「ソロモン王の洞窟」 第14章（1） 原文と平林初之輔 訳

CHAPTER XIV　THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS 

In a few more minutes the regiments destined to carry out the flanking movements had tramped off in silence, keeping carefully to the lee of the rising ground in order to conceal their advance from the keen eyes of Twala's scouts.

Half an hour or more was allowed to elapse between the setting out of the horns or wings of the army before any stir was made by the Greys and their supporting regiment, known as the Buffaloes, which formed its chest, and were destined to bear the brunt of the battle.

Both of these regiments were almost perfectly fresh, and of full strength, the Greys having been in reserve in the morning, and having lost but a small number of men in sweeping back that part of the attack which had proved successful in breaking the line of defence, on the occasion when I charged with them and was stunned for my pains. As for the Buffaloes, they had formed the third line of defence on the left, and since the attacking force at that point had not succeeded in breaking through the second, they had scarcely come into action at all.

Infadoos, who was a wary old general, and knew the absolute importance of keeping up the spirits of his men on the eve of such a desperate encounter, employed the pause in addressing his own regiment, the Greys, in poetical language: explaining to them the honour that they were receiving in being put thus in the forefront of the battle, and in having the great white warrior from the Stars to fight with them in their ranks; and promising large rewards of cattle and promotion to all who survived in the event of Ignosi's arms being successful.

I looked down the long lines of waving black plumes and stern faces beneath them, and sighed to think that within one short hour most, if not all, of those magnificent veteran warriors, not a man of whom was under forty years of age, would be laid dead or dying in the dust. It could not be otherwise; they were being condemned, with that wise recklessness of human life which marks the great general, and often saves his forces and attains his ends, to certain slaughter, in order to give their cause and the remainder of the army a chance of success. They were foredoomed to die, and they knew the truth. It was to be their task to engage regiment after regiment of Twala's army on the narrow strip of green beneath us, till they were exterminated or till the wings found a favourable opportunity for their onslaught. And yet they never hesitated, nor could I detect a sign of fear upon the face of a single warrior. There they were—going to certain death, about to quit the blessed light of day for ever, and yet able to contemplate their doom without a tremor. Even at that moment I could not help contrasting their state of mind with my own, which was far from comfortable, and breathing a sigh of envy and admiration. Never before had I seen such an absolute devotion to the idea of duty, and such a complete indifference to its bitter fruits.

"Behold your king!" ended old Infadoos, pointing to Ignosi; "go fight and fall for him, as is the duty of brave men, and cursed and shameful for ever be the name of him who shrinks from death for his king, or who turns his back to the foe. Behold your king, chiefs, captains, and soldiers! Now do your homage to the sacred Snake, and then follow on, that Incubu and I may show you a road to the heart of Twala's host."

There was a moment's pause, then suddenly a murmur arose from the serried phalanxes before us, a sound like the distant whisper of the sea, caused by the gentle tapping of the handles of six thousand spears against their holders' shields. Slowly it swelled, till its growing volume deepened and widened into a roar of rolling noise, that echoed like thunder against the mountains, and filled the air with heavy waves of sound. Then it decreased, and by faint degrees died away into nothing, and suddenly out crashed the royal salute.

Ignosi, I thought to myself, might well be a proud man that day, for no Roman emperor ever had such a salutation from gladiators "about to die."

Ignosi acknowledged this magnificent act of homage by lifting his battle-axe, and then the Greys filed off in a triple-line formation, each line containing about one thousand fighting men, exclusive of officers. When the last companies had advanced some five hundred yards, Ignosi put himself at the head of the Buffaloes, which regiment was drawn up in a similar three-fold formation, and gave the word to march, and off we went, I, needless to say, uttering the most heartfelt prayers that I might emerge from that entertainment with a whole skin. Many a queer position have I found myself in, but never before in one quite so unpleasant as the present, or one in which my chance of coming off safe was smaller.

