第 19 节
作者:插翅难飞      更新:2021-04-30 17:18      字数:9322
  Gerard;   that   beacon   must   be   lit   to…night。  France   needs   it;   the   Emperor
  needs it; the army needs it。         Two of your comrades have gone to light it;
  but neither has made his way to the summit。               To…day it is your turn; and I
  pray that you may have better luck。〃
  It   is   not   for   a   soldier   to   ask   the   reason   for   his   orders;   and   so   I   was
  about   to   hurry   from   the   room;   but   the   Marshal   laid   his   hand   upon   my
  shoulder and held me。
  〃You shall know all; and so learn how high is the cause for which you
  risk your life;〃 said he。       〃Fifty miles to the south of us; on the other side
  of the Tagus; is the army of General Clausel。              His camp is situated near a
  peak named the Sierra d'Ossa。            On the summit of this peak is a beacon;
  and by this beacon he has a picket。            It is agreed between us that when at
  midnight he shall see our signal…fire he shall light his own as an answer;
  and shall then at once fall back upon the main army。                If he does not start
  at once I must go without him。           For two days I have endeavoured to send
  him   his   message。     It   must   reach   him   to…day;   or   his   army   will   be   left
  behind and destroyed。〃
  Ah; my friends; how my heart swelled when I heard how high was the
  task which Fortune had assigned to me!
  If my life were spared; here was one more splendid new leaf for my
  laurel   crown。     If;   on   the   other   hand;   I   died;   then   it   would   be   a   death
  worthy of   such   a career。      I  said   nothing; but I  cannot doubt that   all the
  noble thoughts   that were   in me   shone in   my  face;   for Massena took   my
  hand and wrung it。
  〃There is the hill and there the beacon;〃 said he。
  〃There is only this guerilla and his men between you and it。                 I cannot
  detach a large party for the enterprise and a small one would be seen and
  destroyed。      Therefore to you alone I commit it。           Carry it out in your own
  way; but at twelve o'clock this night let me see the fire upon the hill。〃
  〃If it is not there;〃 said I; 〃then I pray you; Marshal Massena; to see
  that my effects are sold and the money sent to my mother。〃                    So I raised
  my hand to my busby and turned upon my heel; my heart glowing at the
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  thought of the great exploit which lay before me。
  I sat in my own chamber for some little time considering how I had
  best take the matter in hand。          The fact that neither Cortex nor Duplessis;
  who were very zealous and active officers; had succeeded in reaching the
  summit      of  the   Sierra   de   Merodal;     showed     that  the   country    was   very
  closely watched by the guerillas。           I reckoned out the distance upon a map。
  There   were ten   miles   of open   country  to   be   crossed before   reaching   the
  hills。    Then   came   a   belt   of   forest   on the   lower   slopes   of   the   mountain;
  which may have been three or four miles wide。                   And then there was the
  actual peak itself; of no very great height; but without any cover to conceal
  me。     Those were the three stages of my journey。
  It   seemed   to   me   that   once   I   had   reached   the   shelter   of   the   wood   all
  would   be   easy;   for   I   could   lie   concealed   within   its   shadows   and   climb
  upward under the cover of night。
  From eight till twelve would give me four hours of darkness in which
  to   make     the  ascent。    It   was    only   the   first  stage;  then;   which     I  had
  seriously to consider。
  Over     that   flat  country    there    lay  the   inviting    white    road;   and    I
  remembered   that   my   comrades   had   both   taken   their   horses。          That   was
  clearly their ruin; for nothing could be easier than for the brigands to keep
  watch upon the road; and to lay an ambush for all who passed along it。                      It
  would not be difficult for me to ride across country; and I was well horsed
  at that time; for I had not only Violette and Rataplan; who were two of the
  finest   mounts   in   the   army;   but   I   had   the   splendid   black   English   hunter
  which   I   had   taken   from   Sir   Cotton。     However;   after   much        thought;   I
  determined to go upon foot; since I should then be in a better state to take
  advantage of any chance which might offer。                  As to my dress; I covered
  my Hussar uniform with a long cloak; and I put a grey forage cap upon my
  head。     You may ask me why I did not dress as a peasant; but I answer that
  a man of honour has no desire to die the death of a spy。                 It is one thing to
  be murdered; and it is another to be justly executed by the laws of war。                     I
  would not run the risk of such an end。
  In   the  late  afternoon   I stole   out of   the  camp   and   passed   through   the
  line of   our   pickets。    Beneath   my  cloak   I had   a   field…glass   and   a   pocket
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  pistol; as well as my sword。         In my pocket were tinder; flint; and steel。
  For two or three miles I kept under cover of the vineyards; and made
  such good   progress   that   my  heart   was   high   within   me;   and   I   thought   to
  myself that it only needed a man of some brains to take the matter in hand
  to bring it easily to success。         Of course; Cortex and Duplessis galloping
  down      the  high…road     would    be   easily   seen;   but   the  intelligent   Gerard
  lurking among the vines was quite another person。                 I dare say I had got as
  far as five miles before I met any check。               At that point there is a small
  wine…house; round which I perceived some carts and a number of people;
  the first that I had seen。      Now that I was well outside the lines I knew that
  every person was my enemy; so I crouched lower while I stole along to a
  point from which I could get a better view of what was going on。                      I then
  perceived that these people were peasants; who were loading two waggons
  with   empty   wine…   casks。      I   failed   to   see   how   they   could   either   help   or
  hinder me; so I continued upon my way。
  But soon I understood that my task was not so simple as had appeared。
  As   the   ground   rose   the   vineyards   ceased;   and   I   came   upon   a   stretch   of
  open   country   studded   with   low   hills。     Crouching   in   a   ditch   I   examined
  them with a glass; and I very soon perceived that there was a watcher upon
  every one of them; and that these people had a line of pickets and outposts
  thrown forward exactly like our own。              I had heard of the discipline which
  was practised by this scoundrel whom they called 〃The Smiler;〃 and this;
  no doubt; was an example of it。
  Between the hills there was a cordon of sentries; and though I worked
  some distance round to the flank I still found myself faced by the enemy。
  It was a puzzle what to do。
  There was so little   cover that   a  rat   could hardly  cross   without   being
  seen。     Of course; it would be easy enough to slip through at night; as I
  had   done   with   the   English   at Torres Vedras;  but   I   was   still   far   from  the
  mountain and I could not in that case reach it in time to light the midnight
  beacon。      I  lay   in  my   ditch   and   I  made    a   thousand   plans;   each   more
  dangerous   than   the   last。     And   then   suddenly   I   had   that   flash   of   light
  which comes to the brave man who refuses to despair。
  You   remember   I   have   mentioned   that two   waggons   were   loading   up
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  with empty casks at the inn。           The heads of the oxen were turned to the
  east;   and   it   was   evident   that   those   waggons   were   going   in   the   direction
  which   I   desired。    Could   I   only  conceal   myself   upon   one   of   them;   what
  better   and   easier   way   could   I   find   of   passing   through   the   lines   of   the
  guerillas?     So simple and so good was the plan that I could not restrain a
  cry of delight as it crossed my mind; and I hurried away instantly in the
  direction of the inn。       There; from behind some bushes; I had a good look
  at what was going on upon the road。
  There were three peasants with red montero caps loading the barrels;
  and they had completed one