“Bury him,” stated Timothy Lean.
the 2 officials seemed down close to their ft in which lay the frame of their comrade. The face turned into chalk-blue; sparkling eyes stared at the sky. Over the 2 upright figures changed into a windy sound of bullets, and on the pinnacle of the hill Lean’s prostrate corporation of Spitzbergen infantry changed into firing measured volleys.
“Don’t you observed it would be higher–” started out the adjutant. “we would go away him till the following day.”
“No,” stated Lean. “i'm able to’t maintain that submit an hour longer. I’ve got to fall back, and we’ve were given to bury antique bill.”
“Of direction,” stated the adjutant, straight away. “Your men were given intrenching tools?”
Lean shouted again to his little line, and two guys got here slowly, one with a choose, one with a shovel. They started outinside the direction of the Rostina sharp-shooters. Bullets cracked close to their ears. “Dig here,” said Lean gruffly. The men, therefore caused to decrease their glances to the turf, became hurried and fearful merely due to the fact they could not appearance to look whence the bullets got here. The dull beat of the select hanging the earth sounded amid the rapidsnap of near bullets. presently the alternative private started out to shovel.
“I suppose,” said the adjutant, slowly, “we’d better seek his clothes for–things.”
Lean nodded. collectively in curious abstraction they checked out the body. Then Lean stirred his shoulders , arousing himself.
“sure,” he stated, “we’d better see what he’s got.” He dropped to his knees, and his fingers approached the frame of the lifeless officer. however his arms wavered over the buttons of the tunic. the primary button turned into brick- purple with drying blood, and he did now not seem to dare contact it.
“go on,” said the adjutant, hoarsely.
Lean stretched his timber hand, and his arms fumbled the blood- stained buttons. At ultimate he rose with ghastly face. He had accumulated a watch, a whistle, a pipe, a tobacco pouch, a handkerchief, a bit case of playing cards and papers. He looked at the adjutant. there has been a silence. The adjutant become feeling that he were a coward to make Lean do all the grisly business.
“nicely,” said Lean, “that’s all, I think. you've got his sword and revolver?”
“yes,” stated the adjutant, his face running, and then he burst out in a surprising atypical fury at the 2 privates. “Why don’t you hurry up with that grave? What are you doing, anyhow? Hurry, do you listen? I never saw such stupid–”
even as he cried out in his ardour the two guys were laboring for their lives. Ever overhead the bullets had been spitting.
The grave become completed, It changed into now not a masterpiece–a bad little shallow thing. Lean and the adjutant once more checked out each other in a curious silent verbal exchange.
suddenly the adjutant croaked out a peculiar snigger. It became a horrible laugh, which had its foundation in that a part of the mind which is first moved via the making a song of the nerves. “well,” he said, humorously to Lean, “I assume we had first-class tumble him in.”
“sure,” said Lean. the two privates stood waiting, bent over their implements. “I think,” stated Lean, “it'd be higher if we laid him in ourselves.”
“yes,” stated the adjutant. Then apparently remembering that he had made Lean seek the body, he stooped with terrificfortitude and took hold of the dead officer’s clothing. Lean joined him. both have been precise that their hands have to no longer experience the corpse. They tugged away; the corpse lifted, heaved, toppled, flopped into the grave, and the twoofficers, straightening, seemed once more at each different–they had been constantly searching at each other. They sighed with alleviation.
The adjutant stated, “I assume we need to–we ought to say some thing. Do you know the carrier, Tim?”
“They don’t read the provider until the grave is crammed in,” stated Lean, urgent his lips to an academic expression.
“Don’t they?” stated the adjutant, stunned that he had made the mistake.
“Oh, well,” he cried, suddenly, “let us–allow us to say some thing–whilst he can listen us.”
“All proper,” said Lean. “Do you already know the provider?”
“i will’t keep in mind a line of it,” said the adjutant.
Lean was extremely dubious. “i can repeat two lines, however–”
“well, do it,” said the adjutant. “go as a long way as you can. That’s better than nothing. And the beasts have were givenour variety precisely.”
Lean checked out his guys. “interest,” he barked. The privates came to attention with a click on, searching plentyaggrieved. The adjutant diminished his helmet to his knee. Lean, bareheaded, he stood over the grave. The Rostina sharpshooters fired rapidly.
“Oh, Father, our friend has sunk inside the deep waters of loss of life, but his spirit has leaped in the direction of Thee because the bubble arises from the lips of the drowning. perceive, we beseech, O Father, the little flying bubble, and–”.
Lean, although husky and ashamed, had suffered no hesitation up so far, however he stopped with a hopeless feeling and looked at the corpse.
The adjutant moved uneasily. “And from Thy notable heights–” he started, after which he too came to an give up.
“And from Thy great heights,” said Lean.
The adjutant all of sudden remembered a word in the back a part of the Spitzbergen burial provider, and he exploited it with the positive manner of a person who has recalled the entirety, and might pass on.