By the time that we reached the edge of the plateau the Greys were already half-way down the slope ending in the tongue of grass land that ran up into the bend of the mountain, something as the frog of a horse's foot runs up into the shoe. The excitement in Twala's camp on the plain beyond was very great, and regiment after regiment was starting forward at a long swinging trot in order to reach the root of the tongue of land before the attacking force could emerge into the plain of Loo.

This tongue, which was some four hundred yards in depth, even at its root or widest part was not more than six hundred and fifty paces across, while at its tip it scarcely measured ninety. The Greys, who, in passing down the side of the hill and on to the tip of the tongue, had formed into a column, on reaching the spot where it broadened out again, reassumed their triple-line formation, and halted dead.

Then we—that is, the Buffaloes—moved down the tip of the tongue and took our stand in reserve, about one hundred yards behind the last line of the Greys, and on slightly higher ground. Meanwhile we had leisure to observe Twala's entire force, which evidently had been reinforced since the morning attack, and could not now, notwithstanding their losses, number less than forty thousand, moving swiftly up towards us. But as they drew near the root of the tongue they hesitated, having discovered that only one regiment could advance into the gorge at a time, and that there, some seventy yards from the mouth of it, unassailable except in front, on account of the high walls of boulder-strewn ground on each side, stood the famous regiment of Greys, the pride and glory of the Kukuana army, ready to hold the way against their power as the three Romans once held the bridge against thousands.

They hesitated, and finally stopped their advance; there was no eagerness to cross spears with these three grim ranks of warriors who stood so firm and ready. Presently, however, a tall general, wearing the customary head-dress of nodding ostrich plumes, appeared, attended by a group of chiefs and orderlies, being, I thought, none other than Twala himself. He gave an order, and the first regiment, raising a shout, charged up towards the Greys, who remained perfectly still and silent till the attacking troops were within forty yards, and a volley of tollas, or throwing-knives, came rattling among their ranks.

Then suddenly with a bound and a roar, they sprang forward with uplifted spears, and the regiment met in deadly strife. Next second the roll of the meeting shields came to our ears like the sound of thunder, and the plain seemed to be alive with flashes of light reflected from the shimmering spears. To and fro swung the surging mass of struggling, stabbing humanity, but not for long. Suddenly the attacking lines began to grow thinner, and then with a slow, long heave the Greys passed over them, just as a great wave heaves up its bulk and passes over a sunken ridge. It was done; that regiment was completely destroyed, but the Greys had but two lines left now; a third of their number were dead.

Closing up shoulder to shoulder, once more they halted in silence and awaited attack; and I was rejoiced to catch sight of Sir Henry's yellow beard as he moved to and fro arranging the ranks. So he was yet alive!

Meanwhile we moved on to the ground of the encounter, which was cumbered by about four thousand prostrate human beings, dead, dying, and wounded, and literally stained red with blood. Ignosi issued an order, which was rapidly passed down the ranks, to the effect that none of the enemy's wounded were to be killed, and so far as we could see this command was scrupulously carried out. It would have been a shocking sight, if we had found time to think of such things.

But now a second regiment, distinguished by white plumes, kilts, and shields, was moving to the attack of the two thousand remaining Greys, who stood waiting in the same ominous silence as before, till the foe was within forty yards or so, when they hurled themselves with irresistible force upon them. Again there came the awful roll of the meeting shields, and as we watched the tragedy repeated itself.

But this time the issue was left longer in doubt; indeed, it seemed for awhile almost impossible that the Greys should again prevail. The attacking regiment, which was formed of young men, fought with the utmost fury, and at first seemed by sheer weight to be driving the veterans back. The slaughter was truly awful, hundreds falling every minute; and from among the shouts of the warriors and the groans of the dying, set to the music of clashing spears, came a continuous hissing undertone of "S'gee, s'gee," the note of triumph of each victor as he passed his assegai through and through the body of his fallen foe.

