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第十一章 AGAINST INDIANS(与印度人战斗)

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第十一章 AGAINST INDIANS(与印度人战斗)-第1张-游戏相关-大福途网

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On the 6th May 1917 we were once more on the march to the now familiar Brancourt, and on the following day we went through Montbréhain, Ramicourt, and Joncourt into the Siegfried line, which we had left just a month before.

The first evening was stormy. Heavy rain pattered down without ceasing on to the flooded ground. Soon, however, a succession of bright, warm days reconciled us to our new station. I enjoyed the wonderful country undisturbed by the white puffs of shrapnel and the leaping cones of the shell-bursts; indeed, I scarcely noticed them. In those years of increased activity the signs of an offensive were as much a part of the spring as primroses and opening buds.

Our lines formed a crescent in front of the St. Quentin Canal. Behind us was the famous Siegfried line. I never could tell why we had to occupy the narrow, unfinished trenches in the chalk, when behind us lay this magnificent line.

The front line wound through an idyllic meadowland shadowed by small groups of trees and beautified now by tender colours of spring. We could move about with impunity behind and in front of the trench, for our front was protected by a belt of outposts pushed forward to a depth of a kilometre. These posts were a thorn in the enemy’s side, and not a night went by for many weeks that he did not try to dislodge them either by cunning or force.

Our first spell in the line was, however, passed in welcome quiet. The weather was so fine that the men slept out on the grass. On the 14th May we were relieved by the 8th Company and, leaving the burning St. Quentin on our right, proceeded to our rest-place, Montbréhain, a large village that so far had suffered very little from the war and therefore had very comfortable quarters to offer. On the 20th, as company in reserve, we occupied the Siegfried line. The weather was gorgeous, and day after day we sat in the numerous arbours built in the side of the trench, or bathed in the canal, or boated on it.

The objection to occupying a trench otherwise so ideal lies in the frequent visits from superior officers, a pleasure very little esteemed in the line. In any case my left wing had no cause to complain of being too safe. It extended nearly to the village of Bellenglise, already seriously nibbled at, and on the very first day one of my men got a shrapnel-bullet wound in the right buttock. When I hastened to the scene of the disaster, he was seated in great content on his left side awaiting stretcher-bearers, and filling in the time with an enormous slice of bread and jam.

On the 25th May we relieved the 12th Company in Riqueval farm. This farm, formerly a large estate, was occupied in turns by each of the four companies in the line. There were three machine-gun positions at different points in our rear, and these had to be manned by sections in rotation. Theses strong points distributed behind the line, and covering each other like squares on a chess-board, were the first experiment in an elastic scheme of defence.

The rest of the men were sent forward on working parties every night.

The farm lay 1500 metres at most behind the front line. Nevertheless the buildings, surrounded by a well-timbered park, were still entirely intact. As there were deep dugouts under construction, there were plenty of men there. The red may-tree avenues in the park and the charm of the surroundings gave our life there something of the cheerful enjoyment which the Frenchman means by his ‘vie de champagne,’ in spite of the nearness to the front. A pair of swallows had nested in my bedroom. Before it was light they started on the noisy business of feeding their brood.

1917年5月6日,我们再次向现在熟悉的布兰库尔进军,第二天,我们穿过蒙特布雷海恩、拉米库尔和琼库尔,进入齐格弗里德防线,我们一个月前刚刚离开。

第一个晚上是暴风雨。大雨不停地打在被洪水淹没的地面上。然而,很快,一系列明亮温暖的日子让我们回到了新的车站。我享受着这个美妙的国家,没有被白色的弹片和跳跃的炮弹锥所干扰;事实上,我几乎没有注意到它们。在那些活动增加的年份里,进攻的迹象就像报春花和开放的花蕾一样是春天的一部分。

我们的队伍在圣昆廷运河前形成了一个新月形。我们身后是著名的齐格弗里德防线。我永远不知道为什么我们必须占领白垩中狭窄的、未完工的战壕,而在我们身后是这条壮丽的线。

前线蜿蜒穿过一片田园诗般的草地,草地上有一小群树的影子,现在被春天的温柔色彩美化了。我们可以在战壕前后自由移动,因为我们的前线受到一条向前推进一公里深的前哨带的保护。这些哨所是敌人的眼中钉,几个星期以来,他没有一个晚上不试图用狡猾或武力将其赶走。

然而,我们排队的第一个时间是在欢迎的安静中度过的。天气很好,男人们都睡在草地上。5月14日,第8连让我们松了一口气,我们离开了右侧燃烧的圣昆廷,前往我们的休息地Montbréhain,这是一个大村庄,迄今为止几乎没有受到战争的影响,因此有非常舒适的住处。20日,作为预备队,我们占领了齐格弗里德防线。天气很好,我们日复一日地坐在战壕边上建造的无数凉亭里,或者在运河里洗澡,或者在上面划船。

反对占领一条原本如此理想的战壕,是因为上级军官经常来访,这是一种在队伍中很少受到尊重的乐趣。无论如何,我的左翼没有理由抱怨我太安全了。它几乎延伸到了Bellenglise村,已经被严重蚕食,就在第一天,我的一名士兵的右臀部被弹片击中。当我赶到灾难现场时,他非常满意地坐在左侧等待担架手,并用一大块面包和果酱打发时间。

5月25日,我们解除了里克瓦尔农场第12连的职务。这个农场以前是一个大庄园,由排队的四家公司轮流占用。在我们后方的不同位置有三个机关枪阵地,这些阵地必须由部分轮流驻守。这些强点分布在防线后面,像棋盘上的正方形一样相互覆盖,这是弹性防御方案的第一个实验。

其余的人每天晚上都被派去参加工作聚会。

农场位于前线后方最多1500米处。尽管如此,这些建筑被一个木结构良好的公园包围,仍然完好无损。由于有很深的防空洞在建,所以那里有很多人。公园里的红色五月树大道和周围环境的魅力给了我们在那里的生活一种愉快的享受,这是法国人所说的“香槟生活”的意思,尽管离前面很近。一对燕子在我的卧室里筑巢。天还没亮,他们就开始了喂养孩子的嘈杂工作。

In the evenings I took my stick from the corner and wandered along the narrow paths that went up and down through the hilly country. The neglected fields were scented with wildflowers. Here and there single trees stood by the wayside. In peace time the labourers must often rested beneath them. They had an air of enchantment, standing alone in solitude, covered with blossom white or pink or read. It seemed that the war had thrown a heroic and melancholy light over the landscape, and without disturbing its loveliness added a ray to its brightness and a strength to its spell.

