroadinatwinkle。WhenColemanturnedtodirectthatutterlysubservient，groupheknewthathisfacewasdrawnfromhardshipandanxiety，buthesaweverywherethesamestyleoffacewiththeexceptionofthefaceofMarjory，wholookedsimplyoflovelymarble。Henotedwithacurioussatisfaction，asifthethingwasatributetohimself，thathismacintoshwasovertheprofessor\'sshoulder，thatMarjoryandhermotherwereeachcarryingablanket，andthat，thecorpsofstudentshaddutifullybroughtallthetrapswhichhisdragomanhadforgotten。Itwasgrand。 Headdressedthemtosay:\"Now，approachingoutpostsisverydangerousbusinessatthistimeinthemorning。Somyman，whocantalkbothGreekandTurkish，willgoaheadfortyyards，andIwillfollowsomewherebetweenhimandyou。Trynottocrowdforward。\" Hedirectedtheladiesupontheirhorsesandplacedtheprofessoruponthelittlegreynag。Thentheytookuptheirlineofmarch。Thedragomanhadlookedsomewhatdubiouslyuponthisplanofhavinghimgofortyyardsinadvance，buthehadtheutmostconfidenceinthisnewColeman，whomyesterdayhehadnotknown。Besides，hehimselfwasaverygallantmanindeed，anditbefittedhimtotakethepostofdangerbeforetheeyesofalltheseforeigners。Inhisnewpositionhewasasproudandunreasonableasarooster。Hewascontinuallyturninghisheadtoscowlbackatthem，whenonlytheclankofhoofswassounding。Animpenetrablemistlayonthevalleyandthehill-topswereshrouded。Asforthepeople，theywerelikemice。ColemanpaidnoattentiontotheWainwrightparty，butwalkedsteadilyalongnearthedragoman。 Perhapsthewholethingwasatrifleabsurd，buttoagreatpercentage，ofthepartyitwasterrible。Forinstance，thoseeightboys，freshfromaschool，couldinnowisegaugethedimensions。Andifthiswastrueofthestudents，itwasmoredistinctlytrueofMarjoryandhermother。Asfortheprofessor，heseemedWeightedtotheearthbyhisloveandhisresponsibility。 Suddenlythedragomanwheeledandmadedemoniacsigns。 Colemanhalf-turnedtosurveythemainbody，andthenpaidhisattentionswiftlytothefront。Thewhiteroadspedtothetopofahillwhereitseemedtomakearotundswingintooblivion。 Thetopofthecurvewasframedinfoliage，andthereinwasahorseman。Hehadhiscarbineslantedonhisthigh，andhisbridle-reinstaut。Uponsightofthemheimmediatelywheeledandgallopeddowntheotherslopeandvanished。 Thedragomanwasthrowingwildgesturesintotheair。AsColemanlookedbackattheWainwrightpartyhesawplainlythattoanordinaryeyetheymighteasilyappearasastrongadvanceoftroops。Thepeculiarlightwouldemphasizesuchtheory。Thedragomanrantohimjubilantly，buthecontainednowaformofintelligencewhichcausedhimtowhisper；\"ThatwasoneGreek。ThatwasoneGreek-whatdoyoucall——sentree？\" Colemanaddressedtheothers。Hesaid:\"It\'sallright。Comeahead。ThatwasaGreekpicket。Thereisonlyonetroublenow，andthatistoapproachthemeasy-doyousee-easy。\" Hisobedientchargescameforwardathisword。Whentheyarrivedatthetopofthisrisetheysawnothing。Colemanwasveryuncertain。Hewasnotsurethatthispickethadnotcarriedwithhimageneralalarm，andinthatcasetherewouldsoonoccuracertainamountofshooting。However，asfarasheunderstoodthebusiness，therewasnowaybutforward。 InasmuchashedidnotindicatetotheWainwrightpartythathewishedthemtododifferently，theyfollowedondoggedlyafterhimandthedragoman。Heknewnowthatthedragoman\'shearthadforthetenthtimeturnedtodog-biscuit，sohekeptabreastofhim。