The Prussian Officer

Excerpt from The Prussian Officer: And Other Stories

He could now walk almost without pain: At the start, he had determined not to limp. It had made him Sick to take the first steps, and during the first mile or so, he had compressed his breath, and the cold drops of sweat had stood on his forehead. But he had walked it Off. What were they after all but bruises He had looked at them, as he was getting up deep bruises on the backs of his thighs. And since he had made his first step in the morning, he had been conscious of them, till now he had a tight, hot place in his chest, with suppressing the pain, and holding himself in. There seemed no air when he breathed. But he walked almost lightly.

The Captain's hand had trembled at taking his coffee at dawn his orderly saw it again. And he saw the fine figure of the Captain wheeling on horse back at the farm-house ahead, a handsome figure in pale blue uniform with facings of scarlet, and the metal gleaming on the black helmet and the sword scabbard, and dark streaks of sweat coming on the silky bay horse. The orderly felt he was connected with that figure moving so suddenly on horseback he followed it like a Shadow, mute and inevitable and damned by it. And the officer was always aware of the tramp of the company behind, the march of his orderly among the men.

The Captain was a tall man of about forty, grey at the temples. He had a handsome, finely knit figure, and was one of the best horsemen in the West. His orderly, having to rub him down, admired the amaz ing riding-muscles of his loins, For the rest, the orderly scarcely noticed the officer any more than he noticed himself. It was rarely he saw his master's face he did not look at it. The Captain had reddish-brown, stiff hair, that he wore Short upon his Skull. His moustache was also cut Short and bristly over a full, brutal mouth. His face was rather rugged, the cheeks thin. Per haps the man was the more handsome for the deep lines in his face, the irritable tension of his brow, which gave him the look of a man who fights with life. His fair eyebrows stood bushy over light blue eyes that were always flashing with cold fire.

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