The Little Regiment, and Other Episodes of the American Civil WarCrane, Stephen
History
The Little Regiment, and Other Episodes of the American Civil War
Crane, Stephen
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction; War stories, American
At last the girl saw a head thrust slowly from under the beam. She
perceived the face of one of the miraculous soldiers from the feed-box.
A pair of eyes glintered and wavered, then finally settled upon her, a
pale statue of a girl. The eyes became lit with a kind of humorous
greeting. An arm gestured at her.
Stooping, she breathed, "All right." The man drew himself silently back
under the beam. A moment later the pair of hands resumed their cautious
task. Ultimately the head and arms of the man were thrust strangely
from the earth. He was lying on his back. The girl thought of the dirt
in his hair. Wriggling slowly and pushing at the beam above him he
forced his way out of the curious little passage. He twisted his body
and raised himself upon his hands. He grinned at the girl and drew his
feet carefully from under the beam. When he at last stood erect beside
her, he at once began mechanically to brush the dirt from his clothes
with his hands. In the barn the sentry and his prisoner were evidently
engaged in an argument.
The girl and the first miraculous soldier signalled warily. It seemed
that they feared that their arms would make noises in passing through
the air. Their lips moved, conveying dim meanings.
In this sign-language the girl described the situation in the barn.
With guarded motions, she told him of the importance of absolute
stillness. He nodded, and then in the same manner he told her of his
two companions under the barn floor. He informed her again of their
wounded state, and wagged his head to express his despair. He contorted
his face, to tell how sore were their arms; and jabbed the air
mournfully, to express their remote geographical position.
This signalling was interrupted by the sound of a body being dragged or
dragging itself with slow, swishing sound under the barn. The sound was
too loud for safety. They rushed to the hole and began to semaphore
until a shaggy head appeared with rolling eyes and quick grin.
With frantic downward motions of their arms they suppressed this grin
and with it the swishing noise. In dramatic pantomime they informed
this head of the terrible consequences of so much noise. The head
nodded, and painfully, but with extreme care, the second man pushed and
pulled himself from the hole.
In a faint whisper the first man said, "Where's Sim?"
The second man made low reply: "He's right here." He motioned
reassuringly toward the hole.
When the third head appeared, a soft smile of glee came upon each face,
and the mute group exchanged expressive glances.
When they all stood together, free from this tragic barn, they breathed
a long sigh that was contemporaneous with another smile and another
exchange of glances.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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