The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War

uck the forest. There was a lull in the noises of insects as if they had bowed their beaks an

ly broke a tremendous clangor of sounds

ll noises. It was as if worlds were being rended. There was the r

ction of the battle. He saw that it was an ironical thing for him to be running thus toward that which he had been at such pains to avoid. But he said, in

of hearing the foreign sounds. The trees hushed and stood motionless. Everything seemed to be lis

unctory popping. In the hearing of this present din he was doubtful if he had seen real battle

the war. Individuals must have supposed that they were cutting the letters of their names deep into everlasting tablets of brass, or enshrining their reputations forever in the hearts of their countrymen, whi

to come to the edge of the f

conflicts. His accumulated thought upon such subjects was used to for

out their arms and forbade him to pass. After its previous hostility this new resistance of the f

attle lines. The voices of cannon shook him. The musketry sounded in long irregular surges that played havoc with his

ing of an immense and terrible machine to him. Its complexities and powers, it

newspaper, folded up, lay in the dirt. A dead soldier was stretched with his face hidden in his arm. Farther

the battle ground was owned by the dead men, and he hurried, in the vague

g to the rear. The wounded men were cursing, groaning, and wailing. In the air, always, was a mighty swell of sound that it seemed could sway the earth. With the c

f blood. He hopped like a schoolboy in

army. One was marching with an air imitative of some sublime drum major. Upon his features was an unho

song 'a

tful 'a

twenty

in a

sion limped and sta

. His hands were bloody from where he had pressed them upon his wound. He seemed to be awaiting the moment when he shoul

ull of anger at their wounds, and ready t

oggle so, Johnson, yeh fool," he cried. "Think m' leg is made of iron?

the quick march of his bearers. "Say, make way

carried past they made pert remarks to him. When he raged

ers knocked heavily against the spectral

with it. The torn bodies expressed the awful

, galloping on followed by howls. The melancholy march was continually disturbed by the messengers, and sometimes

rness and much humility to the lurid descriptions of a bearded sergeant. His lean features wore an expression of awe and admiration. He was like a listene

orate history while he administered a sardonic comment. "

man shrank

ntle as a girl's voice and his eyes were pleading. The youth saw with surprise that the soldier had two wounds, one

urage to speak. "Was pretty good fight, wa'n't it?" he timidly said. The youth, deep

good fight

outh shortly. He

logy in his manner, but he evidently thought that he needed only to ta

rs fight so. Laws, how they did fight! I knowed th' boys 'd like when they onct got square at it. Th' boys ain't had no fair chanct up t' n

d at the youth for encouragement several times. He received

un,' he ses. 'Mebbe they will,' I ses, 'but I don't b'lieve none of it,' I ses; 'an' b'jiminey,' I ses back t' 'um, 'mebbe your fellers 'll all

ght of love for the army which was to

youth. "Where yeh hit, ol' boy

s question, although at first its f

?" he

?" repeated th

he youth, "I-I

, and his fingers were picking nervously at one of his buttons. He bent his head

looked after hi