But perfect discipline and steady and unchanging valour can do wonders, and one veteran soldier is worth two young ones, as soon became apparent in the present case. For just when we thought that it was all over with the Greys, and were preparing to take their place so soon as they made room by being destroyed, I heard Sir Henry's deep voice ringing out through the din, and caught a glimpse of his circling battle-axe as he waved it high above his plumes. Then came a change; the Greys ceased to give; they stood still as a rock, against which the furious waves of spearmen broke again and again, only to recoil. Presently they began to move once more—forward this time; as they had no firearms there was no smoke, so we could see it all. Another minute and the onslaught grew fainter.

"Ah, these are men, indeed; they will conquer again," called out Ignosi, who was grinding his teeth with excitement at my side. "See, it is done!"

Suddenly, like puffs of smoke from the mouth of a cannon, the attacking regiment broke away in flying groups, their white head-dresses streaming behind them in the wind, and left their opponents victors, indeed, but, alas! no more a regiment. Of the gallant triple line, which forty minutes before had gone into action three thousand strong, there remained at most some six hundred blood-spattered men; the rest were under foot. And yet they cheered and waved their spears in triumph, and then, instead of falling back upon us as we expected, they ran forward, for a hundred yards or so, after the flying groups of foemen, took possession of a rising knoll of ground, and, resuming their triple formation, formed a threefold ring around its base. And there, thanks be to Heaven, standing on the top of the mound for a minute, I saw Sir Henry, apparently unharmed, and with him our old friend Infadoos. Then Twala's regiments rolled down upon the doomed band, and once more the battle closed in.

As those who read this history will probably long ago have gathered, I am, to be honest, a bit of a coward, and certainly in no way given to fighting, though somehow it has often been my lot to get into unpleasant positions, and to be obliged to shed man's blood. But I have always hated it, and kept my own blood as undiminished in quantity as possible, sometimes by a judicious use of my heels. At this moment, however, for the first time in my life, I felt my bosom burn with martial ardour. Warlike fragments from the "Ingoldsby Legends," together with numbers of sanguinary verses in the Old Testament, sprang up in my brain like mushrooms in the dark; my blood, which hitherto had been half-frozen with horror, went beating through my veins, and there came upon me a savage desire to kill and spare not. I glanced round at the serried ranks of warriors behind us, and somehow, all in an instant, I began to wonder if my face looked like theirs. There they stood, the hands twitching, the lips apart, the fierce features instinct with the hungry lust of battle, and in the eyes a look like the glare of a bloodhound when after long pursuit he sights his quarry.

Only Ignosi's heart, to judge from his comparative self-possession, seemed, to all appearances, to beat as calmly as ever beneath his leopard-skin cloak, though even he still ground his teeth. I could bear it no longer.

"Are we to stand here till we put out roots, Umbopa—Ignosi, I mean—while Twala swallows our brothers yonder?" I asked.

"Nay, Macumazahn," was the answer; "see, now is the ripe moment: let us pluck it."

As he spoke a fresh regiment rushed past the ring upon the little mound, and wheeling round, attacked it from the hither side.

Then, lifting his battle-axe, Ignosi gave the signal to advance, and, screaming the wild Kukuana war-cry, the Buffaloes charged home with a rush like the rush of the sea.

What followed immediately on this it is out of my power to tell. All I can remember is an irregular yet ordered advance, that seemed to shake the ground; a sudden change of front and forming up on the part of the regiment against which the charge was directed; then an awful shock, a dull roar of voices, and a continuous flashing of spears, seen through a red mist of blood.

When my mind cleared I found myself standing inside the remnant of the Greys near the top of the mound, and just behind no less a person than Sir Henry himself. How I got there I had at the moment no idea, but Sir Henry afterwards told me that I was borne up by the first furious charge of the Buffaloes almost to his feet, and then left, as they in turn were pressed back. Thereon he dashed out of the circle and dragged me into shelter.

As for the fight that followed, who can describe it? Again and again the multitudes surged against our momentarily lessening circle, and again and again we beat them back.