It is easier to go into the battle in the midst of such beauties of nature than when surrounded by a dead and cold winter landscape. Somehow, it comes to one quite simply that one’s existence is part of an eternal circuit, and that the death of a single individual is no great matter.

On the 30th May this idyll came to an end as far as I was concerned, for the command of the 4th Company was taken over again by Lieutenant Vogeley, who had come out of the hospital. I rejoined my old 2nd Company, now under the command of a cavalry lieutenant, in the line.

Our front, extending from the Roman road to the so-called Artillery trench, was held by two platoons. The third, with company headquarters, was about 200 metres to the rear behind a small hill. There was a little wooden hut there, too, that I used to occupy with Lieutenant Kius, peacefully relying upon the poor shooting of the English artillery.

One side of it was built into the slope of a little hill facing the enemy; the three others trustingly offered themselves as a mark. Every day, when the morning’s greetings came hurtling across, the following dialogue might be heard between the occupants of the upper and lower bunks:

‘That you, Ernst?’

‘Hm.’

‘They’re shooting, aren’t they?’

‘Well, let’s lie where we are a little longer. I think those were the last ones.’

After a quarter of an hour:

‘That you, Oskar?’

‘Yes?’

‘They are not going to stop to-day. I think that was a shrapnel bullet that came through the wall just now. We’d better get up. That artillery observer fellow cleared out long ago.’

We had always optimistically taken off our boots. By the time we were ready, the shooting had generally left off, and we could seat ourselves happily at the absurdly small table and drink coffee that the heat had turned sour, and light our morning cigars. In the afternoon, in scorn of the English artillery, we used to have sun-baths on a ground-sheet in front of the door.

Our cabin was extremely entertaining in other respects too. When one lay in sweet idleness on the wire mattress, gigantic earth-worms hung pendulum wise from the earth wall and shot into their holes with inconceivable rapidity at the least touch. A peevish mole sniffed about from his tunnel and added much to the enlivenment of our prolonged siesta.

On the 12th June I had to occupy the outpost on the company front with twenty men. It was late when we left the trench and went in the warm evening air by the footpath winding over the undulating ground. Dusk was so far advanced that the red poppies in the untilled fields blended with the vivid green grass to an extraordinarily rich tone.

We strolled silently along over the carpet of flowers. Each man was busy with his own thoughts; our rifles hung from our shoulders; and in twenty minutes we arrived at our destination. In whispers the post was taken over. Silently guards were mounted. Then the men we relieved disappeared into the darkness.

The outpost rested upon a short, steep hill. In the rear a wild and tangled wood melted into the night. It was separated from our steep bank by about a hundred metres of meadow ground. In front and to our right rose two hills over which ran the English lines. There was a ruin on one with the promising name ‘Ascension farm.’ A sunken road ran between these hills to the enemy.

And now, just as my posts had gone out, appeared Sergeant-major Hackmann with a few men of the 7th Company, just about to go on patrol. I attached myself to them as camp-follower, though I had no business to leave my post.

Using a method of advance invented by myself, we crossed two entanglements that barred our way and got over the crest of the hill without, to our surprise, having run into a single outpost. We could now hear English working parties to right and to left of us. It was clear to me after this event that the enemy had withdrawn his own posts so as not to involve them in fire which, as I shall shortly explain, he was about to open on ours.

晚上,我从拐角处拿起棍子,沿着蜿蜒起伏的小路漫步,穿过丘陵地带。被忽视的田野散发着野花的香味。路边到处都是孤零零的树。在和平时期,工人们必须经常在他们下面休息。他们有一种迷人的气氛,孤独地站着,身上覆盖着白色或粉红色的花朵,或者阅读。这场战争似乎给这片土地投下了一道英雄而忧郁的光,它的可爱在不干扰的情况下为它的光明增添了一道光芒,为它的魔力增添了力量。

在这样美丽的自然中战斗比在寒冷的冬季风景中战斗更容易。不知怎的,人们很简单地认为,一个人的存在是一个永恒回路的一部分,而一个人的死亡并不是什么大事。

5月30日,就我而言,这段田园诗结束了,因为第4连的指挥权再次被从医院出来的Vogeley中尉接管。我重新加入了我原来的第2连,现在由一名骑兵中尉指挥。

我们的战线从罗马公路一直延伸到所谓的炮兵战壕,由两个排控制。第三个是公司总部,在后方约200米处的一座小山后面。那里也有一个小木屋,我过去和基乌斯中尉住在一起,依靠英国大炮的糟糕射击,平静地生活着。

它的一侧建在一座小山的斜坡上,面向敌人;其他三个人都信任地表示自己是一个标记。每天早上,当早上的问候声传来时,上下铺的乘客之间都会听到以下对话:

“是你吗,恩斯特?”

“嗯,是的”

“他们在开枪,不是吗?”

“好吧,我们再躺一会儿吧。我想那是最后一批了。”

一刻钟后:

“是你吗,奥斯卡?”

