第 16 节
作者:
插翅难飞 更新:2021-04-30 17:18 字数:9322
artillery; came cantering down the roadan elderly; stout man he was; with
grey side…whiskers。 He stopped and began to talk with an orderly officer
of dragoons; who waited outside the inn; and it was then that I learned the
advantage of the English which had been taught me。 I could hear and
understand all that was said。
〃Where is the meet?〃 said the officer; and I thought that he was
hungering for his bifstek。 But the other answered him that it was near
Altara; so I saw that it was a place of which he spoke。
〃You are late; Sir George;〃 said the orderly。
〃Yes; I had a court…martial。 Has Sir Stapleton Cotton gone?〃
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At this moment a window opened; and a handsome young man in a
very splendid uniform looked out of it。
〃Halloa; Murray!〃 said he。 〃These cursed papers keep me; but I will
be at your heels。〃
〃Very good; Cotton。 I am late already; so I will ride on。〃
〃You might order my groom to bring round my horse;〃 said the young
General at the window to the orderly below; while the other went on down
the road。
The orderly rode away to some outlying stable; and then in a few
minutes there came a smart English groom with a cockade in his hat;
leading by the bridle a horse and; oh; my friends; you have never known
the perfection to which a horse can attain until you have seen a first… class
English hunter。 He was superb: tall; broad; strong; and yet as graceful
and agile as a deer。 Coal black he was in colour; and his neck; and his
shoulder; and his quarters; and his fetlockshow can I describe him all to
you? The sun shone upon him as on polished ebony; and he raised his
hoofs in a little playful dance so lightly and prettily; while he tossed his
mane and whinnied with impatience。 Never have I seen such a mixture
of strength and beauty and grace。 I had often wondered how the English
Hussars had managed to ride over the chasseurs of the Guards in the affair
at Astorga; but I wondered no longer when I saw the English horses。
There was a ring for fastening bridles at the door of the inn; and the
groom tied the horse there while he entered the house。 In an instant I had
seen the chance which Fate had brought to me。 Were I in that saddle I
should be better off than when I started。 Even Voltigeur could not
compare with this magnificent creature。 To think is to act with me。 In
one instant I was down the ladder and at the door of the stable。 The next
I was out and the bridle was in my hand。 I bounded into the saddle。
Somebody; the master or the man; shouted wildly behind me。 What
cared I for his shouts! I touched the horse with my spurs and he bounded
forward with such a spring that only a rider like myself could have sat him。
I gave him his head and let him goit did not matter to me where; so long
as we left this inn far behind us。 He thundered away across the vineyards;
and in a very few minutes I had placed miles between myself and my
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pursuers。 They could no longer tell in that wild country in which
direction I had gone。 I knew that I was safe; and so; riding to the top of a
small hill; I drew my pencil and note…book from my pocket and proceeded
to make plans of those camps which I could see and to draw the outline of
the country。
He was a dear creature upon whom I sat; but it was not easy to draw
upon his back; for every now and then his two ears would cock; and he
would start and quiver with impatience。 At first I could not understand
this trick of his; but soon I observed that he only did it when a peculiar
noise〃yoy; yoy; yoy〃came from somewhere among the oak woods
beneath us。 And then suddenly this strange cry changed into a most
terrible screaming; with the frantic blowing of a horn。 Instantly he went
madthis horse。 His eyes blazed。 His mane bristled。 He bounded
from the earth and bounded again; twisting and turning in a frenzy。 My
pencil flew one way and my note…book another。 And then; as I looked
down into the valley; an extraordinary sight met my eyes。
The hunt was streaming down it。 The fox I could not see; but the
dogs were in full cry; their noses down; their tails up; so close together that
they might have been one great yellow and white moving carpet。 And
behind them rode the horsemenmy faith; what a sight! Consider every
type which a great army could show。 Some in hunting dress; but the
most in uniforms: blue dragoons; red dragoons; red…trousered hussars;
green riflemen; artillerymen; gold…slashed lancers; and most of all red; red;
red; for the infantry officers ride as hard as the cavalry。
Such a crowd; some well mounted; some ill; but all flying along as
best they might; the subaltern as good as the general; jostling and pushing;
spurring and driving; with every thought thrown to the winds save that
they should have the blood of this absurd fox! Truly; they are an
extraordinary people; the English!
But I had little time to watch the hunt or to marvel at these islanders;
for of all these mad creatures the very horse upon which I sat was the
maddest。 You understand that he was himself a hunter; and that the
crying of these dogs was to him what the call of a cavalry trumpet in the
street yonder would be to me。 It thrilled him。 It drove him wild。
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Again and again he bounded into the air; and then; seizing the bit between
his teeth; he plunged down the slope and galloped after the dogs。
I swore; and tugged; and pulled; but I was powerless。
This English General rode his horse with a snaffle only; and the beast
had a mouth of iron。 It was useless to pull him back。 One might as well
try to keep a grenadier from a wine…bottle。 I gave it up in despair; and;
settling down in the saddle; I prepared for the worst which could befall。
What a creature he was! Never have I felt such a horse between my
knees。 His great haunches gathered under him with every stride; and he
shot forward ever faster and faster; stretched like a greyhound; while the
wind beat in my face and whistled past my ears。 I was wearing our
undress jacket; a uniform simple and dark in itselfthough some figures
give distinction to any uniformand I had taken the precaution to remove
the long panache from my busby。 The result was that; amidst the mixture
of costumes in the hunt; there was no reason why mine should attract
attention; or why these men; whose thoughts were all with the chase;
should give any heed to me。 The idea that a French officer might be
riding with them was too absurd to enter their minds。 I laughed as I rode;
for; indeed; amid all the danger; there was something of comic in the
situation。
I have said that the hunters were very unequally mounted; and so at the
end of a few miles; instead of being one body of men; like a charging
regiment; they were scattered over a considerable space; the better riders
well up to the dogs and the others trailing away behind。
Now; I was as good a rider as any; and my horse was the best of them
all; and so you can imagine that it was not long before he carried me to the
front。 And when I saw the dogs streaming over the open; and the red…
coated huntsman behind them; and only seven or eight horsemen between
us; then it was that the strangest thing of all happened; for I; too; went
madI; Etienne Gerard!
In a moment it came upon me; this spirit of sport; this desire to excel;
this hatred of the fox。 Accursed anim