on the firing line-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！



The　blue　eyes　blazed。

〃And　what　do　you　mean　by　that；　Alice？　You　asked　me　to　visit　you　here；　to　see　your　work　among　your　patients。　I　have　come。　If　I　came　at　all；　it　had　to　be　now。　I　can't　always　leave　home　for　a　week　at　a　time。　And　I　can't　help　it；　can　I；　if　Mr。　Weldon　happens　to　be　one　of　your　patients？〃

〃No；　you　can't；〃　Alice　admitted　slowly。　〃It　only　remains　to　be　seen　whether　you　would　care　to　help　it；　if　you　could。〃

Again　Ethel　crossed　the　room。　This　time；　she　dropped　down　at　her　cousin's　side。

〃Don't　let　us　argue　about　it　and　get　cross　at　each　other；　dear。　If　I　have　made　a　mistake　in　coming　now；　I　am　sorry。　But　I　am　here。　Let　me　stay　a　few　days；　I　may　be　able　to　help　you　a　little。　Anyway；　I　promise　not　to　be　a　trouble　to　you。　It　is　so　long　since　I　have　seen　you；　Alice。　And〃　Again　the　silence　dropped。

Alice　roused　herself　from　the　reverie　which　was　creeping　over　her。　She　was　glad　to　see　Ethel；　unfeignedly　glad。　The　bright；　animated　presence　of　her　cousin；　during　the　next　few　days；　could　not　fail　to　be　a　tonic。　And；　as　Ethel　had　said；　she　herself　had　been　the　one　to　suggest　the　first　idea　of　the　winter　visit。　Chance　and　Captain　Frazer　had　decreed　that　it　should　take　place　now；　when　Alice's　hands　were　immoderately　full　of　work。　But　then；　so　much　the　better。　Ethel　could　make　herself　invaluable　among　the　convalescents。　She　herself　had　not　put　on　her　Red…Cross　badge　for　the　sake　of　taking　her　rest　hour　at　the　bedside　of　Trooper　Harvard　Weldon。

Half　undressed；　Ethel　paused；　hair　brush　in　hand。　〃You　can't　imagine　how　tired　I　am；　Alice。　It　is　a　terrible　journey　up　here　nowadays。　I　was　in　terror　of　a　train…wreck　at　any　moment；〃　she　said　drowsily。　〃Don't　let　me　sleep　too　long　in　the　morning；　because；〃　she　pulled　open　her　eyes　long　enough　to　dart　a　mocking　glance　over　her　shoulder　at　her　cousin；　〃because　you　know；　right　after　breakfast；　you　are　going　to　let　me　begin　to　help　you　take　care　of　some　of　your　people。〃

From　behind　her　own　sheltering　veil　of　ink…black　hair；　Alice　laughed。

〃Cooee；　you　are　a　dear；　but　you're　rather　a　trial；〃　she　said　slowly。　〃However；　now　that　you　are　here；　I　think　I　shall　ask　the　P。　M。　O。　to　set　you　to　work　to　watch　over　the　needs　of　Mr。　Weldon。　He　won't　be　here　much　longer；　but；　while　he　stays；　I　shall　consider　him　your　patient。〃　Then；　brushing　aside　the　veil；　she　bent　forward　and　touched　her　lips　to　her　cousin's　cheek。

〃Might　I　ask　what　brought　you　up　here；　Miss　Dent？〃　Weldon　asked；　the　next　day。

Beside　him　sat　Ethel；　her　hands　demurely　clasped　in　the　lap　of　her　broad　white　apron。

〃My　cousin's　invitation；〃　she　replied。

〃Then　Miss　Mellen　knew　you　were　coming？〃

〃Yes。　She　asked　me　to　come；　early　in　the　winter。〃

〃Strange　she　said　nothing　about　it！　We　were　talking　about　you；　only　yesterday。〃

〃She　didn't　know；　even　then；　that　I　was　so　imminent；〃　Ethel　answered。　〃I　took　her　quite　by　surprise；　at　the　last。〃

〃A　surprise　all　around；　then；〃　he　said；　with　a　boyish　laugh。　〃I　was　astonished　to　find　Miss　Mellen　here；　and　you　must　have　been　equally　astonished　to　find　me。　If　only　Captain　Frazer　would　appear；　our　old　quartette　would　be　complete。〃

〃I　am　afraid　we　must　get　on　without　him；〃　she　said　lightly。

〃Unfortunately；　yes。　I　wonder　where　he　is。〃

〃In　Cape　Town；〃　she　replied　unexpectedly。

〃Really？　What　is　he　doing　there？〃

〃Don't　expect　me　to　tell。　It　has　something　to　do　with　a　staff；　but　whether　he　carries　it；　or　becudgels　recruits　with　it；　I　have　no　idea　at　all。〃

