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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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plative repose. He could have enjoyed portraying to uninitiated listeners various scenes at which he had been a witness or ably discussing the pro- cesses of war with other proved men. Too it was important that he should have time for physical recuperation. He was sore and stiff from his ex- periences. He had received his fill of all exer- tions, and he wished to rest. But those other men seemed never to grow weary; they were fighting with their old speed. 163 He had a wild hate for the relentless foe. Yester- day, when he had imagined the universe to be against him, he had hated it, little gods and big gods; to-day he hated the army of the foe with the same great hatred. He was not going to be badgered of his life, like a kitten chased by boys, he said. It was not well to drive men into final corners; at those moments they could all develop teeth and claws. He leaned and spoke into his friend's ear. He menaced the woods with a gesture. "If they keep on chasing us, by Gawd, they'd better watch out. Can't stand TOO much." The friend twisted his head and made a calm reply. "If they keep on a-chasin' us they'll drive us all inteh th' river." The youth cried out savagely at this state- ment. He crouched behind a little tree, with his eyes burning hatefully and his teeth set in a cur- like snarl. The awkward bandage was still about his head, and upon it, over his wound, there was a spot of dry blood. His hair was wondrously tousled, and some straggling, moving locks hung over the cloth of the bandage down toward his forehead. His jacket and shirt were open at the throat, and exposed his young bronzed neck. There could be seen spasmodic gulpings at his throat. |