“对”

他们今天不会停下来的。我想那是刚才从墙上射进来的一颗弹片。我们最好站起来。那个炮兵观察员早就被清除了。”

我们总是乐观地脱下靴子。当我们准备好的时候,射击已经基本停止了,我们可以愉快地坐在那张小得离谱的桌子旁,喝着热得发酸的咖啡,点上早上的雪茄。下午,在英国大炮的嘲笑下,我们常常在门前的床单上洗日光浴。

我们的小屋在其他方面也非常有趣。当一个人懒洋洋地躺在金属丝床垫上时,巨大的土虫摇摆摆地挂在土墙上,以不可思议的速度射入洞里——至少是一触。一个脾气暴躁的鼹鼠从他的隧道里嗅来嗅去,给我们长时间的午睡增添了很多活力。

6月12日,我不得不带着20个人占领了连队战线上的哨所。当我们离开战壕,在温暖的傍晚空气中走到蜿蜒在起伏地面上的人行道旁时,已经很晚了。黄昏已经过去了,田野里的红色罂粟花与鲜艳的绿草交织在一起,形成了一种异常浓郁的色调。

我们在花毯上静静地漫步。每个人都忙于自己的思想;我们的步枪挂在肩上;二十分钟后我们就到达了目的地。悄悄地,这个职位被接管了。守卫们悄悄地站了起来。然后,我们释放的人消失在黑暗中。

哨所坐落在一座又短又陡的小山上。在后面,一片杂乱的木头融化在夜色中。它与我们陡峭的河岸相隔约一百米的草地。在我们的前面和右边矗立着两座小山,上面是英国的防线。有一个废墟,上面写着“阿森松岛农场”的名字在这些山丘之间有一条通向敌人的凹路。

现在,就在我的岗位上,哈克曼少校和第7连的几个人出现了,正要去巡逻。我把自己作为营地的追随者附属于他们,尽管我没有理由离开我的岗位。

使用我自己发明的前进方法,我们穿过了两道阻碍我们前进的障碍,翻过了山顶,但令我们惊讶的是,我们没有遇到一个前哨站。我们现在可以听到英国工作队在我们左右两侧的声音。这件事发生后,我很清楚,敌人已经撤回了自己的阵地,以免他们卷入炮火,正如我稍后将解释的那样,他正要向我们开火。

My method of advance, mentioned just now, consisted in this, that over ground in which we might at any moment run up against the enemy each member of the patrol crept forward in turn. In this way, only one man at a time exposed himself to the risk of being shot from an ambush, while the rest, in a body behind, lay in readiness to attack. Naturally I took care to take my turn as leader, although my mere presence with the patrol was bad enough in itself. An officer in the front line often has to put himself technically in the wrong from considerations of a personal kind.

We stalked several working parties that, unfortunately, were separated form us by dense entanglements. The somewhat eccentric sergeant-major suggested giving himself up as a deserter and holding the enemy in parley until we had surrounded the first post. This plan was turned down after a brief discussion, and we crept back, disappointed, to the outpost.

There I sat down on the edge of the steep bank on my cloak, and, lighting a pipe as cautiously as possible, I gave rein to my thoughts. In the midst of the most beautiful castle in the air, I was suddenly alarmed by a peculiar rustling in the wood and the meadow. In the face of the enemy the senses are always on the look-out; and it is remarkable that, at such moments, quite ordinary sounds can give one the instant conviction, ‘Something is up!’

At the same instant the nearest post came up to me: ‘Sir, there are seventy Englishmen advancing to the edge of the wood.’

I was rather surprised by the numerical precision, but for the sake of prudence I hid myself, with the four men nearest me, on the edge of the bank in the long grass, in order to observe how matters developed. After a few seconds I saw a body of men gliding over the meadow. While the men covered them with their rifles I called out softly, ‘Who goes there?’ It was Teilengerdes, a N.C.O., an old veteran of the 2nd Company, who was trying to collect his agitated section.

I at once got them all in hand and formed them in line, with one flank on the wood and the other on the bank. In a moment, bayonets were fixed. When I was giving them directions and told a man who hung back to dress up with the rest, ‘I am a stretcher-bearer,’ was the answer. The fellow had his drill well in his head. Comforted by this triumph of Prussian discipline, I gave the word to advance.

While we were crossing the strip of meadow, a hail of shrapnel and a wild clatter of machine-gun fire began from the English side. We broke, against our wills, into a double, so as to reach the cover of the shoulder of the hill that lay to our front.

Suddenly a dark shadow rose in front of me. I seized a bomb and threw it. To my horror I saw in the flash of the explosions that it was the N.C.O. Teilengerdes, who had got in front unobserved and had just been tripped up by a wire. Fortunately he was not hurt. At the same time we heard the sharper explosion of English bombs not far off, and the shrapnel fire increased to an unpleasant intensity.

My firing-line broke and disappeared in the direction of the steep bank, which was under heavy fire. I with Teilengerdes and three more of the right sort stood my ground. Suddenly one of them rushed up to me: ‘The English!’

Like a vision engraved for one second on my eyes I saw a double row of kneeling figures, at that moment, getting up and advancing over the meadow, which was lit up only by an occasional flash. I could clearly distinguish the figure of an officer on the right flank. Friend and foe were as though paralysed by this abrupt and unexpected encounter. Then we did the one thing left to us to do—turned and made off before the enemy recovered sufficiently to fire a shot. We jumped up and ran back to the bank. Though I tripped and fell over a treacherous wire stretched through the tall grass, I got back without further misadventure. The men were there, but they were in a state of great agitation, and it cost me all my energy to get them into line, even elbow to elbow.