〃He　hasn't　left　the　Scottish　Horse？〃

〃In　fact；　but　not　in　name。　Your　regiment　is　still　in　the　Transvaal；　but　he　keeps　a　sort　of　vicarious　connection　with　it。　Please　don't　expect　me　to　grasp　military　details；　Mr。　Weldon。　I　merely　repeat　the　facts；　parrot　fashion；　you　must　interpret　them　to　suit　yourself。〃

He　laughed　again。　Already；　in　that　one　morning；　he　appeared　to　have　taken　a　long　stride　towards　the　regaining　of　his　old　self。

〃You　are　a　perfect　gazette；　Miss　Dent；　the　first　bit　of　news　that　has　crept　inside　this　place。　Where　did　you　get　all　your　information？〃

〃From　Captain　Frazer。〃　Her　rising　color　belied　her　unconcerned　tone。

〃You　have　seen　him；　then？〃

〃Yes。　He　is　usually　very　good　about　calling；　whenever　he　comes　to　Cape　Town。〃

〃And　is　he　well？〃

〃Absolutely。　Also　quite　enthusiastic　over　his　troopers　and　the　work　they　did　at　Vlaakfontein。〃

〃Weremany〃

She　understood。

〃Not　very　many；　but　several　were　wounded。　Worst　of　all；　one　or　two　of　the　wounded　ones　were　shot　by　the　Boers。　Mr。　Carew　told　me　that　he　left　a　dozen　of　your　men　in　the　hospital　at　Krugersdorp。〃

〃Carew？　Have　you　seen　him；　too；　Miss　Dent？〃

〃Didn't　you　know　he　was　here？〃

He　stared　at　her　in　blank　amazement。

〃Here　in　Johannesburg？〃

〃Here　in　this　hospital。〃

〃In　what　shape？〃

〃Hilarious　in　his　mind；　and　with　a　foot　that　is　coming　out　right　in　course　of　time。　Didn't　Alice　tell　you？〃

〃No。〃

〃Strange。　She　took　me　to　see　him；　this　morning；　on　my　way　here；　because　he　was　such　a　promising　patient。　She　was　quite　surprised　to　find　we　were　old　acquaintances。〃

〃Oh；〃　Weldon　said　slowly。　〃I　begin　to　see。　Miss　Mellen　had　never　met　Carew；　so　she　had　no　idea　we　were　friends。　What　a　curious　snarl　it　all　is！〃

〃The　hand　of　Fate　is　in　it；〃　Ethel　assented　idly。

〃Do　you　believe　in　Fate；　too？〃

〃Surely。　Why　not？〃

〃Nothing；　only　your　cousin　said　you　didn't。〃

The　girl　frowned。

〃Alice　doesn't　know　all　my　mental　processes；〃　she　said　a　little　severely。

〃She　didn't　pretend　to。　We　were　speaking　of　Fate；　yesterday；　of　the　way　certain　events　in　one's　life　seem　absolutely　inevitable；　at　least；　I　was。　Then　the　conversation　worked　around　to　you；　and　Miss　Mellen　suggested　that　you　usually　rose　superior　to　Fate；〃　Weldon　explained　at　some　length。

Once　again；　Ethel　felt　the　note　of　finality　in　his　tone。　For　an　instant；　she　shut　her　lips。　Then　she　reverted　to　the　main　question。

〃How　do　you　mean　inevitable？〃

〃As　if　you　chose　your　path；　and　then　found　that；　for　always；　it　had　been　the　only　thing　for　you　to　do。　That's　not　so　clear；　I　know；　but　I　can't　put　it　much　better。〃

〃For　instance？〃

〃For　instance；　my　coming　out　here　when　I　did。　I　was　interested　in　the　war；　but　there　was　no　real　question　of　my　coming；　until　the　month　I　sailed。　Then；　all　of　a　sudden；　I　seemed　to　know　why　it　was　that　I　had　spent　my　life　on　horseback。　They　told　me　in　England　that　the　real　war　was　over。　When　I　landed　at　Cape　Town；　I　found　out　that　the　one　thing　needed　was　a　man　who　could　ride；　and　shoot　straight。　From　the　day　I　sailed　from　home；　until　now；　I　have　been　like　an　actor　walking　through　a　part　that　some　one　else　has　written　for　him。　I　have　chosen　nothing；　it　all　has　been　inevitable。〃