"The stubborn spearmen still made good
The dark impenetrable wood,
Each stepping where his comrade stood
The instant that he fell,"

as someone or other beautifully says.

It was a splendid thing to see those brave battalions come on time after time over the barriers of their dead, sometimes lifting corpses before them to receive our spear-thrusts, only to leave their own corpses to swell the rising piles. It was a gallant sight to see that old warrior, Infadoos, as cool as though he were on parade, shouting out orders, taunts, and even jests, to keep up the spirit of his few remaining men, and then, as each charge rolled on, stepping forward to wherever the fighting was thickest, to bear his share in its repulse. And yet more gallant was the vision of Sir Henry, whose ostrich plumes had been shorn off by a spear thrust, so that his long yellow hair streamed out in the breeze behind him. There he stood, the great Dane, for he was nothing else, his hands, his axe, and his armour all red with blood, and none could live before his stroke. Time after time I saw it sweeping down, as some great warrior ventured to give him battle, and as he struck he shouted "O-hoy! O-hoy!" like his Berserkir forefathers, and the blow went crashing through shield and spear, through head-dress, hair, and skull, till at last none would of their own will come near the great white "umtagati," the wizard, who killed and failed not.

 數分間經つと、側面攻撃の任に當つた諸聯隊は、ツワラの斥候の鋭い眼を避けるために、 小山の蔭に沿うてひそかに進んで行つた。側面軍が一時間半許りもかゝつて指定の場所へ着くのを待つて、 白髮聯隊と、それを援助する聯隊とが進軍を始めた。この第二の聯隊は水牛聯隊と呼ばれてゐた。

この二つの聯隊は、その日まだ殆んど敵と戰を交へなかつたので、損害も極めて少なく、 士氣は甚だ旺盛であつた。といふのは白髮聯隊は、朝の戰爭には豫備軍として小山の上に殘つてゐて、 そこまで登つて來た敵とほんの少しばかり戰を交へたばかりだつたし、 水牛聯隊の方は左翼軍の第三防御線を受け持つてゐたので、 殆んど敵の攻撃を蒙つてゐなかつたのである。

老練な名將インファドオスは、この樣な決死の戰鬪の前には、 十分軍隊の士氣を鼓舞しておく必要があることをよく知つてゐたので、 側面軍が進行してゐる間に、部下の軍隊に向つて、 白髮聯隊が正面の戰線を引受けて星の世界の偉大なる白人の戰士と共に戰ふのは非常な名譽であるといふことを莊重な口調で説明し、 勝利の曉には生き殘つた者は陞進《しようしん》して、その上國王から澤山な牛の[注：牛を？]襃美に貰へると約束した。

私は羽根飾りの長い列を見ながら、これ等の勇敢な人々が、一時間も經たぬ中に死んでしまふのかと思つて吐息をした。 彼等は死ぬにきまつてゐるのだ。そして彼等自身もその事を知つてゐるのだ。 彼等の任務は、ツワラの大軍を引き受けて全滅するまで、 或は側面軍が有利な攻撃の時機を見出すまで戰ふことにあつたのだから九分九厘までは既に死んだと同じである。 けれども彼等は少しも躊躇しなかつた。また誰一人として恐怖を抱いてゐるものはなかつた。 彼等は、確實な死に向つて、日の光りに永久の別れを告げようとしてゐるのだ！ しかも彼等は泰然として彼等の運命を見ることが出來るのだ。 私はこんな時にもかゝはらず、彼等の氣持と、私自身の氣持とを比べて見ずにはゐられなかつた。 そして何とも言へないいやな私の氣持に引き比べて、彼等の勇敢さを讚美し、羨望した。 義務の爲に是程忠實で、而もその苦しい結果に對して是程無頓着な人逹は私は曾て見たことがない。