Andsoontogethertheywalkedintoacavalryoutpost，commandedbynolessapersonthanthedashingyoungcaptain，whocamelaughingouttomeetthem。 Suddenlylosingallcolourofwar，theconditionwasnowsuchasmightoccurinadrawingroom。ColemanfelttheimportanceofestablishinghighlyconventionalrelationsbetweenthecaptainandtheWainwrightparty。Tocompassthishefirstseizedhisdragoman，andthedragoman，enlightenedimmediately，spunaseriesoflieswhichmusthaveledthecaptaintobelievethattheentireheartoftheAmericanrepublichadbeentakenoutofthatwesterncontinentandtransportedtoGreece。Colemanwasproudofthecaptain，ThelatterimmediatelywentandbowedinthemanneroftheFrenchschoolandaskedeverybodytohaveacupofcoffee，althoughacceptationwouldhaveprovedhisruinanddisgrace。Colemanrefusedinthenameofcourtesy。Hecalledhispartyforward，andnowtheyproceededmerelyasonecrowd。Marjoryhaddismountedinthemeantime。 Themomentwascome。Colemanfeltit。Thefirstrushwasfromthestudents。Immediatelyhewasburiedinathrashingmobofthem。\"Goodboy!Goodboy!Greatman!Oh，isn\'theapeach？Howdidhedoit？Hecameinstrongatthefinish!Goodboy，Coleman!\"Throughthismistofglowingyouthfulcongratulatioinhesawtheprofessorstandingattheoutskirtswithdirectformalthanksalreadymovingonhislips，whilenearhimhiswifeweptjoyfully。Marjorywasevidentlyenduringsomeinscrutableemotion。 Afterall，itdidpenetratehismindthatitwasindecenttoacceptallthiswildgratitude，buttherewasbuiltwithinhimnointentionofpositivelydeclaringhimselflackinginallcredit，oratleast，lackinginallcreditinthewaytheirpraisesdefinedit。 Intruthhehadassistedthem，buthehadbeenatthetimelargelyengagedinassistinghimself，andtheircominghadbeenmoreofaboontohislonelinessthananadditiontohiscare。 However，hesoonhadnodifficultyinmakinghisconscienceappropriateeverylineinthesehymnssunginhishonour。Thestudents，curiouslywiseofmen，thoughthisconductquiteperfect。\"Oh，say，comeoff!\"heprotested。\"Why，Ididn\'tdoanything。Youfellowsarecrazy。 Youwouldhavegotteninallrightbyyourselves。Don\'tactlikeasses-\" AssoonastheprofessorhadopportunityhecametoColeman。Hewasachangedlittleman，andhisextraordinarybewildermentshowedinhisface。Itwasthedisillusionandamazementofastubbornmindthathadgoneimplacablyinitsonedirectionandfoundintheendthatthedirectionwasallwrong，andthatreallyacertainmentalmachinehadnotbeeninfallible。ColemanrememberedwhattheAmericanministerinAthenshaddescribedofhisprotestsagainstthestartingoftheprofessor\'spartyonthisjourney，andofthecompleterefusaloftheprofessortorecogniseanyvalueintheadvice。Andherenowwastheconsequentdefeat。Itwasmirroredintheprofessor\'sastonishedeyes。Colemanwentdirectlytohisdazedoldteacher。\"Well，you\'reoutofitnow，professor，\"hesaidwarmly。\"Icongratulateyouonyourescape，sir。\"Theprofessorlookedathim，helplesstoexpresshimself，butthecorrespondentwasatthattimesuddenlyenvelopedinthehystericalgratitudeofMrs。Wainwright，whohurledherselfuponhimwithextravagantmanifestations。Colemanplayedhispartwithskill。ToboththeprofessorandMrs。Wainwrighthismannerwasacombinationofmodestlyfilialaffectionandapretentiousdisavowalofhishavingdoneanythingatall。ItseemedtocharmeverybodybutMarjory。Itirritatedhimtoseethatshewasapparentlyincapableofacknowledgingthathewasagrandman。