“Oh, God, have mercy–”
“Oh, God, have mercy–” stated Lean.
“Mercy,” repeated the adjutant, in quick failure.
“Mercy,” said Lean. after which he turned into moved with the aid of some violence of feeling, for he grew to become upon his two guys and tigerishly stated, “Throw the dirt in.”
The fireplace of the Rostina sharpshooters turned into correct and non-stop.
one of the aggrieved privates came ahead together with his shovel. He lifted his first shovel-load of earth, and for a moment of inexplicable hesitation it became held poised above this corpse, which from its chalk- blue face seemed keenly out from the grave. Then the soldier emptied his shovel on–on the toes.
Timothy Lean felt as if tons had been unexpectedly lifted from off his forehead. He had felt that possibly the personal mayempty the shovel on–on the face. It had been emptied at the feet. there has been a remarkable point won there–ha, ha!–the primary shovelful have been emptied on the feet. How nice!
The adjutant started out to babble. “nicely, of course–a person we’ve messed with a majority of these years–impossible–you can’t, you realize, go away your intimate buddies rotting on the sphere. pass on, for God’s sake, and shovel, you!”
the man with the shovel all of sudden ducked, grabbed his left arm together with his right hand, and looked at his officer for orders. Lean picked the shovel from the floor. “go to the rear,” he said to the wounded man. He additionally addressed the opposite private. “You get below cover, too; I’ll end this enterprise.”
The wounded guy scrambled difficult nevertheless for the top of the ridge with out devoting any glances to the directionwhence the bullets came, and the opposite guy observed at an identical tempo; however he become special, in that he seemed returned anxiously three times.
that is simply the way–regularly–of the hit and unhit.
Timothy Lean stuffed the shovel, hesitated, after which in a movement which become like a gesture of abhorrence he flung the dirt into the grave, and because it landed it made a sound–plop! Lean all at once stopped and mopped his forehead–a tired laborer.
“perhaps we have been incorrect,” stated the adjutant. His glance wavered stupidly. “it would had been higher if we hadn’t buried him simply at the moment. Of course, if we advance to-morrow the frame would were–”
“rattling you,” stated Lean, “close your mouth!” He was not the senior officer.
He again filled the shovel and flung the earth. continually the earth made that sound–plop! For a space Lean laboredfrantically, like a person digging himself out of threat.
quickly there was nothing to be visible but the chalk-blue face. Lean filled the shovel. “good God,” he cried to the adjutant. “Why didn’t you turn him by some means while you placed him in? This–” Then Lean started out to stutter.
The adjutant understood. He changed into light to the lips. “cross on, man,” he cried, beseechingly, almost in a shout. Lean swung lower back the shovel. It went forward in a pendulum curve. while the earth landed it made a legitimate – plop!
“No,” stated Lean. “i'm able to’t maintain that submit an hour longer. I’ve got to fall back, and we’ve were given to bury antique bill.”
“Of direction,” stated the adjutant, straight away. “Your men were given intrenching tools?”
Lean shouted again to his little line, and two guys got here slowly, one with a choose, one with a shovel. They started outinside the direction of the Rostina sharp-shooters. Bullets cracked close to their ears. “Dig here,” said Lean gruffly. The men, therefore caused to decrease their glances to the turf, became hurried and fearful merely due to the fact they could not appearance to look whence the bullets got here. The dull beat of the select hanging the earth sounded amid the rapidsnap of near bullets. presently the alternative private started out to shovel.
“I suppose,” said the adjutant, slowly, “we’d better seek his clothes for–things.”
Lean nodded. collectively in curious abstraction they checked out the body. Then Lean stirred his shoulders , arousing himself.
“sure,” he stated, “we’d better see what he’s got.” He dropped to his knees, and his fingers approached the frame of the lifeless officer. however his arms wavered over the buttons of the tunic. the primary button turned into brick- purple with drying blood, and he did now not seem to dare contact it.
“go on,” said the adjutant, hoarsely.
Lean stretched his timber hand, and his arms fumbled the blood- stained buttons. At ultimate he rose with ghastly face. He had accumulated a watch, a whistle, a pipe, a tobacco pouch, a handkerchief, a bit case of playing cards and papers. He looked at the adjutant. there has been a silence. The adjutant become feeling that he were a coward to make Lean do all the grisly business.
“nicely,” said Lean, “that’s all, I think. you've got his sword and revolver?”
“yes,” stated the adjutant, his face running, and then he burst out in a surprising atypical fury at the 2 privates. “Why don’t you hurry up with that grave? What are you doing, anyhow? Hurry, do you listen? I never saw such stupid–”
even as he cried out in his ardour the two guys were laboring for their lives. Ever overhead the bullets had been spitting.
The grave become completed, It changed into now not a masterpiece–a bad little shallow thing. Lean and the adjutant once more checked out each other in a curious silent verbal exchange.
suddenly the adjutant croaked out a peculiar snigger. It became a horrible laugh, which had its foundation in that a part of the mind which is first moved via the making a song of the nerves. “well,” he said, humorously to Lean, “I assume we had first-class tumble him in.”