刚才提到的我的前进方法是这样的,在我们随时可能遇到敌人的地面上,巡逻队的每个成员依次向前爬。这样一来,一次只有一个人面临被伏击中枪的风险,而其他人则躺在后面的尸体里,随时准备攻击。很自然,我会谨慎地轮流担任队长,尽管我仅仅和巡逻队在一起就已经够糟糕的了。一名在前线的军官往往不得不出于个人考虑,在技术上把自己置于错误的境地。

我们跟踪了几个工作组,不幸的是,这些工作组被密集的纠缠与我们分开了。这位有点古怪的军士长建议放弃逃兵的身份,与敌人谈判,直到我们包围了第一个哨所。经过简短的讨论,这个计划被否决了,我们失望地悄悄回到哨所。

在那里,我穿着斗篷坐在陡峭的河岸边上,尽可能小心地点燃一根管子,控制住自己的思绪。在空中最美丽的城堡中间,我突然被树林和草地上特有的沙沙声吓了一跳。面对敌人,我们的感官总是保持警惕;值得注意的是,在这种时刻,非常普通的声音会让人立刻相信,“出事了!”

就在这时,离我最近的一个哨所向我走来:“先生,有七十个英国人向树林边推进。”

我对数字的精确性感到相当惊讶,但为了谨慎起见,我和离我最近的四个人躲在河岸边的长草里,观察事态的发展。几秒钟后,我看到一群人在草地上滑翔。当男人们用步枪盖住他们时,我轻声喊道:“谁去那里?”正是第二连的老老兵、后勤军官Teilengerdes试图收拾他那激动的部分。

我立刻把它们都拿在手里,排成一排,一边在树林上,另一边在岸边。一会儿,刺刀就固定好了。当我给他们指路,并告诉一个向后仰着的男人和其他人一起打扮时,答案是:“我是担架手。”。这家伙脑子里有个钻头。普鲁士纪律的胜利使我感到欣慰,我发出了前进的命令。

当我们穿过狭长的草地时,英国一侧传来了弹片的冰雹和机关枪的猛烈射击声。我们违背自己的意愿,折成了一个双人间,以便到达我们前面那座小山的路肩上。

突然,一个黑影出现在我面前。我抓起一枚炸弹扔了出去。令我恐惧的是,在爆炸的闪光中,我看到是后勤军官Teilengerdes,他在没有被注意到的情况下走到了前面,刚刚被电线绊倒。幸运的是他没有受伤。与此同时,我们听到不远处英国炸弹更猛烈的爆炸声,弹片的火力增加到了令人不快的强度。

我的火线断裂,消失在陡峭的河岸方向,那里正遭受猛烈的炮火袭击。我和泰伦格德斯以及另外三个合适的人站在了我的立场上。突然,其中一个人冲到我面前:“英国人!”

就像刻在我眼睛上一秒钟的景象一样,我看到了两排跪着的人,就在那一刻,他们站起来,在草地上前进,草地上只有偶尔的闪光。我能清楚地分辨出右翼军官的身影。朋友和敌人似乎被这突如其来的遭遇弄得不知所措。然后我们做了剩下的一件事——在敌人恢复到足以开枪之前转身逃跑。我们跳起来跑回银行。虽然我被一根穿过高高的草地的危险的电线绊倒了,但我没有再发生意外就回来了。男人们都在那里,但他们处于极度激动的状态,我花了所有的精力让他们排成一排,甚至是肩并肩。

I have always observed that the ordinary man whose sole preoccupation is his own danger is surprised by what seems to him an undivided attention to the matter in hand on the part of the officer in command, who among a thousand and one unnerving incidents of battle yet keeps his eye fixed upon the execution of his duty. This surprise makes an officer excel himself and spurs him on to always greater achievements. In this way officers and men call out energies in each other which would otherwise lie dormant. Indeed the moral factor is everything.

The enemy fire ceased of a sudden, and at the same time crackling and rustling sounds were heard in the undergrowth of the wood.

‘Halt! Who goes there? Password.’

We kept on calling out for a good five minutes, and even shouted the old battle-cry of the 1st Battalion, ‘Luttje Lage,’ an expression signifying schnaps, and beer, known to every Hanoverian. Only a strange and incomprehensible shout came in reply. At last I took the responsibility on myself and gave the order to fire, though some of the men asserted that they had heard German words. The fire of twenty rifles swept the wood; bolts rattled; and soon the cry we heard changed to moans. This gave me a passing twinge of uncertainty. However, there were yellow flashes here and there in our direction, though they soon died away. One of the men was hit in the shoulder, and the stretcher-bearers bound him up.

‘Cease fire!’

Slowly the command took effect and the firing ceased. The men had quiet recovered there nerve. Once more there were calls for the password, and on my side the persuasive summons: ‘Come here; you are prisoners. Hands up!’

Thereupon there were confused cries from the other side, which were interpreted by the men as ‘Rache! Rache!’ (‘Revenge! Revenge!’) A single figure detached itself from the border of the wood and came towards us. One of the men was idiot enough to shout ‘Password’ at him, at which he stopped and turned round.

‘Shoot him dead!’

There were a dozen shots, and he sank into a heap beneath the tall grass.

This little episode gave us the feeling of satisfaction. Once more confused cries rang out from the edge of the wood. It seemed that the attacking party were encouraging each other to advance on their mysterious enemy.

In the utmost excitement we kept our eyes fixed on the dark strip of ground. It was beginning to dawn, and a light mist rose from the meadow-land.

Then a row of shadows rose out of the darkness. Five, ten, fifteen, a whole lot of them. Trembling fingers released the safety catches. They were fifty metres from us, thirty, fifteen . . . ‘Fire!’ For a minute the rattles rattled out. Sparks showered up whenever the storm of bullets encountered weapons or steel helmets.

‘Suddenly there was a shout: ‘Look out on the left!’ Coming quickly on, a party of enemy was attacking us on the left flank. At the head of it was a giant with an outstretched revolver, swinging a white bludgeon.

‘Left section! Left front!’

