The Red Badge of Courage and Other Stories by Stephen Crane Read Free Book Online

matter of getting killed. He would die; he would go to some place where he would be understood. It was useless to expect appreciation of his profound and fine senses from such men as the lieutenant. He must look to the grave for comprehension.
    The skirmish fire increased to a long clattering sound. With it was mingled far-away cheering. A battery spoke.
    Directly the youth would see the skirmishers running. They were pursued by the sound of musketry fire. After a time the hot, dangerous flashes of the rifles were visible. Smoke clouds went slowly and insolently across the fields like observant phantoms. The din became crescendo, like the roar of an oncoming train.
    A brigade ahead of them and on the right went into action with a rending roar. It was as if it had exploded. And thereafter it lay stretched in the distance behind a long gray wall, that one was obliged to look twice at to make sure that it was smoke.
    The youth, forgetting his neat plan of getting killed, gazed spellbound. His eyes grew wide and busy with the action of the scene. His mouth was a little ways open.
    Of a sudden he felt a heavy and sad hand laid upon his shoulder. Awakening from his trance of observation he turned and beheld the loud soldier.
    â€œIt’s my first and last battle, old boy,” said the latter, with intense gloom. He was quite pale and his girlish lip was trembling.
    â€œEh?” murmured the youth in great astonishment.
    â€œIt’s my first and last battle, old boy,” continued the loud soldier. “Something tells me—”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI’m a gone coon this first time and—and I w-want you to take these here things—to—my—folks.” He ended in a quavering sob of pity for himself. He handed the youth a little packet done up in a yellow envelope.
    â€œWhy, what the devil—” began the youth again.
    But the other gave him a glance as from the depths of a tomb, and raised his limp hand in a prophetic manner and turned away.

CHAPTER IV
    The brigade was halted in the fringe of a grove. The men crouched among the trees and pointed their restless guns out at the fields. They tried to look beyond the smoke.
    Out of this haze they could see running men. Some shouted information and gestured as they hurried.
    The men of the new regiment watched and listened eagerly, while their tongues ran on in gossip of the battle. They mouthed rumors that had flown like birds out of the unknown.
    â€œThey say Perry has been driven in with big loss.”
    â€œYes, Carrott went t’ th’ hospital. He said he was sick. That smart lieutenant is commanding ‘G’ Company. Th’ boys say they won’t be under Carrott no more if they all have t’ desert. They allus knew he was a—”
    â€œHannises’ batt’ry is took.”
    â€œIt ain’t either. I saw Hannises’ batt’ry off on th’ left not more’n fifteen minutes ago.”
    â€œWell—”
    â€œTh’ general, he ses he is goin’ t’ take th’ hull cammand of th’ 304th when we go inteh action, an’ then he ses we’ll do sech fightin’ as never another one reg’ment done.”
    â€œThey say we’re catchin’ it over on th’ left. They say th’ enemy driv’ our line inteh a devil of a swamp an’ took Hannises’ batt’ry.”
    â€œNo sech thing. Hannises’ batt’ry was ’long here ’bout a minute ago.”
    â€œThat young Hasbrouck, he makes a good off’cer. He ain’t afraid ’a nothin’.”
    â€œI met one of th’ 148th Maine boys an’ he ses his brigade fit th’ hull rebel army fer four hours over on th’ turnpike road an’ killed about five thousand of ’em. He ses one more sech fight as that an’ th’ war ’ll be over.”
    â€œBill wasn’t scared either. No, sir! It wasn’t that. Bill ain’t