Two American Boys in the War ZoneGreen, Levi Worthington
General
Two American Boys in the War Zone
Green, Levi Worthington
Americans -- Russia -- Juvenile fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Russia -- Juvenile fiction
Sidney opened his knapsack, felt for the driest piece of bread, and,
breaking off the driest portion of that, handed it to Raymond. Then he
selected a bit for himself and they sat on their blankets and munched
the crusts. Even with the most faithful chewing they found it difficult
to swallow the morsels, but they persevered and managed to consume
nearly all of the pieces which Sidney had apportioned them.
Then they opened their blankets on the smoothest bit of ground they
could find in the dark, and huddled down in them. Neither boy felt like
talking. The reclining position was a relief, for their fatigue was
great, but the rest it brought was more a sort of apathy than sleep.
They had not been lying long when Raymond began to mutter and talk
unintelligibly and frequently started up violently. Sidney spoke to him
at such times, but was unable to attract his attention, so finally,
when the boy sprang up in such a frenzy, Sidney would reach out and
place his hand soothingly on Raymond’s shoulder or his hand, and that
always quieted him.
That occurred at such frequent intervals that it seemed to Sidney as
though it had gone on forever, and would continue without end. He would
no more than settle down in his blankets and sink into a delicious
stupor when Raymond would jump up and cry out, and he would have to
take hold of him to quiet him. So it went with almost mechanical
regularity until Sidney was dazed.
But extreme exhaustion at length prevailed and both boys lay without
moving. That change took place so near morning that when the boys had
become quiet they did not wake early as they intended. They did not
rouse at all until the sun shone hot upon them, then Sidney opened his
eyes. He could not remember at first where he was. His mouth felt queer
and stiff and uncomfortably full of something. He looked about, vaguely
at first, when his gaze rested on Raymond and it all came back to him.
He remembered their flight in the dark from the village, their having
taken the wrong road, and their failure to find water.
The thought of water brought Sidney’s mind back to his own condition
and he realized that the something which filled his mouth so
uncomfortably was his tongue, which was badly swollen. That realization
made him get up as quickly as he was able. He stood and looked down
into the valley. The trail which they had followed by mistake had taken
them along the side of the mountain until they were directly above
the gorge that narrowed from the upper end of the valley. Down there,
glistening in the sun, perhaps two miles away, Sidney saw a thread of
water. At the sight he started to plunge down the mountain to reach it,
but he had taken no more than two or three steps when he remembered
with a shock that he was leaving his brother behind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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