She　rose　to　her　feet；　and　stood　leaning　on　the　back　of　her　chair。

〃In　that　case；　Mr。　Weldon；　you　must　include　our　meeting　in　your　scheme　of　things；〃　she　said；　with　a　smile。

His　answering　smile　met　her　smile　with　perfect　frankness。

〃I　sometimes　wonder　if　that　wasn't　the　most　inevitable　part　of　it　all。〃




CHAPTER　TWELVE


The　red…brown　veldt　stretched　away　to　the　sky…line；　sixty　miles　distant。　Level　as　it　looked；　it　was　nevertheless　a　succession　of　softly　rolling　ridges　dotted　with　clumps　of　dried　sagebrush　and　spotted　here　and　there　with　heaps　of　black　volcanic　rocks。　Far　to　the　northward；　a　thin　line　of　poplars　and　willows　marked　the　bed　of　a　river。　Beyond　that；　again；　the　air　was　thick　with　smoke　from　acres　of　burning　veldt。　The　days　were　full　of　dust；　and　the　nights　were　full　of　frost；　it　was　the　month　of　June；　and　winter　was　upon　the　land。

The　camp　was　taking　a　well…earned　rest。　For　days；　the　men　had　swept　over　the　veldt；　following　hard　on　the　trail　of　a　Boer　general　who　only　made　himself　visible　now　and　then　by　a　spatter　of　bullets；　when　his　convoy　train　was　delayed　at　a　difficult　ford。　It　had　been　a　week　of　playing　pussin…the…corner　over　a　charred　and　dusty　land；　where　the　only　roads　were　trails　trodden　out　to　powder　by　the　hoofs　of　those　that　had　gone　before。　Both　men　and　mounts　were　wellnigh　exhausted；　and　the　officers　had　decreed　a　halt。

The　strain　had　been　intense。　Now；　with　the　relaxing　of　it；　its　memory　vanished；　and　the　halt　swiftly　took　upon　itself　the　appearance　of　a　school　holiday。　Laughing　and　chaffing　each　other；　groups　of　men　loitered　here　and　lounged　there；　smoking；　writing　letters；　and　taking　stout；　unlovely　stitches　in　their　time…worn　khaki　clothing。　At　one　side　of　the　camp　was　the　tent　of　the　mess　sergeant；　equipped　like　a　portable　species　of　corner　grocery。　Near　by；　Paddy　apparently　was　in　his　element；　presiding　over　his　camp…　kitchen；　a　vast　bonfire　encircled　with　a　dozen　iron　pots。　At　the　farther　edge　of　the　camp　Weldon　was　umpiring　a　game　of　football　between　his　own　squadron　and　a　company　of　the　Derbys。　Owing　to　the　athletic　zeal　of　the　hour；　it　was　big…side；　and　Weldon　was　too　busy　in　keeping　his　eye　upon　so　many　players　to　pay　much　attention　to　his　own　loneliness。

In　all　truth；　however；　he　was　lonely。　The　week　since　he　had　rejoined　his　squadron　had　dragged　perceptibly。　Captain　Frazer　was　in　Cape　Town；　Carew　was　still　in　hospital　at　Johannesburg　where；　under　the　eyes　of　Alice　Mellen　and　her　cousin；　he　was　fast　resuming　his　old　finical　habits。　Dingy　and　veldt…stained　though　he　might　be；　Carew　at　heart　would　always　remain　the　exquisite。　However；　exquisite　that　he　was　bound　to　be；　he　was　even　more　the　soldier；　and　his　gay　eyes　had　clouded；　as　he　had　wrung　Weldon's　hand　in　parting。

〃Lucky　dog！〃　he　said　enviously。　〃I　am　off　duty　for　two　weeks　more；　and　you　are　going　back　to　the　thick　of　things。　One　must　take　it　as　it　comes；　but　I　say；　old　man；　don't　forget　me　when　the　bullets　begin　to　pelt　at　you　again。〃

And　Weldon　had　been　better　than　his　promise。　He　had　thought　of　Carew；　day　and　night；　for　the　entire　week；　thought　of　him　and　missed　him　acutely。　Carew　was　an　ideal　comrade　in　that　he　never；　under　any　circumstances；　took　himself　in　earnest。

A　leg　which　will　carry　a　man　on　horseback　is　by　no　means　fit　for　football。　Weldon；　finished　player　that　he　was；　found　it　tame　work　to　umpire　a　team　whose　sole　idea　of　tactics　was　to　get　there　in　any　way　that　offered　itself。　Half　an　hour　sufficed；　then；　appointing　an　understudy；　he　walked　away　in　search　of　Paddy。　From　the　midst　of　a　torrent　of　ins