Part 8 (1/2)
Then, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, he added:
”I suppose the message you brought was one of life or death for France.”
”I think so,” said Lannes, ”but I know little of its nature, myself.”
”I would not ask you to say any more. I know that you cannot speak of it. But you can tell me this. Are the Germans before Paris?”
”As nearly as I could tell, their vanguard was within fifteen miles of the capital.”
”Then if we strike at all we must strike quickly. I think we're going to strike.”
Lannes was silent, and they entered the tent, where blankets were spread for him. A surgeon, young and skillful, came promptly, carefully removed the cap and bound up his head. John stood by and handed the surgeon the bandages.
”You're not much hurt,” he said to Lannes as he finished. ”Your chief injury was shock, and that has pa.s.sed. I can keep down the fever and you'll be ready for work very soon. The high powered bullet makes a small and clean wound. It tears scarcely at all. Nor will your beauty be spoiled in the slightest, young sir. Both orifices are under the full thickness of your hair.”
”I'm grateful for all your a.s.surances,” said Lannes, his old indomitable smile appearing in his eyes, ”but you'll have to cure me fast, faster than you ever cured anybody before, because I'm a flying man, and I fly again tomorrow.”
”Not tomorrow. In two or three days, perhaps--”
”Yes, tomorrow, I tell you! Nothing can keep me from it! This army will march tonight! I know it! and do you think such a wound as this can keep me here, when the fate of Europe is being decided? I'd rise from these blankets and go with the army even if I knew that it would make me fall dead the next day!”
He spoke with such fierce energy that the surgeon who at first sternly forbade, looked doubtful and then acquiescent.
”Go, then,” he said, ”if you can. The fact that we have so many heroes may save us.”
He left John alone in the tent with Lannes. The Frenchman regarded his comrade with a cool, a.s.sured gaze.
”John,” he said, ”I shall be up in the _Arrow_ tomorrow. I'm not nervous and excited now, and I'll not cause any fever in my wound. Somebody will come in five minutes with food. I shall eat a good supper, fall quietly to sleep, sleep soundly until night, then rise, refreshed and strong, and go about the work for which I'm best fitted. My mind shall rule over my body.”
”I see you're what we would call at home a Christian Scientist, and in your case when a mind like yours is brought to bear there's something in it.”
The food appeared within the prescribed time, and both ate heartily.
John watched Lannes. He knew that he would suffer agonies of mortification if he were not able to share in the great movement which so obviously was about to take place, and, as he looked, he felt a growing admiration for Philip's immense power of self-control.
Mind had truly taken command of body. Lannes ate slowly and with evident relish. From without came many noises of a great army, but he refused to be disturbed or excited by them. He spoke lightly of his life before the war, and of a little country home that the Lannes family had in Normandy.
”We own the two places, that and the home in the city,” he said. ”The house in Normandy is small, but it's beautiful, hidden by flower gardens and orchards, with a tiny river just back of the last orchard. Julie has spent most of her life there. She and my mother would go there now, but it's safer at Lyons or in the Midi. A wonderful girl, Julie! I hope, John, that you'll come for a long stay with us after the war, among the Normandy orchards and roses.”
”I hope so,” said John. He was dreaming a little then, and he saw young Julie sitting at the table with them back in Paris. Truly, her golden hair was the purest gold he had ever seen, and there was no other blue like the blue of her blue eyes.
”Now, John,” said Lannes, ”I'll resume my place on the blankets and in ten minutes I'll be asleep.”
He lay down, closed his eyes and three minutes short of the appointed time slept soundly. John gazed at him for a moment in wonder and admiration. The triumph of will over body had been complete. He touched Lannes' head. It was normally cool. Either the surgeon's skill had been great or the very strength of his resolve had been so immense that he had kept nerves and blood too quiet for fever to rise.
John left the tent, feeling for the time a personal detachment from everything. He had no position in this army, and no orders had been given to him by anybody. But he knew that he was among friends, and while he stood looking about in uncertainty Captain de Rougemont appeared.
”How is young Lannes?” he asked.
”Sleeping and free from fever. He will move with the army, or rather he will be hovering over it in his aeroplane. I never before saw such extraordinary power of will.”
”He's a wonderful fellow. Of course, most of us have heard of him through his marvelous flying exploits, but it's the first time that I've ever seen him. What are you going to do?”