hero tales from american history-第15部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


is　nervous　vous　system　was　entirely　deranged。　His　sight　was　now　so　impaired　that　he　was　almost　blind；　and　could　neither　read　nor　write。　It　was　a　terrible　prospect　for　a　brilliant　and　ambitious　man；　but　Parkman　faced　it　unflinchingly。　He　devised　a　frame　by　which　he　could　write　with　closed　eyes；　and　books　and　manuscripts　were　read　to　him。　In　this　way　he　began　the　history　of　〃The　Conspiracy　of　Pontiac；〃　and　for　the　first　half…year　the　rate　of　composition　covered　about　six　lines　a　day。　His　courage　was　rewarded　by　an　improvement　in　his　health；　and　a　little　more　quiet　in　nerves　and　brain。　In　two　and　a　half　years　he　managed　to　complete　the　book。　He　then　entered　upon　his　great　subject　of　〃France　in　the　New　World。〃　The　material　was　mostly　in　manuscript；　and　had　to　be　examined；　gathered；　and　selected　in　Europe　and　in　Canada。　He　could　not　read；　he　could　write　only　a　very　little　and　that　with　difficulty；　and　yet　he　pressed　on。　He　slowly　collected　his　material　and　digested　and　arranged　it；　using　the　eyes　of　others　to　do　that　which　he　could　not　do　himself；　and　always　on　the　verge　of　a　complete　breakdown　of　mind　and　body。　In　1851　he　had　an　effusion　of　water　on　the　left　knee；　which　stopped　his　outdoor　exercise；　on　which　he　had　always　largely　depended。　All　the　irritability　of　the　system　then　centered　in　the　head；　resulting　in　intense　pain　and　in　a　restless　and　devouring　activity　of　thought。　He　himself　says：　〃The　whirl；　the　confusion；　and　strange；　undefined　tortures　attending　this　condition　are　only　to　be　conceived　by　one　who　has　felt　them。〃　The　resources　of　surgery　and　medicine　were　exhausted　in　vain。　The　trouble　in　the　head　and　eyes　constantly　recurred。　In　1858　there　came　a　period　when　for　four　years　he　was　incapable　of　the　slightest　mental　application；　and　the　attacks　varied　in　duration　from　four　hours　to　as　many　months。　When　the　pressure　was　lightened　a　little　he　went　back　to　his　work。　When　work　was　impossible；　he　turned　to　horticulture；　grew　roses；　and　wrote　a　book　about　the　cultivation　of　those　flowers　which　is　a　standard　authority。

As　he　grew　older　the　attacks　moderated；　although　they　never　departed。　Sleeplessness　pursued　him　always；　the　slightest　excitement　would　deprive　him　of　the　power　of　exertion；　his　sight　was　always　sensitive；　and　at　times　he　was　bordering　on　blindness。　In　this　hard…pressed　way　he　fought　the　battle　of　life。　He　says　himself　that　his　books　took　four　times　as　long　to　prepare　and　write　as　if　he　had　been　strong　and　able　to　use　his　faculties。　That　this　should　have　been　the　case　is　little　wonder；　for　those　books　came　into　being　with　failing　sight　and　shattered　nerves；　with　sleeplessness　and　pain；　and　the　menace　of　insanity　ever　hanging　over　the　brave　man　who；　nevertheless；　carried　them　through　to　an　end。

Yet　the　result　of　those　fifty　years；　even　in　amount；　is　a　noble　one；　and　would　have　been　great　achievement　for　a　man　who　had　never　known　a　sick　day。　In　quality；　and　subject；　and　method　of　narration；　they　leave　little　to　be　desired。　There；　in　Parkman's　volumes；　is　told　vividly；　strongly；　and　truthfully；　the　history　of　the　great　struggle　between　France　and　England　for　the　mastery　of　the　North　American　continent；　one　of　the　most　important　events　of　modern　times。　This　is　not　the　place　to　give　any　critical　estimate　of　Mr。　Parkman's　work。　It　is　enough　to　say　that　it　stands　in　the　front　rank。　It　is　a　great　contribution　to　history；　and　a　still　greater　gift　to　the　literature　of　this　country。　All　Americans　certainly　should　read　the　volumes　in　which　Parkman　has　told　that　wonderful　story　of　hardship　and　adventure；　of　fighting　and　of　statesmanship；　which　gave　this　great　continent　to　the　English　race　and　the　English　speech。　But　better　than　the　literature　or　the　history　is　the　heroic　spirit　of　the　man；　which　triumphed　over　pain　and　all　other　physical　obstacles；　and　brought　a　work　of　such　value　to　his　country　and　his　time　into　existence。　There　is　a　great　lesson　as　well　as　a　lofty　example　in　such　a　career；　and　in　the　service　which　such　a　man　rendered　by　his　life　and　work　to　literature　and　to　his　country。　On　the　tomb　of　the　conqueror　of　Quebec　it　is　written：　〃Here　lies　Wolfe　victorious。〃　The　same　epitaph　might　with　entire　justice　be　carved　above　the　grave　of　Wolfe's　historian。



