on the firing line- 第31部分

〃Well？〃　〃As　if　things　had　ended　for　you；〃　Carew　blurted　out　desperately。

Slowly；　wearily；　Weldon　lifted　his　eyes　to　his　friend's　face。

〃Well；　they　have；〃　he　said；　with　an　intonation　of　dreary　finality。

〃Rot！〃　Carew　observed　profanely。　〃Look　here；　Weldon；　you've　no　business　to　funk　in　this　fashion。　It's　not　like　you；　either。〃

The　word　stung　Weldon。　He　scrambled　to　his　feet　and　stood　to　attention。

〃Carew；　no　other　man　could　say　that　to　me；〃　he　said　slowly。

Carew　maintained　his　ground。

〃No　other　man　cares　for　you　as　I　do；　Harvey。　We've　been　like　brothers；　and　I　have　been　too　proud　of　your　record　to　be　willing　to　sit　by；　quiet；　and　see　you　spoil　the　last　round　of　the　game。　There　is　too　much　at　stake。〃　Weldon　raised　his　brows。

〃What　is　at　stake？〃　he　asked　coldly。

〃Your　whole　army　record。　Your　manhood。　Your〃　Carew　hesitated；　then　he　nerved　himself　to　speak　out　plainly；　〃your　love　for　Miss　Dent。〃

Weldon　shut　his　teeth　and　drew　in　his　breath　between　them；　while　the　dark　red　blood　rushed　across　his　face；　and　then　died　away；　to　leave　in　its　place　a　grayish　pallor。　He　put　out　his　hand；　as　if　to　ward　off　something。

〃For　God's　sake；　don't！〃　he　said　huskily。

Carew　watched　him　for　an　instant。　Then　he　stepped　forward　and　linked　his　arm　through　that　of　Weldon。

〃There's　nothing　doing　now；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃Let's　go　for　a　walk。　We　can　talk　better；　while　we're　moving；　you　know。〃

〃But　what　is　the　use　of　talking？〃　Weldon　objected　listlessly。

Carew　looked　into　the　heavy　eyes；　the　overcast　face　of　his　friend。　Not　once　during　the　past　three　weeks　since　Weldon's　return　from　Johannesburg　had　the　cloud　lifted。

〃You　must　talk；　Weldon；〃　he　said　firmly。　〃If　you　don't　talk；　you'll　go　mad。　I've　watched　you；　day　after　day；　hoping　you　would　speak　of　your　own　free　will。　I　have　hated　to　urge　you。　It　seemed　rather　beastly　to　drive　you　into　telling　me　things　that　are　none　of　my　business。　But　they　are　my　business；　in　a　sense。　There's　nobody　in　all　South　Africa　who　can　go　back　farther　with　you　into　the　past。　That　alone　ought　to　count　for　something。〃

Handsome　still；　in　spite　of　his　dark　sunburn　and　his　time…stained　khaki；　Carew's　face　was　wonderfully　attractive；　as　it　looked　into　that　of　his　friend。　Weldon　felt　the　attraction；　even　while　he　was　wondering　why　it　was　so　powerless　to　move　him。　He　liked　Carew；　since　the　death　of　the　Captain；　no　other　man　was　linked　more　closely　with　his　life。　Nevertheless；　Carew's　words　left　him　cold。　All　things　did　leave　him　cold　of　late。　It　was　as　if；　in　the　fierce　conflagration　of　that　one　hour　in　the　Johannesburg　hospital；　the　fires　of　his　nature　had　burned　themselves　out　beyond　the　possibility　of　being　rekindled。　His　intellect　told　him　that　Carew　was　in　the　right　of　it；　that　his　alternatives　were　speech　or　madness；　but　he　faced　the　alternatives　with　an　absolute　indifference。　His　intellect　also　told　him　that；　for　the　past　three　weeks；　Carew's　kindness　had　been　unremitting；　that　his　care　had　served　as　a　buffer　between　himself　and　the　clumsy　tactlessness　of　their　mates；　that　his　sympathy　now　was　leading　him　to　try　to　storm　the　barrier　of　his　own　reserve；　but　he　met　Carew's　advances　with　an　icy　front　which　could　be　thawed　neither　from　outside　nor　from　within。　It　was　not　his　will　to　be　ungrateful；　it　was　beyond　his　present　power　to　show　the　gratitude　which　he　really　felt。　And　Carew；　with　the　supreme　insight　which　marks　the　friendship　of　men　at　times；　interpreted　Weldon's　mood　aright　and　forebode　to　take　offence。

