第 22 节
作者:插翅难飞      更新:2021-04-30 17:18      字数:9321
  which lay in a cleft close to the summit of the mountain。                 There was the
  beacon which had cost me so much; a square stack of wood; immediately
  above our heads。        Below were two or three huts which had belonged; no
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  doubt;   to   goatherds;   and   which   were   now   used   to   shelter   these   rascals。
  Into one of these I was cast; bound and helpless; and the dead body of my
  poor comrade was laid beside me。
  I was lying there with the one thought still consuming me; how to wait
  a few hours and to get at that pile of fagots above my head; when the door
  of   my   prison   opened   and   a   man   entered。     Had   my   hands   been   free   I
  should have flown at his throat; for it was none other than de Pombal。                    A
  couple of brigands were at his heels; but he ordered them back and closed
  the door behind him。
  〃You villain!〃 said I。
  〃Hush!〃     he   cried。   〃Speak      low;  for   I  do  not   know    who    may    be
  listening;   and   my   life   is   at   stake。 I   have   some   words   to   say   to   you;
  Colonel Gerard; I wish well to you; as I did to your dead companion。                    As
  I spoke to you beside his body I saw that we were surrounded; and that
  your   capture   was   unavoidable。        I   should   have   shared   your   fate   had   I
  hesitated。      I   instantly   captured     you    myself;    so  as   to   preserve    the
  confidence of the band。
  Your own sense will tell you that there was nothing else for me to do。
  I do not know now whether I can save you; but at least I will try。〃
  This was a new light upon the situation。              I told him that I could not
  tell how far he spoke the truth; but that I would judge him by his actions。
  〃I ask nothing better;〃 said he。        〃A word of advice to you!          The chief
  will see you now。        Speak him fair; or he will have you sawn between two
  planks。     Contradict   nothing   he   says。     Give   him  such   information   as   he
  wants。     It   is   your   only   chance。  If   you   can   gain   time   something   may
  come   in   our   favour。    Now;   I   have   no   more   time。     Come   at   once;   or
  suspicion may be awakened。〃
  He helped me to rise; and then; opening the door; he dragged me out
  very roughly; and   with the aid of the fellows outside he brutally  pushed
  and   thrust   me   to   the   place   where   the guerilla   chief   was   seated;   with   his
  rude followers gathered round him。
  A remarkable man was Manuelo; 〃The Smiler。〃                  He was fat and florid
  and comfortable; with a big; clean… shaven face and a bald head; the very
  model of a kindly father of a family。             As I looked at his honest smile I
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  could scarcely  believe that this was;   indeed; the   infamous ruffian   whose
  name was a horror through the English Army as well as our own。                         It is
  well known that Trent; who was a British officer; afterward had the fellow
  hanged for his brutalities。       He sat upon a boulder and he beamed upon me
  like one who meets an old acquaintance。
  I observed; however; that one of his men leaned upon a long saw; and
  the sight was enough to cure me of all delusions。
  〃Good     evening;   Colonel   Gerard;〃   said      he。   〃We   have   been     highly
  honoured   by   General   Massena's   staff:        Major   Cortex   one   day;    Colonel
  Duplessis      the  next;   and   now    Colonel     Gerard。    Possibly     the   Marshal
  himself     may    be  induced     to  honour    us   with   a  visit。  You     have   seen
  Duplessis;   I    understand。     Cortex     you   will   find  nailed   to  a  tree  down
  yonder。     It   only   remains    to  be   decided    how    we   can   best  dispose    of
  yourself。〃
  It was not a cheering speech; but all the time his fat face was wreathed
  in smiles;  and he   lisped   out   his   words   in   the  most   mincing   and   amiable
  fashion。     Now; however; he suddenly  leaned forward; and   I read a very
