第37章

deployedtherest，makingthemliedownandgetbehindtrees。RichardHardingDaviswaswithus，andaswescannedthelandscapewithourglassesitwashewhofirstpointedouttoussomeSpaniardsinatrenchsomethree-quartersofamileoff。Itwasdifficulttomakethemout。Therewerenotmanyofthem。However，wefinallydidmakethemout，andwecouldseetheirconicalhats，forthetrenchwasapoorone。Weadvanced，firingatthem，anddrovethemoff。

WhattodothenIhadnotanidea。Thecountryinfrontfellawayintoaverydifficultjungle-filledvalley。Therewasnothingbutjungleallaround，andifIadvancedIwasafraidImightgetoutoftouchwitheverybodyandnotbegoingintherightdirection。Moreover，asfarasIcouldsee，therewasnownobodyinfrontwhowasshootingatus，althoughsomeofthemenonmyleftinsistedthatourownmenhadfiredintous——anallegationwhichIsoonfoundwasalmostalwaysmadeinsuchafight，andwhichinthiscasewasnottrue。Atthismomentsomeoftheregularsappearedacrosstheravineonourright。Thefirstthingtheydidwastofireavolleyatus，butoneofourfirstsergeantswentupatreeandwavedaguidonatthemandtheystopped。

Firingwasstillgoingontoourleft，however，andIwasnevermorepuzzledtoknowwhattodo。Ididnotwishtotakemymenoutoftheirpositionwithoutorders，forfearthatImighttherebybeleavingagapiftherewasaSpanishforcewhichmeditatedanoffensivereturn。

Ontheotherhand，itdidnotseemtomethatIhadbeendoingenoughfightingtojustifymyexistence，andtherewasobviouslyfightinggoingontotheleft。IrememberthatIkeptthinkingoftherefrainofthefox-huntingsong，“Here’stoeveryfriendwhostruggledtotheend“；inthehuntingfieldIhadalwaysactedonthistheory，and，nomatterhowdiscouragingappearancesmightbe，hadneverstoppedtryingtogetinatthedeathuntilthehuntwasactuallyover；andnowthattherewaswork，andnotplay，onhand，IintendedtostruggleashardasIknewhownottobeleftoutofanyfightingintowhichIcould，withanypossiblepropriety，get。

SoIleftmymenwheretheywereandstartedoffatatrottowardwherethefiringwas，withacoupleoforderliestosendbackforthemenincasethatprovedadvisable。Likemosttyros，Iwaswearingmysword，whichinthickjunglenowandthengotbetweenmylegs——fromthatdayonitalwayswentcordedinthebaggage。Istruckthetrail，andbegantopassoccasionaldeadmen。PrettysoonIreachedWoodandfound，muchtomypleasure，thatIhaddonetherightthing，forasI

cameupwordwasbroughttohimthatBrodiehadbeenshot，andheatoncesentmetotakechargeoftheleftwing。Itwasmoreopencountryhere，andatleastIwasabletogetaglimpseofmyownmenandexercisesomecontroloverthem。Therewasmuchfiringgoingon，butforthelifeofmeIcouldnotseeanySpaniards，andneithercouldanyoneelse。Finallywemadeupourmindsthattheywereshootingatusfromasetofred-tiledranchbuildingsagoodwayinfront，andtheseIassaulted，finallychargingthem。Beforewecameanywherenear，theSpaniards，who，asitproved，reallywereinsideandaroundthem，abandonedthem，leavingafewdeadmen。

BythetimeIhadtakenpossessionofthesebuildingsallfiringhadceasedeverywhere。Ihadnotthefaintestideawhathadhappened：

whetherthefightwasover；orwhetherthiswasmerelyalullinthefight；orwheretheSpaniardswere；orwhetherwemightbeattackedagain；orwhetherweoughtourselvestoattacksomebodysomewhereelse。Igotmymeninorderandsentoutsmallpartiestoexplorethegroundinfront，whoreturnedwithoutfindinganyfoe。(Bythistime，asamatteroffact，theSpaniardswereinfullretreat。)MeanwhileI

wasextendingmylinesoastogetintotouchwithourpeopleontheright。WordwasbroughttomethatWoodhadbeenshot——whichfortunatelyprovednottobetrue——andas，ifthiswereso，itmeantthatImusttakechargeoftheregiment，Imovedoverpersonallytoinquire。SoonIlearnedthathewasallright，thattheSpaniardshadretreatedalongthemainroad，andthatColonelWoodandtwoorthreeotherofficerswereashortdistanceaway。BeforeIreachedthemI

encounteredacaptainoftheNinthCavalry，v