The Red Badge of Courage | Page 8

to make an open declaration of his concern, because he dreaded
to place some unscrupulous confidant upon the high plane of the
unconfessed from which elevation he could be derided.
In regard to his companions his mind wavered between two opinions,
according to his mood. Sometimes he inclined to believing them all
heroes. In fact, he usually admired in secret the superior development
of the higher qualities in others. He could conceive of men going very
insignificantly about the world bearing a load of courage unseen, and
although he had known many of his comrades through boyhood, he

began to fear that his judgment of them had been blind. Then, in other
moments, he flouted these theories, and assured him that his fellows
were all privately wondering and quaking.
His emotions made him feel strange in the presence of men who talked
excitedly of a prospective battle as of a drama they were about to
witness, with nothing but eagerness and curiosity apparent in their
faces. It was often that he suspected them to be liars.
He did not pass such thoughts without severe condemnation of himself.
He dinned reproaches at times. He was convicted by himself of many
shameful crimes against the gods of traditions.
In his great anxiety his heart was continually clamoring at what he
considered the intolerable slowness of the generals. They seemed
content to perch tranquilly on the river bank, and leave him bowed
down by the weight of a great problem. He wanted it settled forthwith.
He could not long bear such a load, he said. Sometimes his anger at the
commanders reached an acute stage, and he grumbled about the camp
like a veteran.
One morning, however, he found himself in the ranks of his prepared
regiment. The men were whispering speculations and recounting the
old rumors. In the gloom before the break of the day their uniforms
glowed a deep purple hue. From across the river the red eyes were still
peering. In the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for
the feet of the coming sun; and against it, black and patternlike, loomed
the gigantic figure of the colonel on a gigantic horse.
From off in the darkness came the trampling of feet. The youth could
occasionally see dark shadows that moved like monsters. The regiment
stood at rest for what seemed a long time. The youth grew impatient. It
was unendurable the way these affairs were managed. He wondered
how long they were to be kept waiting.
As he looked all about him and pondered upon the mystic gloom, he
began to believe that at any moment the ominous distance might be
aflare, and the rolling crashes of an engagement come to his ears.

Staring once at the red eyes across the river, he conceived them to be
growing larger, as the orbs of a row of dragons advancing. He turned
toward the colonel and saw him lift his gigantic arm and calmly stroke
his mustache.
At last he heard from along the road at the foot of the hill the clatter of
a horse's galloping hoofs. It must be the coming of orders. He bent
forward, scarce breathing. The exciting clickety-click, as it grew louder
and louder, seemed to be beating upon his soul. Presently a horseman
with jangling equipment drew rein before the colonel of the regiment.
The two held a short, sharp-worded conversation. The men in the
foremost ranks craned their necks.
As the horseman wheeled his animal and galloped away he turned to
shout over his shoulder, "Don't forget that box of cigars!" The colonel
mumbled in reply. The youth wondered what a box of cigars had to do
with war.
A moment later the regiment went swinging off into the darkness. It
was now like one of those moving monsters wending with many feet.
The air was heavy, and cold with dew. A mass of wet grass, marched
upon, rustled like silk.
There was an occasional flash and glimmer of steel from the backs of
all these huge crawling reptiles. From the road came creakings and
grumblings as some surly guns were dragged away.
The men stumbled along still muttering speculations. There was a
subdued debate. Once a man fell down, and as he reached for his rifle a
comrade, unseeing, trod upon his hand. He of the injured fingers swore
bitterly, and aloud. A low, tittering laugh went among his fellows.
Presently they passed into a roadway and marched forward with easy
strides. A dark regiment moved before them, and from behind also
came the tinkle of equipments on the bodies of marching men.
The rushing yellow of the developing day went on behind their backs.
When the sunrays at last struck full and mellowingly upon the earth,

the youth saw that