Nevertheless；　watching　his　friend　closely；　Carew　had　judged　the　case　to　be　serious。　He　had　felt　no　surprise　at　the　state　of　collapse　in　which　Weldon　had　struggled　back　into　camp。　The　battle；　the　half…　dressed　wounds；　the　nerve…racking　journey；　the　watching　the　slow　approach　of　death　and　the　accepting　the　fact　of　the　loss　of　a　valued　friend：　all　these　were　enough　to　wreck　the　vitality　of　a　man。　With　an　almost　womanish　tenderness；　Carew　had　brought　his　friend　back　to　the　tent；　and　made　him　over　to　the　care　of　Paddy　who　gave　up　all　things　else；　for　the　sake　of　his　little　Canuck。　All　that　afternoon　and　night；　Weldon　lay　passive；　inert；　while　Paddy　bathed　him；　fed　him；　poured　cool；　soft　things　over　his　wounds；　fed　him　again；　and　then　sat　down　beside　him　with　his　own　stubby　hand　resting　against　Weldon's　limp　fingers。　But；　the　next　morning；　Weldon　rose；　buttoned　and　belted　himself　with　elaborate　care。　Then；　disregarding　the　implorings　of　Carew　and　Paddy；　who　were　terrified　at　the　steady；　unseeing　look　in　his　gray　eyes　and　at　the　tense　lines　about　his　lips；　he　went　to　his　captain　and　demanded　his　old　position　of　regimental　rough　rider。

He　obtained　it。　In　fact；　it　was　given；　not　only　freely；　but　with　joy。　In　all　the　regiment；　no　one　else　had　been　able　to　subdue　such　wild　mounts　as　Weldon。　In　former　days；　he　had　stopped　at　little。　Now　he　stopped　at　nothing。　Horse…sickness；　the　scourge　of　South　Africa；　was　in　the　land；　and　the　underfed；　overworked　mounts　yielded　to　it　with　pitiful　ease。　And；　meanwhile；　the　need　for　horses　was　greater　than　ever。　Drive　after　drive　through　the　country　about　Kroonstad　was　bringing　in　the　hostile　Boers；　but　it　was　also　bringing　down　the　horses。　The　call　for　new　mounts　was　limitless；　limitless；　too；　the　hours　and　the　strength　and　the　skill　which　Trooper　Weldon　put　forth　to　the　supplying　that　call。　He　was　utterly　untiring；　but　he　was　utterly　reckless　as　well。　Checked　by　no　risk；　sobered　by　no　danger；　he　rushed　into　risk　and　danger　as　rushes　the　man　whose　one　wish　is　to　escape　from　a　future　of　which　he　is　in　mortal；　agonizing　dread。

Carew　said　little；　he　watched　much；　and　he　meditated　more。　At　first；　he　hoped　all　things　from　the　healthy；　outdoor　life。　He　watched　Weldon's　muscles　harden；　saw　his　appetite　return　and　welcomed　with　happy　anticipations　all　the　signs　of　his　returning　rugged　strength。　Then；　as　the　time　passed　by；　his　anxiety　came　back　upon　him　in　full　measure。　Long　days　in　the　saddle　were　followed　by　sleepless　nights；　the　shadow　never　came　out　of　Weldon's　eyes；　the　alertness　never　came　back　into　his　step。　Lean；　gaunt　as　a　greyhound；　he　went　about　his　work　with　a　silent；　dogged　endurance　which　took　no　note　of　the　other　life　about　him。　For　Trooper　Weldon；　his　profession　had　dropped　to　a　dull；　plodding　routine　of　danger　lapping　close　upon　the　heels　of　danger。　And　still　he　spoke　no　word　of　the　sorrow　which　had　brought　him　to　this　end。