「諸君の國王を見よ」と老將インファドオスはイグノシを指ざしながら激勵の演説を終つた。 「國王の爲に仆れるまで戰ふのが勇敢な軍人の任務だ。國王の爲に死を恐れたり、 敵に後を見せたりする人間は、永久に呪はれた奴等だ。士卒諸君、諸君の國王を見よ。 さあ聖蛇に萬歳を唱へて、後に續け！吾とヘンリイ樣とは先頭に立つて進む。」

すると暫らく間をおいて、軍隊の間から、遠くの海鳴のやうな響きが起つた。 それは六千の槍で、靜かに楯をたゝいた響きであつた。響きは次第に高まつて、 遂には百雷の一時に落つるやうに鳴り響いたが、やがてそれも靜まつたときに、 突然、國王に對する萬歳の聲が起つた。

イグノシは其日どんなに得意だつただらうと私は思つた。 羅馬の皇帝だつて『まさに死なんとする』戰士からこんなに心からの萬歳をさゝげられたことはないであらう。

イグノシは彼の戰斧《まさかり》を上げてこの萬歳に答へた。すると白髮聯隊は、 約一千人 宛《づゝ》の戰鬪員からなる三列に別れて進軍を始めた。白髮聯隊の最後の中隊から五百碼程離れて、 イグノシは水牛聯隊の先頭に立ち、進軍の命令を下した。 この聯隊も白髮聯隊と同じ樣に三列になつて進んだ。 言ふまでもない事だが、私は無事に歸つて來られる樣に心から神に祈つた。 私は是迄にも隨分妙な境遇に陷入つた事はあるが、この時ほど不愉快な、 この時程安全に歸れる見込みの少なかつた事はないやうに思ふ。

吾々が小山の縁端《ふち》まで着いた時には、白髮聯隊は、 既に小山の中腹まで進んでゐた。これを見るとツワラ軍の陣營は急にどよめいて、 吾々が凹地《くぼち》の端まで行きつかぬ中に防ぎ止めるために、 急に進軍を始めた。小山の下は、前にも言つたやうに細長い草原の凹地になつてゐて、 一番廣い處で、幅四百歩しかなく、狹い處は九十歩位しかなかつたのだ。

白髮聯隊が、この草原の一番廣い處まで着いて進軍をやめたとき、 吾々の水牛聯隊は、小山のすぐ麓の、草原の狹い部分まで進んで、灰色聯隊の最後の列から百碼程後方に、 豫備軍として控へてゐた。その間に吾々は、ツワラの全軍を見渡すことが出來た。 ツワラ軍には援軍が加はつたと見えて、朝の戰鬪でひどい損害を受けたにもかゝはらず、 總數四萬を下らないやうに見えた。しかし草原の向う側の端まで來ると、 一聯隊 宛《づゝ》しか進めないので、暫らく躊躇してゐた。 勇敢な白髮聯隊はこの大軍を向うにまはして、 曾て三人の羅馬の勇士が數千の敵を向うにまはして橋を守つたやうに、 敵の進軍を阻止しようとしてゐたのだ。

敵は暫らく躊躇してゐたが、やがて凹地《くぼち》にさしかゝる處で進軍を止めてしまつた。 三列に竝《なら》んで身構へてゐる勇敢な白髮聯隊と槍を交へるのは餘り氣が進まぬらしかつた。 しかし、忽ち頭に駝鳥の羽根飾りをつけた、長身の士官が大勢の首長を從卒とを從へて前に進み出た。 それは外ならぬツワラ自身であると私は思つた。彼が聲を勵して命令を下すと、 第一聯隊は白髮聯隊に向つて突撃して來た。白髮聯隊は默々として動かなかつたが、 敵が四十碼の處まで進んで來ると、兩軍の間に風を切つて無數の投げ槍が往來し始めた。

ついで突然喊聲をあげて、勇躍しながら、彼等は槍を振つて肉薄して來た。 二つの聯隊の間に猛烈な白兵戰が開始された。楯と楯との觸れ合ふ音は雷のやうに吾々の處まで聞え、 草原はギラ〜燦《きら》めく槍の光りでまるで生きてゐるやうに見えた。 兩軍は一進一退して戰を交へてゐたが、戰はそんなに長くは續かなかつた。 攻撃軍は見る〜人影が疎《まば》らになつて、やがて完全に撃滅された。 しかし白髮聯隊ももはや二列しか殘つてゐなかつた。三分の一は戰死してしまつたのだ。

