登陆注册
5170700000020

第20章

Mr.Pickwick had been so fully occupied in falling about, and disentangling himself, miraculously, from between the legs of horses, that he had not enjoyed sufficient leisure to observe the scene before him, until it assumed the appearance we have just described.When he was at last enabled to stand firmly on his legs, his gratification and delight were unbounded.

"Can anything be finer or more delightful?" he inquired of Mr.Winkle.

"Nothing," replied that gentleman, who had had a short man standing on each of his feet for the quarter of an hour immediately preceding.

"It is indeed a noble and a brilliant sight," said Mr.Snodgrass, in whose bosom a blaze of poetry was rapidly bursting forth, "to see the gallant defenders of their country drawn up in brilliant array before its peaceful citizens; their faces beaming--not with warlike ferocity, but with civilised gentleness; their eyes flashing--not with the rude fire of rapine or revenge, but with the soft light of humanity and intelligence."Mr.Pickwick fully entered into the spirit of this eulogium, but he could not exactly re-echo its terms; for the soft light of intelligence burnt rather feebly in the eyes of the warriors, inasmuch as the command "eyes front" had been given, and all the spectator saw before him was several thousand pairs of optics, staring straight forward, wholly divested of any expression whatever.

"We are in a capital situation now," said Mr.Pickwick, looking round him.The crowd had gradually dispersed in their immediate vicinity, and they were nearly alone.

"Capital!" echoed both Mr.Snodgrass and Mr.Winkle.

"What are they doing now?" inquired Mr.Pickwick, adjusting his spectacles.

"I--I--rather think," said Mr.Winkle, changing colour--"I rather think they're going to fire.""Nonsense," said Mr.Pickwick, hastily.

"I--I--really think they are," urged Mr.Snodgrass, somewhat alarmed.

"Impossible," replied Mr.Pickwick.He had hardly uttered the word, when the whole half-dozen regiments levelled their muskets as if they had but one common object, and that object the Pickwickians, and burst forth with the most awful and tremendous discharge that ever shook the earth to its centre, or an elderly gentleman off his.

It was in this trying situation, exposed to a galling fire of blank cartridges, and harassed by the operations of the military, a fresh body of whom had begun to fall in on the opposite side, that Mr.Pickwick displayed that perfect coolness and self-possession, which are the indispensable accompaniments of a great mind.He seized Mr.Winkle by the arm, and placing himself between that gentleman and Mr.Snodgrass, earnestly besought them to remember that beyond the possibility of being rendered deaf by the noise, there was no immediate danger to be apprehended from the firing.

"But--but--suppose some of the men should happen to have ball cartridges by mistake," remonstrated Mr.Winkle, pallid at the supposition he was himself conjuring up."I heard something whistle through the air just now--so sharp; close to my ear.""We had better throw ourselves on our faces, hadn't we?" said Mr.Snodgrass.

"No, no--it's over now," said Mr.Pickwick.His lip might quiver, and his cheek might blanch, but no expression of fear or concern escaped the lips of that immortal man.

Mr.Pickwick was right: the firing ceased; but he had scarcely time to congratulate himself on the accuracy of his opinion, when a quick movement was visible in the line: the hoarse shout of the word of command ran along it, and before either of the party could form a guess at the meaning of this new manoeuvre, the whole of the half-dozen regiments, with fixed bayonets, charged at double quick time down upon the very spot on which Mr.Pickwick and his friends were stationed.

Man is but mortal: and there is a point beyond which human courage cannot extend.Mr.Pickwick gazed through his spectacles for an instant on the advancing mass, and then fairly turned his back and--we will not say fled;firstly, because it is an ignoble term, and, secondly, because Mr.Pickwick's figure was by no means adapted for that mode of retreat--he trotted away, at as quick a rate as his legs would convey him; so quickly, indeed, that he did not perceive the awkwardness of his situation, to the full extent, until too late.

The opposite troops, whose falling-in had perplexed Mr.

Pickwick a few seconds before, were drawn up to repel the mimic attack of the sham besiegers of the citadel; and the consequence was that Mr.

Pickwick and his two companions found themselves suddenly inclosed between two lines of great length, the one advancing at a rapid pace, and the other firmly waiting the collision in hostile array.

"Hoi!" shouted the officers of the advancing line.

"Get out of the way!" cried the officers of the stationary one.

"Where are we to go to?" screamed the agitated Pickwickians.

"Hoi--hoi--hoi!" was the only reply.There was a moment of intense bewilderment, a heavy tramp of footsteps, a violent concussion, a smothered laugh; the half-dozen regiments were half a thousand yards off, and the soles of Mr.

Pickwick's boots were elevated in air.

Mr.Snodgrass and Mr.Winkle had each performed a compulsory somerset with remarkable agility, when the first object that met the eyes of the latter as he sat on the ground, staunching with a yellow silk handkerchief the stream of life which issued from his nose, was his venerated leader at some distance off, running after his own hat, which was gamboling playfully away in perspective.