〃REMEMBER　THE　ALAMO〃　

The　muffled　drum's　sad　roll　has　beat　　The　soldier's　last　tattoo；　No　more　on　life's　parade　shall　meet　　That　brave　and　fallen　few。　On　fame's　eternal　camping…ground　　Their　silent　tents　are　spread；　And　glory　guards　with　solemn　round　　The　bivouac　of　the　dead。

　　　*　　*　　*

The　neighing　troop；　the　flashing　blade；　　The　bugle's　stirring　blast；　The　charge；　the　dreadful　cannonade；　　The　din　and　shout　are　past；　Nor　war's　wild　note；　nor　glory's　peal　　Shall　thrill　with　fierce　delight　Those　breasts　that　never　more　may　feel　　The　rapture　of　the　fight。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Theodore　O'Hara。

〃REMEMBER　THE　ALAMO〃

〃Thermopylae　had　its　messengers　of　death；　but　the　Alamo　had　none。〃　These　were　the　words　with　which　a　United　States　senator　referred　to　one　of　the　most　resolute　and　effective　fights　ever　waged　by　brave　men　against　overwhelming　odds　in　the　face　of　certain　death。

Soon　after　the　close　of　the　second　war　with　Great　Britain；　parties　of　American　settlers　began　to　press　forward　into　the　rich；　sparsely　settled　territory　of　Texas；　then　a　portion。　of　Mexico。　At　first　these　immigrants　were　well　received；　but　the　Mexicans　speedily　grew　jealous　of　them；　and　oppressed　them　in　various　ways。　In　consequence；　when　the　settlers　felt　themselves　strong　enough；　they　revolted　against　Mexican　rule；　and　declared　Texas　to　be　an　independent　republic。　Immediately　Santa　Anna；　the　Dictator　of　Mexico；　gathered　a　large　army；　and　invaded　Texas。　The　slender　forces　of　the　settlers　were　unable　to　meet　his　hosts。　They　were　pressed　back　by　the　Mexicans；　and　dreadful　atrocities　were　committed　by　Santa　Anna　and　his　lieutenants。　In　the　United　States　there　was　great　enthusiasm　for　the　struggling　Texans；　and　many　bold　backwoodsmen　and　Indian…fighters　swarmed　to　their　help。　Among　them　the　two　most　famous　were　Sam　Houston　and　David　Crockett。　Houston　was　the　younger　man；　and　had　already　led　an　extraordinary　and　varied　career。　When　a　mere　lad　he　had　run　away　from　home　and　joined　the　Cherokees；　living　among　them　for　some　years；　then　he　returned　home。　He　had　fought　under　Andrew　Jackson　in　his　campaigns　against　the　Creeks；　and　had　been　severely　wounded　at　the　battle　of　the　Horse…shoe　Bend。　He　had　risen　to　the　highest　political　honors　in　his　State；　becoming　governor　of　Tennessee；　and　then　suddenly；　in　a　fit　of　moody　longing　for　the　life　of　the　wilderness；　he　gave　up　his　governorship；　left　the　State；　and　crossed　the　Mississippi；　going　to　join　his　old　comrades；　the　Cherokees；　in　their　new　home　along　the　waters　of　the　Arkansas。　Here　he　dressed；　lived；　fought；　hunted；　and　drank　precisely　like　any　Indian；　becoming　one　of　the　chiefs。