The men whipped round and received the new arrivals standing. Some of them, and among them their leader, fell at the first hurried shots. The rest vanished as swiftly as they had come. Now the moment to attack in turn. With fixed bayonets and a rousing ‘Hurrah!’ we stormed the wood. We threw a volley of bombs into the tangled undergrowth, and in a moment were once more in undisturbed possession of our outposts, without having encountered the pliant enemy.

We assembled in a cornfield and looked at each other. Our faces had an after-the-night-before look, and a lark that rose into the sky and began its trills was an added exasperation. We were in much the same mood as when, after a night of play, the cards are flung on to the table and the windows thrown open to let the cool morning air blow away the hanging cloud of cigar smoke.

While we handed round the water-battles and lit cigars we heard the enemy retreating along the sunken road and the cries of the wounded they carried with them.

我一直观察到,一个只关心自己危险的普通人,对指挥官似乎全神贯注于手头的事情感到惊讶,他在一千零一次令人不安的战斗事件中,却一直关注着自己的职责执行。这一惊喜使一名军官脱颖而出,并激励他不断取得更大的成就。通过这种方式,军官和士兵在彼此身上呼唤能量,否则这些能量将处于休眠状态。事实上,道德因素就是一切。

敌人的火力突然停止了,与此同时,在树林的灌木丛中传来了噼啪声和沙沙声。

停止谁去那里?暗语

我们不停地喊了整整五分钟,甚至喊出了第一营古老的战斗口号“Luttje Lage”,这是每个汉诺威人都知道的象征着杜松子酒和啤酒的表达方式。只有一声奇怪的、令人费解的喊叫作为回应。最后,我承担起了自己的责任,并下令开火,尽管其中一些人声称他们听到了德语单词。二十支步枪的火力扫过了树林;螺栓嘎嘎作响;很快,我们听到的哭声变成了呻吟。这让我感到一丝不确定。然而,在我们的方向上到处都有黄色的闪光,尽管它们很快就消失了。其中一名男子的肩膀被击中,担架手把他捆起来。

“停火!”

命令慢慢生效,射击也停止了。那些人已经安静地恢复了神经。又一次有人要求输入密码,而站在我这边的是一张有说服力的传票:“过来;你们是囚犯。举起手来!”

于是,另一边传来了困惑的哭声,人们把它解释为“拉切!拉奇!”(“复仇!复仇!”)一个人影从树林的边界上跳了出来,向我们走来。其中一个人愚蠢到向他大喊“密码”,他停下来转过身来。

“开枪打死他!”

打了十几枪后,他倒在高高的草丛下面。

这一小插曲给了我们一种满足感。树林边上又响起了一阵困惑的哭声。进攻方似乎在互相鼓励,向他们神秘的敌人前进。

在极度兴奋中,我们目不转睛地盯着那片黑暗的地带。天刚亮,草地上升起了薄雾。

然后一排阴影从黑暗中升起。五个,十个,十五个,一大堆。颤抖的手指松开了保险扣。他们离我们有五十米,三十米,十五米……”火一阵嘎嘎声响了起来。每当子弹风暴遇到武器或钢盔时,就会冒出火花。

突然有人喊道:“往左边看!”一队敌人迅速逼近,从左翼向我们进攻。在它的头上是一个巨人,他伸出左轮手枪,挥舞着一根白色的大棒。

'左侧部分!左前方!'

男人们迅速转身,站着迎接新来的人。他们中的一些人,包括他们的领导人,在第一次匆忙的射击中倒下了。其余的人消失得和他们来的一样快。现在轮到进攻的时候了。用固定的刺刀和激动人心的“万岁!”我们冲进树林。我们向杂乱的灌木丛中投掷了一系列炸弹,很快又一次不受干扰地占领了我们的前哨基地,没有遇到顺从的敌人。

我们聚在一块玉米地里,面面相觑。我们的脸上有一种前一天晚上之后的表情,一只云雀升上天空并开始鸣叫,这让我们更加恼火。我们的心情和玩了一晚之后,卡片被扔到桌子上,窗户被打开,让凉爽的早晨空气吹走挂着的雪茄烟时差不多。

当我们进行水上战斗并点燃雪茄时,我们听到敌人沿着下沉的道路撤退,以及他们携带的伤员的哭声。

I decided to survey the field of battle. Strange sounds and cries of pain came from the meadow where we had routed the enemy with our rifle-fire. We found a number of dead in the long grass and three wounded who begged for mercy. They were convinced we would massacre them.

When I asked, ‘Quelle nation?’ one of them answered, ‘Pauvre Rajput!’

They were Indians, who had come far over the sea to run their heads against the Hanover Fusiliers in this God-forsaken corner of the earth.

Their fine bodies were in an evil plight. At that short range the infantry fire has an almost explosive effect. Many had been hit for the second time when they had fallen, so that the track of the bullet passed along the whole length of their bodies. Not one had been hit less than twice. We took the wounded up and carried them to our trench. They cried out as if they were being stuck with spears, till the men had to stop their mouths and threaten them with their fists; and at this they seemed to be comforted in their anguish. One of them died while he was being carried in. He was taken on all the same, as there was a prize on the head of every prisoner, dead or alive. The two others strove to win our indulgence by shouting out all the time, ‘Anglais pas bon!’ Why these people spoke French I have never quite made out.

The company had heard the sounds of fighting and had had a heavy barrage put down on them. They welcomed us back to the trench in jubilation and with astonishment at our booty. I retired to our cabin with Kius and a half a dozen more whom he quickly enrolled, and was entertained in honour of the occasion with poached eggs.

Our achievement received the notice it deserved, and was mentioned in divisional orders with praise. With twenty men we had beaten back a detachment many times our number, though they had taken us in the rear and though our orders were to withdraw if attacked in force. Such successes can, of course, only be won by troops whose discipline and morale are of the first order. Of myself I could say with satisfaction that my command of the situation and my personal influence with my men had prepared a severe disappointment and an early grave for the officer who led the attack. We two had matched our wits in the same way as is customary in field exercises in training—except that we had not used dummy cartridges.