  real intensity in his eyes。
  〃Colonel Gerard;〃 said he; 〃I cannot promise you your life; for it is not
  our custom; but I can give you an easy death or I can give you a terrible
  one。    Which shall it be?〃
  〃What do you wish me to do in exchange?〃
  〃If you   would   die  easy  I  ask   you   to   give  me   truthful   answers   to   the
  questions which I ask。〃
  A sudden thought flashed through my mind。
  〃You wish to kill me;〃 said I; 〃it cannot matter to you how I die。                 If I
  answer   your   questions;   will   you   let   me   choose   the   manner   of   my   own
  death?〃
  〃Yes; I will;〃 said he; 〃so long as it is before midnight to…night。〃
  〃Swear it!〃 I cried。
  〃The word of a Portuguese gentleman is sufficient;〃 said he。
  〃Not a word will I say until you have sworn it。〃
  He flushed with anger and his eyes swept round toward the saw。                    But
  he understood from my tone that I meant what I said; and that I was not a
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  man   to   be   bullied   into   submission。    He   pulled   a   cross   from   under   his
  zammara or jacket of black sheepskin。
  〃I swear it;〃 said he。
  Oh; my joy as I heard the words!            What an end what an end for the
  first   swordsman   of   France!      I   could   have   laughed   with   delight   at   the
  thought。
  〃Now; your questions!〃 said I。
  〃You swear in turn to answer them truly?〃
  〃I do; upon the honour of a gentleman and a soldier。〃
  It was; as you perceive; a terrible thing that I promised; but what was it
  compared to what I might gain by compliance?
  〃This is a very fair and a very interesting bargain;〃 said he; taking a
  note…book from his pocket。
  〃Would you kindly turn your gaze toward the French camp?〃
  Following the direction of his gesture; I turned and looked down upon
  the camp in the plain beneath us。           In spite of the fifteen miles; one could
  in that clear atmosphere see every detail with the utmost distinctness。
  There were the long squares of our tents and our huts; with the cavalry
  lines   and   the   dark   patches   which   marked   the   ten   batteries   of   artillery。
  How sad to think of my magnificent regiment waiting down yonder; and to
  know that they would never see their colonel again!                 With one squadron
  of them I could have swept all these cut…throats of the face of the earth。
  My eager eyes filled with tears as I looked at the corner of the camp where
  I knew that there were eight hundred men; any one of whom would have
  died   for   his   colonel。  But   my  sadness   vanished   when   I   saw beyond   the
  tents the plumes of smoke which marked the headquarters at Torres Novas。
  There was   Massena;   and;   please   God;   at the   cost   of   my  life   his   mission
  would   that   night   be   done。    A  spasm   of   pride   and   exultation   filled   my
  breast。    I should have liked to have had a voice of thunder that I might
  call to them; 〃Behold it is I; Etienne Gerard; who will die in order to save
  the army of Clausel!〃         It was; indeed; sad to think that so noble a deed
  should be done; and that no one should be there to tell the tale。
  〃Now;〃 said the brigand chief; 〃you see the camp and you see also the
  road which leads to Coimbra。           It is crowded with your fourgons and your
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  ambulances。       Does this mean that Massena is about to retreat?〃
  One could see the dark moving lines of waggons with an occasional
  flash of steel from the escort。      There could; apart from my promise; be no
  indiscretion in admitting that which was already obvious。
  〃He will retreat;〃 said I。
  〃By Coimbra?〃
  〃I believe so。〃
  〃But the army of Clausel?〃
  I shrugged my shoulders。
  〃Every path to the south is blocked。         No message can reach them。          If
  Massena falls back the army of Clausel is doomed。〃
  〃It must take its chance;〃 said I。
  〃How many men has he?〃
  〃I should say about fourteen thousand。〃
  〃How much cavalry?〃
  〃One brigade of Montbrun's Division。〃
  〃What regiments?〃
  〃The 4th Chasseurs; the 9th Hussars; and a regiment of Cuirassiers。〃
  〃Quite right;〃 said he; looking at his