第27节
【】”ar,”ralphsaid, quietly. illustration:angthegernsoldiers. ”oh,ihesergeantsaid,inanincredulousvoice,”and y” ”outintheforest,attheplaceofell trees,”ralphsaid. ”butpeopledoocuthouthorses,orcartsto takeitahesergeantpersisted. ”theyareupintheforesthourfather,”ralphsaid. ”haveyouheardanythingaboutthisparty”thesergeantaskedthe landlord. theatedant.heevidentlysuspected,also,thatthe boysghtbelongtothefranctireurs;andosay nothingthe ”no,”hesaid,afterapause,”itsaythatihaveheardof thebutikheforestlongago,and theyghthaveefrthisway.” ”oing,”percysaid,quietly,”sothatyou uldhardlyhaveheardofus,unlesssoofthepeopleofyour placehappeopass,seen anyone,allday.” ”atanyrate,”thesergeantsaid,”ishallseeifyourstorybe true,andyouoakeustotheplace. ”rpettenninreadiness.” ”certainly,”ralphsaid,”ifyouofinishour supper,heonce.” thesergeantnodded,andresudhisseat. ”lookhere,percy,”ralphsaid,quietly,”yfix, thisti.thereisonlyohingtobedohatisee.if hgotheyus,toacertainty;foralthoughone ghtkeaboltintheiscertainbothget away. ”onlyohingistobedone.iisbad,andask foryoutostayhere.directlyand goashardasyoutotheplaarehid.iwill brihatdire.heplacebefore youreachitatleast,unlessyougetout,atond passoninthedarkakeoffyourshoes,soastorunlightly. asakeadart intothehenfusion.” ”butyoughtbeshotbyourn,ralph.theyuldnotpossibly distinguishyou,inthedark.no,ien,andyou keyourpe.” ”no,no,percy,ihavethat.” ”veryheher.” thereihenralphsaid: ”lookhere,percy,thisisdness;hodoasi tellyou,binoneof ans.ifyouguesswrong,youshallgo.” ”veryothat.” ralphthenbrokeoffasllpieceofbread,andputitinoneof hishandshavingalready,beforehedetheproposition,broken offasilarpieobservedbypercy.hethenputbothhands uhetable,andthenliftedthegain;allthetitryingto appeaottobeengageduponanythingoutoftheway,asheknew thatsoofthegerns. ”left,”percysaid. ralphrepliedbyopenihand,anddroppingthepieceof breadoable;atthesatiputtinghisrighthandback intohispocket,asiftogetouthishandkerchiefanddropping, ashedidso,thepieceofbreaditntaiotheplace. ”there,percy,fortunehasdecidedit. ”goodbye;godblessyou.idaresayishallgetoutofitbut,if not,givelovetothell,atho.” thenhefinishedhisbeerandrose,eto reply,evenuldhehavedoneso;buttheladuhoked, g,thatheuldnothavespoken. ralphtuedtothesergeantandstretghisar,hthe naturalairofatiredboy,objegtobedisturbedsaid: ”ostart.isupposethereisnooasionfor usbothtogo,forbrotherhashurthisfoot.have ein,tonight;butitishisfirsttiouten, andheisnotaustodtosleepingout,inthe.” ”yes,oneisenough.hestay,”thesergeantsaid. ”youhadbetteraskthelandlordtoshooer,whereyou sleeporaisnouseing for.ishallbebaanhour.” hanodtopercy,ralphnoeadilytothedoor.the sergeaoldofffortheduty,aiedhiwhen theyreachedthestreet,itwasrainingheavily. ”ieasack, toputonshoulders.” ”isthisplacefaroff,youhesergeantasked,peeringout intothedarkness. ralphsheartgaveaju;forhedetected,ione,acertain hesitationastotakiinsuight,uponsuch slightsuspi.heooshreoshoo dissuadethesergeantfrot,sohereplied: ”no,itisnodistast.weshould bethereandbahalfanhour,ifit;butthereis onlyapathangtheisdark. ”ithies,foridonotthinki uldfind,tonight;atanyrate,itake usger.” ”there,boy,thathesergeantsaid,layinghishandon hisshoulder.”iaatisfied,nohthetruthofyourstory.i thought,forabit,youhadsothingtodohthefranctireurs istaken. ”tuinagain,lads.itisakingyououtonauseless search,suightasthis,angtheseforests.” ralphlaughedaloud,astheytuedtogodohepassageagainto theer. ”fatherlaugh,”hesaid,”hatyouthoughti ar.idont thinkyouneedbeafraidoftheiftheyaintbiggerorolder thania” bythistitheyhadeheroogain,andralphsahat perdeed,he .hetuedround,uponhearing thepartyeinagain,andgaveaslightstartofpleasure. ”iaoonback,karl,andaladthatitissofor,frankly,i tooaired;anditisnotanightftobeout.iwillgo inhyou.” ”stay,landlord,”thesergeantsaid.”givetheboysanlass, each,beforetheygooff.” ”thankyou,”ralphsaid.”aglassofgoodbeeeveresass.” theboysstopped,helandlordfilledtheirglasses. ”no.”heresahealth,to king.” ”heresahealth,toking,”ralphrepeated.”iaurei nohar ”andnoission,iwillbeoff.” ...