If these lines are read by any one belonging to the 1st Hariana Lancers I wish to express to him in this place my respect for a body of men who could claim as their commander such a one as he whom I had the honour to fight.

What does Nietzsche say of fighting men? ‘You must have as enemies only those whom you hate, but not those whom you despise. You must be proud of your enemy, and then the enemy’s success is your success also.’

The next evening I had orders again to occupy the outpost. It was impossible to occupy it by day, as it was in full view of the enemy. Kius and I with fifty men took each a side of the wood and met at the steep bank. There was nothing to be seen or heard of the enemy except that there was a shout and a Verey light and a shot from the sunken road which Sergeant-major Hackmann and I had reconnoitered. We marked this unwary individual down for our next expedition down for our next expedition.

At this spot where we had beaten off the flank attack the night before were lying three dead. Two of them were Indians, and one a white officer with two gold stars on his shoulder-straps: a lieutenant, therefore. He had been shot in the eye. The bullet went out through the opposite temple and had smashed the rim of his steel helmet—which is now among my collection of sinister trophies. His right hand still grasped the club, stained with his own blood; his left a large Colt six-shooter. There were only two live cartridges left in the magazine.

The men plundered the fallen. I have always hated the sight; all the same, I did not interfere. What they took was otherwise doomed to waste anyway, and aesthetic or moral considerations seemed to me to be out of place in this dark meadow-ground over which all the callous relentlessness of war still brooded.

During the following days several more dead bodies were found in the undergrowth of the wood; this showed how heavy the enemy’s losses had been, and made the outpost a rather unpleasant place to be in. As I was working my way alone through a thicket I heard a peculiar hissing and murmuring sound. I went nearer and came upon two corpses in which the heat had awakened a ghastly life.

我决定调查战场。我们用步枪击溃敌人的草地上传来了奇怪的疼痛声和哭声。我们在长草中发现了一些死者,还有三名伤者求饶。他们确信我们会屠杀他们。

当我问:“哪个国家?”其中一个回答说:“(印度的)拉其普特人!”

他们是印度人,他们漂洋过海,在这个被上帝遗弃的角落里与汉诺威燧发枪手针锋相对。

他们美丽的身体陷入了邪恶的困境。在这么短的距离内,步兵的火力几乎具有爆炸性的效果。许多人在摔倒时第二次被击中,因此子弹的轨迹贯穿了他们的全身。没有一个人被击中少于两次。我们把伤员抬上战壕。他们大叫起来,好像被长矛卡住了一样,直到那些人不得不堵住他们的嘴,用拳头威胁他们;听了这话,他们的痛苦似乎得到了安慰。其中一个在被抬进去的时候死了。他还是被带走了,因为每个囚犯的头上都有奖品,不管是死是活。另外两个人一直喊着“Anglais pas bon!”为什么这些人会说法语,我一直不太明白。

连队听到了战斗的声音,并对他们进行了猛烈的炮击。他们兴高采烈地欢迎我们回到战壕,并对我们的战利品感到惊讶。我和基乌斯以及他很快加入的另外六个人一起回到了我们的小屋,并用荷包蛋招待了他们。

我们的成就得到了应有的重视,并在分区命令中受到赞扬。我们用20人击退了一支数倍于我们人数的分遣队,尽管他们在后方占领了我们,尽管我们的命令是,如果受到武力攻击,就撤退。当然,只有纪律和士气第一的部队才能取得这样的成功。就我自己而言,我可以满意地说,我对局势的掌控以及我对手下的个人影响,为领导袭击的军官带来了严重的失望和早期的坟墓。除了我们没有使用假子弹外,我们两人的斗智斗勇与训练中的野外演习如出一辙。

如果第一哈里亚纳枪骑兵队的任何一个人读到这些话,我想在这里向他表达我对一群人的敬意,他们可以自称为他们的指挥官,就像我有幸与之战斗的人一样。

尼采对战斗的人怎么说?”你必须只有那些你憎恨的人作为敌人,而不是那些你鄙视的人。你必须为你的敌人感到骄傲,那么敌人的成功就是你的成功。”

第二天晚上,我再次接到命令占领哨所。白天占领它是不可能的,因为它在敌人的众目睽睽之下。基乌斯和我带着五十个人,各自走到树林的一边,在陡峭的河岸上相遇。除了我和哈克曼军士长侦察到的下沉道路上的一声呼喊、一盏威利灯和一声枪响外,没有看到或听到敌人的任何消息。我们把这个粗心的人记下来,准备下一次探险。

在我们前一天晚上击退侧翼进攻的地方,有三人死亡。其中两人是印度人,一人是肩带上戴着两颗金星的白人军官:因此是一名中尉。他的眼睛中枪了。子弹穿过对面的太阳穴,打碎了他的钢盔边缘——这是我现在收藏的险恶战利品之一。他的右手仍然抓着球杆,沾着自己的血;他的左边是一个大个子柯尔特六号射手。弹匣里只剩下两发实弹了。

这些人掠夺了倒下的人。我一直讨厌这种景象;尽管如此,我没有干涉。无论如何,他们拿走的东西注定要浪费掉,在我看来,在这片黑暗的草地上,美学或道德的考虑似乎不合时宜,所有无情的战争仍笼罩着这片草地。

在接下来的几天里,在灌木丛中又发现了几具尸体;这表明敌人的损失是多么惨重,使前哨站成为一个相当令人不快的地方。当我独自穿过灌木丛时,我听到了一种奇怪的嘶嘶声和杂音。我走近一点,看到两具尸体,里面的高温唤醒了一个可怕的生命。

On the 18th June the outpost was again attacked. This time the affair did not go off so well. The men broke and could not be rallied again. One, a N.C.O., Erdelt, jumped straight off the bank in the confusion. He rolled down and landed at the bottom among a party of Indians in ambush. He threw bombs, but was soon caught by the throat by an Indian officer and scourged in the face with a wire whip. His watch was taken from him and he was pushed and thumped and marched off by his captors. However, he managed to escape when the Indians threw themselves down on account of our machine-gun fire. After long wanderings behind the enemy’s front he regained our lines, with thick weals across his face.