David　Crockett　was　born　soon　after　the　Revolutionary　War。　He；　too；　had　taken　part　under　Jackson　in　the　campaigns　against　the　Creeks；　and　had　afterward　become　a　man　of　mark　in　Tennessee；　and　gone　to　Congress　as　a　Whig；　but　he　had　quarreled　with　Jackson；　and　been　beaten　for　Congress；　and　in　his　disgust　he　left　the　State　and　decided　to　join　the　Texans。　He　was　the　most　famous　rifle…shot　in　all　the　United　States；　and　the　most　successful　hunter；　so　that　his　skill　was　a　proverb　all　along　the　border。

David　Crockett　journeyed　south；　by　boat　and　horse；　making　his　way　steadily　toward　the　distant　plains　where　the　Texans　were　waging　their　life…and…death　fight。　Texas　was　a　wild　place　in　those　days；　and　the　old　hunter　had　more　than　one　hairbreadth　escape　from　Indians；　desperadoes；　and　savage　beasts；　ere　he　got　to　the　neighborhood　of　San　Antonio；　and　joined　another　adventurer；　a　bee…hunter；　bent　on　the　same　errand　as　himself。　The　two　had　been　in　ignorance　of　exactly　what　the　situation　in　Texas　was；　but　they　soon　found　that　the　Mexican　army　was　marching　toward　San　Antonio；　whither　they　were　going。　Near　the　town　was　an　old　Spanish　fort；　the　Alamo；　in　which　the　hundred　and　fifty　American　defenders　of　the　place　had　gathered。　Santa　Anna　had　four　thousand　troops　with　him。　The　Alamo　was　a　mere　shell；　utterly　unable　to　withstand　either　a　bombardment　or　a　regular　assault。　It　was　evident；　therefore；　that　those　within　it　would　be　in　the　utmost　jeopardy　if　the　place　were　seriously　assaulted；　but　old　Crockett　and　his　companion　never　wavered。　They　were　fearless　and　resolute；　and　masters　of　woodcraft；　and　they　managed　to　slip　through　the　Mexican　lines　and　join　the　defenders　within　the　walls。　The　bravest；　the　hardiest；　the　most　reckless　men　of　the　border　were　there；　among　them　were　Colonel　Travis；　the　commander　of　the　fort；　and　Bowie；　the　inventor　of　the　famous　bowie…knife。　They　were　a　wild　and　ill…disciplined　band；　little　used　to　restraint　or　control；　but　they　were　men　of　iron　courage　and　great　bodily　powers；　skilled　in　the　use　of　their　weapons；　and　ready　to　meet　with　stern　and　uncomplaining　indifference　whatever　doom　fate　might　have　in　store　for　them。

Soon　Santa　Anna　approached　with　his　army；　took　possession　of　the　town；　and　besieged　the　fort。　The　defenders　knew　there　was　scarcely　a　chance　of　rescue；　and　that　it　was　hopeless　to　expect　that　one　hundred　and　fifty　men；　behind　defenses　so　weak；　could　beat　off　four　thousand　trained　soldiers；　well　armed　and　provided　with　heavy　artillery；　but　they　had　no　idea　of　flinching；　and　made　a　desperate　defense。　The　days　went　by；　and　no　help　came；　while　Santa　Anna　got　ready　his　lines；　and　began　a　furious　cannonade。　His　gunners　were　unskilled；　however；　and　he　had　to　serve　the　guns　from　a　distance；　for　when　they　were　pushed　nearer；　the　American　riflemen　crept　forward　under　cover；　and　picked　off　the　artillerymen。　Old　Crockett　thus　killed　five　men　at　one　gun。　But；　by　degrees；　the　bombardment　told。　The　walls　of　the　Alamo　were　battered　and　riddled；　and　when　they　had　been　breached　so　as　to　afford　no　obstacle　to　the　rush　of　his　soldiers；　Santa　Anna　commanded　that　they　be　stormed。

The　storm　took　place　on　March　6；　1836。　The　Mexican　troops　came　on　well　and　steadily；　breaking　through　the　outer　defenses　at　every　point；　for　the　lines　were　too　long　to　be　manned　by　the　few　Americans。　The　frontiersmen　then　retreated　to　the　inner　building；　and　a　desperate　hand…to…hand　conflict