白髮聯隊の殘軍は、再び默々として次の攻撃を待つてゐた。 サー・ヘンリイの黄色い髯が味方の軍勢の間からちら〜隱顯してゐたので私はやれ嬉しと思つた。 まだ彼は生きてゐたのだ！

その間に吾々の聯隊も戰場の方へ近く進んで行つた。戰場には死んだり、死にかけたり、 負傷したりした、約四千人の人間の體が文字通り朱《あけ》に染つて倒れてゐた。 イグノシは、敵の負傷者を殺してはならぬといふ命令を發し、 その命令は忽ち全軍に傳へらてた。しかも吾々の見た限りでは、 この命令は嚴守されてゐたやうであつた。 それは實に人の心をうつ情味にあふれた光景であつたが、 その時はそんなことを考へてゐるひまなどはなかつた。 その中に白い羽根飾り附けた、第二の聯隊が、白髮聯隊の二千の殘軍に對して進軍して來た。 白髮聯隊は、再び敵が四十碼の處まで近づくのを待つて、 敵軍に向つて突撃し、前と同じやうな悲劇が繰り返された。 併し今度は勝敗は容易に判らなかつた。暫らくの間は白髮聯隊の方に勝味が無いやうに見えた。 白髮聯隊の戰鬪員は、四十歳以上の古兵ばかりで、攻撃軍は皆血氣の青年であつたが、 初めのうちは古兵の方がじり〜押されて行つた。戰は猛烈を極め、一分毎に數百人位の割合でばた〜倒れて行つた。

しかし完全な訓練と不撓不屈の勇氣とは、竒蹟を現出する事ができるものだ。 一人の古兵は、良く二人の若兵に當る事が出來た事が間もなく判つて來た。 ちやうど吾々が白髮聯隊はもう駄目だと思つて、代つて進撃しようと準備してゐたときに、 喧《やかま》しい叫喚の中からサー・ヘンリイのどつしりした聲が聞え、 彼が羽根飾りの上へ振り上げた戰斧《まさかり》のひらめきがチラリと見えた。 形勢はもち直して、白髮聯隊は荒れ狂ふ敵に對して、まだ磐石《ばんじやく》のやうに抵抗してゐたのであつた。 やがて白髮軍は今度は逆襲に轉じた。火噐が使はれてゐないので戰場には煙が少しも上つてゐなかつたから、 戰鬪の模樣は吾々の處からでも手に取るやうによく見えた。 暫らくすると戰鬪はだん〜靜まつて來た。「あゝ實に勇ましい軍隊だ。 きつとまた勝つだらう！」と私の側に昂奮して齒噛みをしてゐたイグノシが叫んだ。

突然、攻撃軍は白い羽根飾りを風に靡《なび》かせながら算を亂して退却し、 後には白髮聯隊の勇士たちが殘つた。それはもう聯隊ではかなつた。 戰鬪の初まる時には三千人もあつたこの聯隊の中でほんの四十分程しか經たない今では、 せい〜゛六百人位の者が血に塗《まみ》れて殘つてゐるに過ぎなかつた。 殘りの者は凡て地上に倒れてゐたのだ。けれども彼等は槍を振《ふる》つて萬歳を唱へ、 それから吾々の方へ引き返して來るかと思ふとさうではなくて、 返つて逃げて行く敵を追うて百碼ばかり前進し、小高い丘を占領してその圍りを三十に圍んで環状の陣形をつくつた。 有難いことには、その丘の頂きにサー・ヘンリイと吾々の老友インファドオスとの姿があつた。 だが、そのうちにツワラの聯隊は三度盛り返して來て、又もや戰ひが始まつた。