On the evening of the 18th June I went on patrol with little Schultz, ten men, and a light machine-gun. We set out from the outpost, now becoming by degrees somewhat oppressive, with the aim of paying the post that had lately made itself so obvious in the sunken road the honour of a visit. Schultz went with his party to the right of the sunken road, I to the left, with the understanding that if either party were fired on the other should run to its help. We worked our way forward on hands and knees through grass and thickets of broom, pausing now and then to listen.

Suddenly came the sharp rattle of a rifle-bolt. We sank into the ground. Every old hand knows the series of feelings that occupied the next seconds. For the moment one has lost the initiative and must wait and see what the enemy does next. A shot broke the oppressive stillness. I lay behind a broom-bush and waited. On my right some one threw bombs into the sunken road.

At once a whole line of fire flashed out in front of us. The sickening sharpness of the report showed that the fire came from only a few yards ahead of us, and, seeing that we had stumbled into too hot a corner, I gave the word to run for it. We all sprang up and sprinted for all we were worth, while rifle-fire was opened on us from our left as well. I gave up all hope of a safe return when I heard this unholy clattered. Unconsciously, I was in constant expectation of being hit. Death was out hunting.

Somewhere near us a detachment advanced to the attack with a small hurrah. Little Schultz confessed to me afterwards that he imagined a lean Indian behind him wielding a knife and already clutching him tight by the neck.

I tumbled once and brought down the N.C.O. Teilengerdes over on top of me. I lost my steel helmet, revolver, and bombs. Anything to get on! At last we reached the protecting bank and tore down it. Lieutenant Schultz reached it at the same time with his men. He announced quite out of breath that anyway he had paid out the cheeky post with bombs. Just after two men came in carrying Fusilier F., who was wounded in both legs. All the rest were unwounded.

The worst misfortune was that the man who had carried the machine-gun, a recruit, had fallen over the wounded man and left the thing behind. While we were holding a brief council of war and planning a second expedition, the artillery began firing. I was reminded very precisely of the night of the 12th, for this time too there was a hopeless stampede. I found myself alone on the bank with the wounded man, who, dragging himself forward by both his hands, implored me piteously not to leave him alone. ‘Don’t leave me, sir.’

I had to, little as I liked it, in order to take my part in putting the outpost in fighting trim. I got the men together in a row of shallow firing positions on the edge of the wood; but I confess I was thankful when the day dawned without further incident.

On such occasions I was always surprised and touched by the trusting reliance of the men on the ability of the officer to cope with the situation. ‘Where shall we go, sir?’ ‘Help, sir, I’m wounded!’ ‘Where’s the officer?’

To be in command at such moments and to have a clear head is its own supreme reward, just as cowardice is its own punishment. I have always pitied the coward, in whom battle arouses a series of hellish tortures, while the spirit of the brave man merely rises the higher to meet a chain of exciting experiences.

The next night found us at the same spot. Our object was to recover our machine-gun. However, a succession of suspicious noises as we crept on warned us that once more there must be a strong detachment on the watch for us.

It was decided, therefore, in accordance with a point of honour which like many others in the war made us inwardly curse, to recover the lost weapon by force. At 12 midnight, after three minutes’ artillery preparation, we were to attack the enemy posts and look for the gun.

I put the best face I could on the sorry business, and in the afternoon I shot some ranging shots with some of the batteries.

At 11 at night I was once more with Schultz, my companion in misfortune, on the uncanny bit of ground where I had already passed so many exciting moments. The smell of corruption was scarcely endurable in the sultry air. We sprinkled the bodies with quicklime that we had brought with us in sacks. The covering of white shone out like grave-clothes in the darkness.

The enterprise opened with our own machine-gun fire whistling between our legs and pattering against the bank. On this account Schultz and I had a violent altercation, for he himself had given the machine-gunners their range. We were reconciled, however, when Schultz discovered me behind a bush in close confabulation with a bottle of Burgundy that I had brought with me to invigorate me for the precarious adventure and to calm my nerves, which had been on the stretch for nine days past.

The first shell came along to the minute and landed fifty metres behind us. Before we could express our surprise at this extraordinary shooting, a second was planted close behind us on the bank and showered us with earth. It was not for me even to emit a curse, for I myself had given the range for the guns.

After this cheerful opening we advanced more as a matter of honour than with any great hopes of success. Luckily, the enemy posts had apparently retired. Otherwise we might have had a very unpleasant reception. Unfortunately, we did not find the machine-gun, nor did we search for it very long.

On the way back, Schultz and I once more told each other what we really thought—I about the way he had directed his machine-gun fire, and he about the shooting of the guns. I had tested the range so accurately that the affair seemed incomprehensible. Later I learned that guns always shoot short at night, and that I ought to have added a few hundred metres when I gave the range. Then we sat down to the most important part of the business—the report. We did so well that every one was delighted.

The skirmishing came to an end the next day, for we were relieved by another division.

We went back to Montbréhain for a time, and marched from there to Cambrai, where we spent nearly the whole of July.

The outpost was finally lost on the night following our relief.

