有声英语少儿童话故事 顽童故事 斯莱特山的雪堡 第8章

Thevictory, however, had not been without its price. Six North-Enders, havingrushed out to harass the discomfited enemy, were gallantly cut off by GeneralAmes and captured. Among these were Lieutenant P. Whitcomb (who had no businessto join in the charge, being weak in the knees), and Captain Fred Langdon, ofGeneral Harris’s staff. Whitcomb was one of the most notable shots on our side,though he was not much to boast of in a rough-and-tumble fight, owing to theweakness before mentioned. General Ames put him among the gunners, and we werequickly made aware of the loss we had sustained, by receiving a frequent artfulball which seemed to light with unerring instinct on any nose that was theleast bit exposed. I have known one of Pepper’s snow-balls, fired pointblank,to turn a comer and hit a boy who considered himself absolutely safe.

Butwe had no time for vain regrets. The battle raged. Already there were two badcases of black eye, and one of nosebleed, in the hospital.