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