評論
打印
From planters’ homes and swamp cabins, a varied array of firearms came to each muster. There were long squirrel guns that had been new when first the Alleghenies were crossed, old muzzle-loaders that had claimed many an Indian when Georgia was new, horse pistols that had seen service in 1812, in the Seminole wars and in Mexico, silver-mounted dueling pistols, pocket derringers, double-barreled hunting pieces and handsome new rifles of English make with shining stocks of fine wood.
從農場主家里和沼澤地的棚屋里，一隊一隊的年輕人攜帶著武器奔向每個集合點。其中有初次越過阿勒格尼山脈時還很新的用來打松鼠的長桿槍，有佐治亞新開辟時打死過許多印地安人的老式毛瑟槍，有在1812年以及墨西哥和塞米諾爾戰爭中服過役的馬上用的手槍，還有決斗用的鑲銀手槍、短筒袖珍手槍、雙筒獵槍，漂亮的帶有硬木槍托的英制新式來福槍，等等。
Drill always ended in the saloons of Jonesboro, and by nightfall so many fights had broken out that the officers were hard put to ward off casualties until the Yankees could inflict them. It was during one of these brawls that Stuart Tarleton had shot Cade Calvert and Tony Fontaine had shot Brent. The twins had been at home, freshly expelled from the University of Virginia, at the time the Troop was organized and they had joined enthusiastically; but after the shooting episode, two months ago, their mother had packed them off to the state university, with orders to stay there. They had sorely missed the excitement of the drills while away, and they counted education well lost if only they could ride and yell and shoot off rifles in the company of their friends.
結束操練時，常常要在瓊斯博羅一些酒館里演出最后的一幕。到了傍晚，爭斗紛紛發生，使得軍官們十分棘手，不得不在北方佬打來之前便忙著處理傷亡事件了。就是在這樣一場斗毆中，斯圖爾特·塔爾頓開槍傷了凱德·卡爾弗特，托尼·方丹打傷了布倫特。那時這對孿生兄弟剛剛被弗吉尼亞大學開除回到家里，同時營隊成立的時候，他們熱情地參加了。可是槍傷事件發生以后，也就是說兩個月前，他們的母親打發他們去進了州立大學，命令他們留在那里不要回來。他們痛苦地懷念著操練時那股興奮勁兒，覺得只要能夠和伙伴們一起騎著馬，嘶喊，射擊，哪怕犧牲上學的機會也值得。