同类推荐
  • 算学启蒙总括

    算学启蒙总括

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修真十书武夷集

    修真十书武夷集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 摩诃般若波罗蜜钞经

    摩诃般若波罗蜜钞经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玄要篇

    玄要篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 慈明瑞象灯仪

    慈明瑞象灯仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 恋人在身边

    恋人在身边

    夏夜的雨来得又急又猛。滚滚雷声爆裂着粉红色的电光,划开幽暗的夜。窗内的空气燠热又压抑,潮得让人喘不过气来。清瑾长眉斜挑,薄薄的唇喑哑地吐出残忍的话,“从我来到这个世间,第一眼看见你,这一切便已经在劫难逃!”============================================【某苏的VIP读者群:134237135,亲们敲门请提交红袖ID。】
  • 香水女神:制服特种兵男友

    香水女神:制服特种兵男友

    【蓬莱岛原创社团出品】她是香水界人人称奇的公主,他是令敌人闻风丧胆的特种兵军官!看着面前俊拔的男人,她无所谓道:特种兵又怎么样?她看上的男人,只有乖乖束手就擒的份,想逃开?没门!!
  • 宠妻成瘾

    宠妻成瘾

    生日派对喝多意外失身与他,为救父亲公司与他商业联姻,他说他心系别人,婚姻为期三年,后来相处他深爱上她,宠她入骨,新婚夜发现她不是完璧,俩人冷战,小三插足,他欲解释不小心害她失去孩子,对生活失去希望跳崖轻生,在次睁开眼,什么都不记得,看她如何再次征服他的心。
  • 霸道良人

    霸道良人

    赵凌薇为了救自己的家人,只好找有钱人沈泽来帮助自己,拿到一笔钱之后不得不成为了沈泽的女仆。沈泽身边从来不却女人,但是对于赵凌薇的情感却异常暧昧,他一边想得到这个女人,一边又在折磨她。当袁娜说自己怀了沈泽的孩子后,这一切关系都改变了……
  • 领导智慧方圆之道

    领导智慧方圆之道

    大凡卓有成就的领导者无不具有超凡脱俗的领导智慧。领导智慧是见微知著的眼光,是对大局的把握和操纵,是勇于决策的胆略,是举重若轻、化繁为简的手段和技巧。丰富、修练领导智慧是提高领导水平的捷径。
  • 甜哎

    甜哎

    一场从父母之命开始的命运纠葛。始于相亲,终于爱情。最好的爱情就是在对的时间遇到对的你。
  • 所谓伊人,陷阱那边

    所谓伊人,陷阱那边

    当可爱女生遇见所谓的富二代,俗套的灰姑娘戏码再次上演,但是童话仅仅是童话,他们遇见的不仅仅是爱情,还有陷阱!即使一切已经尘埃落定,阴谋的味道也未曾减退。
  • 燃爱

    燃爱

    ★豪门、禁忌恋★他和她、是同父异母,她和他、是同母异父.无论他和她,还是她和他,都有实实在在的血缘关系^^^她,韩透,帝国集团的公主,人人呵护的宝贝。他,韩彻,帝国集团的唯一法定继承人。阴狠毒辣、对敌人从不手软。他的势力横跨商、政、黑三界,早已超过帝国集团今日的地位。然而这样一个阴毒狠戾的男人却无可救药的爱上了那个同父异母的妹妹。他说:“韩透,你只能属于我,管他什么道德廉耻,就算下地狱,我也要拉着你一起!”^^^他,游烨,商界后起之秀中的翘楚,沉稳干练。支持他的信念就是要足够强大,然后带着母亲和妹妹永远摆脱帝国。然而,他成功了,却来不及带走心爱的她,为了爱她,甚至连性命都不要。他说:“透透,不爱你我做不到,在禁忌之门开启之时,我就沉沦了!”^^^他,蓝玉,蓝欧跨国集团的皇太子,身家外貌无以匹敌的他,却只为她生,只为她死。他活着的信念就是爱她,给她幸福。他说:“透透,你是我的女王,你可以主宰我的一切,包括我的命,只求你,把爱分给我一点!”【强推完结文】:《狂情哥哥》《哥哥求你放了我》强推新文:《妆·嗜宠》(稳定更新)
  • 青梅竹马的浪漫爱情

    青梅竹马的浪漫爱情

    她根正苗红的白富美一枚,人如其名,天生媚骨,然而却是父不疼母不爱的叛逆女,在无数次帮他挡下空降桃花的她,终于在旁观者看待小三的鄙视眼神中爆发,丫的,这妖孽成天沾花惹草,看她不收拾他!
  • 封魔刀客

    封魔刀客

    一个爱刀如狂的少年,他活着就是为了挑战,挑战江湖上成名的用刀高手。无数刀客成就了他,直到最后,他也成就了一名刀客。