“sure,” said Lean. the two privates stood waiting, bent over their implements. “I think,” stated Lean, “it'd be higher if we laid him in ourselves.”
“yes,” stated the adjutant. Then apparently remembering that he had made Lean seek the body, he stooped with terrificfortitude and took hold of the dead officer’s clothing. Lean joined him. both have been precise that their hands have to no longer experience the corpse. They tugged away; the corpse lifted, heaved, toppled, flopped into the grave, and the twoofficers, straightening, seemed once more at each different–they had been constantly searching at each other. They sighed with alleviation.
The adjutant stated, “I assume we need to–we ought to say some thing. Do you know the carrier, Tim?”
“They don’t read the provider until the grave is crammed in,” stated Lean, urgent his lips to an academic expression.
“Don’t they?” stated the adjutant, stunned that he had made the mistake.
“Oh, well,” he cried, suddenly, “let us–allow us to say some thing–whilst he can listen us.”
“All proper,” said Lean. “Do you already know the provider?”
“i will’t keep in mind a line of it,” said the adjutant.
Lean was extremely dubious. “i can repeat two lines, however–”
“well, do it,” said the adjutant. “go as a long way as you can. That’s better than nothing. And the beasts have were givenour variety precisely.”
Lean checked out his guys. “interest,” he barked. The privates came to attention with a click on, searching plentyaggrieved. The adjutant diminished his helmet to his knee. Lean, bareheaded, he stood over the grave. The Rostina sharpshooters fired rapidly.
“Oh, Father, our friend has sunk inside the deep waters of loss of life, but his spirit has leaped in the direction of Thee because the bubble arises from the lips of the drowning. perceive, we beseech, O Father, the little flying bubble, and–”.
Lean, although husky and ashamed, had suffered no hesitation up so far, however he stopped with a hopeless feeling and looked at the corpse.
The adjutant moved uneasily. “And from Thy notable heights–” he started, after which he too came to an give up.
“And from Thy great heights,” said Lean.
The adjutant all of sudden remembered a word in the back a part of the Spitzbergen burial provider, and he exploited it with the positive manner of a person who has recalled the entirety, and might pass on.
“Oh, God, have mercy–”
“Oh, God, have mercy–” stated Lean.
“Mercy,” repeated the adjutant, in quick failure.
“Mercy,” said Lean. after which he turned into moved with the aid of some violence of feeling, for he grew to become upon his two guys and tigerishly stated, “Throw the dirt in.”
The fireplace of the Rostina sharpshooters turned into correct and non-stop.
one of the aggrieved privates came ahead together with his shovel. He lifted his first shovel-load of earth, and for a moment of inexplicable hesitation it became held poised above this corpse, which from its chalk- blue face seemed keenly out from the grave. Then the soldier emptied his shovel on–on the toes.
Timothy Lean felt as if tons had been unexpectedly lifted from off his forehead. He had felt that possibly the personal mayempty the shovel on–on the face. It had been emptied at the feet. there has been a remarkable point won there–ha, ha!–the primary shovelful have been emptied on the feet. How nice!
The adjutant started out to babble. “nicely, of course–a person we’ve messed with a majority of these years–impossible–you can’t, you realize, go away your intimate buddies rotting on the sphere. pass on, for God’s sake, and shovel, you!”
the man with the shovel all of sudden ducked, grabbed his left arm together with his right hand, and looked at his officer for orders. Lean picked the shovel from the floor. “go to the rear,” he said to the wounded man. He additionally addressed the opposite private. “You get below cover, too; I’ll end this enterprise.”
The wounded guy scrambled difficult nevertheless for the top of the ridge with out devoting any glances to the directionwhence the bullets came, and the opposite guy observed at an identical tempo; however he become special, in that he seemed returned anxiously three times.
that is simply the way–regularly–of the hit and unhit.
Timothy Lean stuffed the shovel, hesitated, after which in a movement which become like a gesture of abhorrence he flung the dirt into the grave, and because it landed it made a sound–plop! Lean all at once stopped and mopped his forehead–a tired laborer.
“perhaps we have been incorrect,” stated the adjutant. His glance wavered stupidly. “it would had been higher if we hadn’t buried him simply at the moment. Of course, if we advance to-morrow the frame would were–”
“rattling you,” stated Lean, “close your mouth!” He was not the senior officer.
He again filled the shovel and flung the earth. continually the earth made that sound–plop! For a space Lean laboredfrantically, like a person digging himself out of threat.
quickly there was nothing to be visible but the chalk-blue face. Lean filled the shovel. “good God,” he cried to the adjutant. “Why didn’t you turn him by some means while you placed him in? This–” Then Lean started out to stutter.
The adjutant understood. He changed into light to the lips. “cross on, man,” he cried, beseechingly, almost in a shout. Lean swung lower back the shovel. It went forward in a pendulum curve. while the earth landed it made a legitimate – plop!
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