6月18日,前哨基地再次遭到袭击。这一次事情进展得不太顺利。这些人破产了,再也无法重整旗鼓。其中一位是一位名叫埃尔德尔特(Erdelt)的N.C.O.,他在混乱中直接跳下了银行。他滚了下来,在一队埋伏的印第安人中间,落在了最下面。他投掷炸弹,但很快被一名印度军官掐住喉咙,并用金属丝抽打面部。他的手表被拿走了,他被绑架者推搡、捶打并带走。然而,当印第安人因我们的机关枪射击而倒下时,他成功逃脱了。在敌人战线后面徘徊了很长时间后,他重新夺回了我们的战线,脸上挂着厚厚的武器。

6月18日晚上,我和小舒尔茨、十个人和一挺轻机枪一起巡逻。我们从前哨出发,现在逐渐变得有些压抑,目的是向最近在下沉的道路上表现得如此明显的职位致敬。舒尔茨和他的一行走到了沉没的道路的右边,我走到了左边,有一个理解,如果任何一方被解雇,另一方都应该寻求帮助。我们用手和膝盖穿过草地和扫帚丛,不时停下来倾听。

突然传来枪栓的尖锐嘎嘎声。我们沉入地下。每一位老手都知道接下来几秒钟的一系列感受。暂时失去了主动权,必须等着看敌人下一步会怎么做。一声枪响打破了沉闷的寂静。我躺在扫帚丛后面等着。在我的右边,有人向下沉的道路投掷炸弹。

突然,一整条火线在我们面前闪过。报告令人恶心的尖锐性表明,火只从我们前面几码处射来,看到我们跌跌撞撞地进入了一个太热的角落,我决定逃跑。我们都跳起来,奋力冲刺,而步枪也从我们的左边向我们开火。当我听到这种邪恶的咔嗒声时,我放弃了安全返回的所有希望。不知不觉中,我一直期待着被击中。死神在狩猎。

在我们附近的某个地方,一支小分队欢呼着向进攻推进。小舒尔茨事后向我承认,他想象着身后有一个瘦削的印度人挥舞着刀,已经紧紧抓住他的脖子。

有一次我摔倒了,把军需官Teilengerdes推倒在我身上。我丢了钢盔、左轮手枪和炸弹。什么都可以上!最后,我们到达保护堤并将其拆除。舒尔茨中尉和他的部下同时到达了保护堤。他上气不接下气地宣布,无论如何,他已经用炸弹支付了这篇厚颜无耻的帖子。就在两名男子抬着双腿受伤的燧发枪士兵进来之后。其余的人都安然无恙。

最不幸的是,拿着机关枪的人,一个新兵,摔倒在受伤的人身上,把枪扔了下来。当我们举行一次简短的战争委员会并计划第二次远征时,大炮开始开火。我非常准确地想起了12日晚上,因为这一次也发生了令人绝望的踩踏事件。我发现自己和那个受伤的人独自一人在岸边,他双手拖着自己向前走,可怜地恳求我不要丢下他不管。”不要离开我,先生。”

我不得不这样做,尽管我很不喜欢,但为了参与到前哨基地的战斗中来。我把士兵们召集在树林边缘的一排浅射击阵地上;但我承认,当这一天没有发生任何意外时,我很感激。

在这种情况下,我总是对这些人对警官应对情况的能力的信任感到惊讶和感动。”我们去哪儿,先生?”救命,先生,我受伤了!”警官在哪里?”

在这样的时刻发号施令,头脑清醒,是对自己的最高奖励,就像懦弱是对自身的惩罚一样。我一直同情懦夫,在他身上,战斗会引发一系列地狱般的折磨,而勇敢者的精神只会上升得更高,以迎接一连串激动人心的经历。

第二天晚上发现我们在同一地点。我们的目标是找回我们的机关枪。然而,当我们悄悄靠近时,一连串的可疑声音警告我们,必须有一支强大的分遣队再次监视我们。

因此,与战争中的许多其他人一样,根据一个让我们内心诅咒的荣誉点,决定用武力追回丢失的武器。午夜12点,经过三分钟的炮击准备,我们要攻击敌人的哨所并寻找枪支。

我尽我所能地处理这件令人遗憾的事情,下午我用一些电池进行了一些测距。

晚上11点,我再次和舒尔茨在一起,舒尔茨是我不幸的伴侣,在这片神奇的土地上,我已经度过了很多激动人心的时刻。闷热的空气中几乎无法忍受腐败的味道。我们把装在麻袋里的生石灰撒在尸体上。白色的覆盖物在黑暗中像坟墓的衣服一样闪闪发光。

企业开业时,我们自己的机关枪在我们两腿之间呼啸而过,拍打着银行。为此,舒尔茨和我发生了激烈的争吵,因为他自己给了机枪手射程。然而,当舒尔茨发现我在灌木丛后面与一瓶勃艮第酒亲密交谈时,我们和解了。这瓶酒是我随身携带的,目的是让我在这场危险的冒险中振作起来,并让我平静下来,这场冒险已经持续了九天。

第一枚炮弹不失时机地落在我们身后50米处。我们还没来得及对这一非同寻常的射击表示惊讶,第二枚炮弹就落在了我们身后的河岸上,向我们倾泻而下。我甚至没有发出诅咒,因为我自己已经给了枪的射程。

在这愉快的开幕式之后,我们前进更多的是出于荣誉,而不是任何成功的巨大希望。幸运的是,敌人的哨所显然已经撤退了。否则我们可能会受到非常不愉快的接待。不幸的是,我们没有找到机关枪,也没有搜索很长时间。

在回来的路上,舒尔茨和我再次告诉了对方我们的真实想法——我关于他指挥机枪射击的方式,以及他关于开枪的方式。我已经如此准确地测试了射程,这件事似乎令人费解。后来我了解到,枪在晚上总是射得很短,当我给出射程时,我应该再加几百米。然后我们坐下来讨论业务中最重要的部分——报告。我们做得很好,每个人都很高兴。

第二天小规模冲突结束了,因为我们被另一个师解放了。

我们回到了蒙特朗布朗一段时间,从那里又行军到康布雷,在那里我们几乎度过了整个七月。

在我们松了一口气后的那个晚上,哨所终于失守了。

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