この物語りを讀まれる諸君はかねて承知の筈だが、私は正直なところ少々臆病者で、 しば〜不愉快な立場にたつて人間の血を流さねばならぬ事はあつたが、元來戰爭などは嫌ひで、 自分の血の分量も出來るだけ耗《へ》らさないやうに心掛け、 時としては、三十六計の奧の手にたよつて、敵に後を見せて逃げ出したこともあるのだが、 この時ばかりは私の一生で初めて胸の中に鬪志がむら〜と起つて來るのを覺えた。 これまで恐怖の爲に半ば凍つてゐた私の血は活溌に脈管を流れだし、 むやみに人を殺したい野蠻な慾望が湧き起つて來た。 私はちらりと振り返つて後に列《なら》んでゐる士卒の顏を見ると、 皆も私と同じやうに、手を握りしめ、眼をぎら〜輝かして勃々たる戰志に燃えてゐた。 たゞイグノシだけはいつも通りの冷靜な容子をしてゐたが、さすがの彼すらも齒軋《はぎし》りをしてゐた。

「吾々はツワラが吾々の兄弟を向うで鏖殺《みなごろ》しにしてしまつてゐるのに、 こゝに根の生えるまで立つてゐるのかね、ウムボバ——いやイグノシ？」と私は訊ねた。

「いやマクマザンさん」と彼は答へた。「今こそ好機逸すべからずです！」 彼が語り終らぬ中に敵の新手の聯隊は例の丘の側面を通り過ぎて、 こちらへ迂回し、丘をかこんで周圍から白髮聯隊の殘り少ない殘軍を攻撃し始めた。

この時、イグノシは戰斧《まさかり》を振り上げて進軍の合圖をすると、 水牛聯隊は、ククアナ軍特有の鬨《とき》の聲をあげながら怒濤の如く突撃した。

その次に起つた光景は、私の筆では到底書き盡せぬ。私の記憶してゐる事は大地を搖がすやうな、 すさまじい、しかも秩序ある前進と、急に眞正面から敵に衝突《ぶつゝ》かつて恐ろしい衝突が初まり、 鈍い呻き聲がきこゑ、血煙りの中に閃めく槍の光りが見えただけであつた。

私がはつきりと吾に返つた時には、私は白髮聯隊の殘軍に混つて、丘の頂きの近くにゐた。 そして私のすぐ後にゐたのはほかならぬサー・ヘンリイであつた。 私はどうしてこんな處まで行つたのか少しも覺えてゐないが、 あとでサー・ヘンリイに聞くと、水牛軍の最初の猛烈な攻撃の時に、 殆んど彼の足許まで進んで、また敵の逆襲によつて追ひ返されたのを、 彼が圍みの外へ脱け出して私をそこまで曵きずり上げてくれたのだと言ふことであつた。

その次に起つた戰の模樣は到底筆紙で現はすことの出來るやうなものではなかつた。 刻々に頭數の減つて行く、白髮聯隊の殘軍に對して、勇敢な敵は味方の死骸を乘り越えて、 或る時は吾々の槍を避ける爲に死骸を前にかざしながら進んで來た。 しかし彼等は結局死骸の山を堆高《うづたか》くするだけであつた。 老將インファドオスはこの激戰の中にあつて、まるで觀兵式でもやつてゐるやうに、 落着き拂つて命令を下したり、敵を罵つたり、冗談を言つたりさへして、 殘り少なくなつた味方の士氣を勵まし、敵が攻撃して來る度に一番戰鬪の猛烈な處へ進んで行つて敵に應酬してゐた。 けれどもサー・ヘンリイの武者振りはそれよりももつと勇ましかつた。 彼の駝鳥の羽根飾りは槍の爲めに折れてしまひ、黄色い長髮は後へ振り亂れ、 手も槍も戰斧《まさかり》もすつかり血に塗《まみ》れて、巨人の如く、 當るを幸ひ敵を薙ぎ倒してゐた。