The Red Badge of Courage | Page 7

the loud one.
The youth remained silent for a time. At last he spoke to the tall soldier.
"Jim!"
"What?"
"How do you think the reg'ment 'll do?"
"Oh, they'll fight all right, I guess, after they once get into it," said the
other with cold judgment. He made a fine use of the third person.
"There's been heaps of fun poked at 'em because they're new, of course,
and all that; but they'll fight all right, I guess."
"Think any of the boys 'll run?" persisted the youth.
"Oh, there may be a few of 'em run, but there's them kind in every
regiment, 'specially when they first goes under fire," said the other in a
tolerant way. "Of course it might happen that the hull kit-and-boodle
might start and run, if some big fighting came first-off, and then again
they might stay and fight like fun. But you can't bet on nothing. Of
course they ain't never been under fire yet, and it ain't likely they'll lick
the hull rebel army all-to-oncet the first time; but I think they'll fight
better than some, if worse than others. That's the way I figger. They call
the reg'ment 'Fresh fish' and everything; but the boys come of good
stock, and most of 'em 'll fight like sin after they oncet git shootin'," he

added, with a mighty emphasis on the last four words.
"Oh, you think you know--" began the loud soldier with scorn.
The other turned savagely upon him. They had a rapid altercation, in
which they fastened upon each other various strange epithets.
The youth at last interrupted them. "Did you ever think you might run
yourself, Jim?" he asked. On concluding the sentence he laughed as if
he had meant to aim a joke. The loud soldier also giggled.
The tall private waved his hand. "Well", said he profoundly, "I've
thought it might get too hot for Jim Conklin in some of them
scrimmages, and if a whole lot of boys started and run, why, I s'pose I'd
start and run. And if I once started to run, I'd run like the devil, and no
mistake. But if everybody was a-standing and a-fighting, why, I'd stand
and fight. Be jiminey, I would. I'll bet on it."
"Huh!" said the loud one.
The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrade. He
had feared that all of the untried men possessed great and correct
confidence. He now was in a measure reassured.
Chapter 2

The next morning the youth discovered that his tall comrade had been
the fast-flying messenger of a mistake. There was much scoffing at the
latter by those who had yesterday been firm adherents of his views, and
there was even a little sneering by men who had never believed the
rumor. The tall one fought with a man from Chatfield Corners and beat
him severely.
The youth felt, however, that his problem was in no wise lifted from
him. There was, on the contrary, an irritating prolongation. The tale had
created in him a great concern for himself. Now, with the newborn
question in his mind, he was compelled to sink back into his old place

as part of a blue demonstration.
For days he made ceaseless calculations, but they were all wondrously
unsatisfactory. He found that he could establish nothing. He finally
concluded that the only way to prove himself was to go into the blaze,
and then figuratively to watch his legs to discover their merits and
faults. He reluctantly admitted that he could not sit still and with a
mental slate and pencil derive an answer. To gain it, he must have blaze,
blood, and danger, even as a chemist requires this, that, and the other.
So he fretted for an opportunity.
Meanwhile, he continually tried to measure himself by his comrades.
The tall soldier, for one, gave him some assurance. This man's serene
unconcern dealt him a measure of confidence, for he had known him
since childhood, and from his intimate knowledge he did not see how
he could be capable of anything that was beyond him, the youth. Still,
he thought that his comrade might be mistaken about himself. Or, on
the other hand, he might be a man heretofore doomed to peace and
obscurity, but, in reality, made to shine in war.
The youth would have liked to have discovered another who suspected
himself. A sympathetic comparison of mental notes would have been a
joy to him.
He occasionally tried to fathom a comrade with seductive sentences. He
looked about to find men in the proper mood. All attempts failed to
bring forth any statement which looked in any way like a confession to
those doubts which he privately acknowledged in himself. He was
afraid