And　Carew；　meanwhile；　could　not　fail　to　note　the　increasing　anxiety　with　which　Alice　Mellen　wrote　of　her　cousin。　From　Alice's　letters；　it　appeared　that　Ethel；　totally　unnerved　by　the　death　of　Captain　Frazer；　had　begged　so　piteously　to　be　released　from　her　hospital　work　that　she　had　finally　been　sent　home　to　Cape　Town。　She　had　seemed　to　be　far　from　well；　when　she　had　left　Johannesburg；　nevertheless；　she　had　no　sooner　reached　home　than　she　had　plunged　into　the　midst　of　the　whirlpool　of　social　life　where　she　was　said　to　be　the　gayest　of　the　gay。

Cape　Town；　that　fall；　was　facing　the　end　of　the　war　and　the　consequent　departure　of　the　swarm　of　young　Englishmen　who　had　made　their　headquarters　there　during　the　past　two　years。　Accordingly；　it　resolved　to　make　the　most　of　the　short　time　remaining　to　it；　and　the　early　weeks　of　the　year　saw　the　little　city　neglecting　all　other　things　for　the　sake　of　making　merry　with　her　fast…vanishing　heroes。　And；　in　all　the　round　of　merry…making；　Ethel　Dent　was　in　evidence；　bright　and　flashing　as　the　diamonds　that　blazed　on　her　shoulder；　and　as　soft。　Her　wit　was　ceaseless；　her　energy　untiring。　Always　the　middle　of　a　group；　she　yet　always　held　herself　within　range　of　her　father's　protection。　He　watched　her　proudly；　yet　his　pride　was　sometimes　mingled　with　alarm；　as　he　saw　the　waxy　whiteness　of　her　ears　and　the　dark　shadows　which　lay　beneath　her　eyes。　It　was　plain　to　him　that　all　was　not　well　with　the　girl；　yet　he　was　wholly　at　a　loss　as　to　the　cause　of　the　trouble。

Strange　to　say；　he　never　once　thought　of　Weldon；　neither　did　his　mind　linger　long　upon　the　Captain。　True；　Ethel　and　Captain　Frazer　had　been　good　friends；　but　so　had　Ethel　been　good　friends　with　many　another　man。　The　secret　of　that　last　hour　of　the　Captain's　life　was　buried　in　two　hearts。　Weldon　could　not　speak　of　it；　Ethel　would　not。　And　so；　in　the　eyes　of　her　friends；　Ethel's　experience　had　been　sorrowful；　but　scarcely　touched　with　tragedy。　The　heroic　passing　of　a　casual　friend　is　no　cause　for　a　lasting　change　in　the　nature　of　a　happy…tempered　girl。

However；　Alice　had　noted　the　change　and；　quite　unable　to　account　for　it；　she　had　commented　upon　it　to　Carew。　Her　letter；　coming　that　same　morning；　had　quickened　his　slow…forming　resolution　to　speak。　Taken　quite　by　itself；　her　account　of　Ethel　would　have　made　scant　impression　upon　him。　Taken　in　connection　with　what　he　had　seen　of　Weldon；　it　forced　him　to　draw　certain　conclusions　which；　though　wrong　in　detail；　were　comparatively　accurate　in　their　main　outlines。

He　and　Weldon　came　back　from　their　walk；　wrapped　in　the　silence　of　perfect　understanding。　Carew　had　asked　few　questions；　Weldon　had　made　even　fewer　replies；　and　those　replies　had　been　brief。　Ethel's　name　had　scarcely　been　mentioned　between　them。　Their　talk　had　mainly　concerned　itself　with　Captain　Frazer；　his　life；　his　passing；　the