Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 Suddenly the ground was shaking, and hundreds of gray soldiers on horseback poured from the wooded hillside. "Rebel cavalry!" "We're under attack!" Henry grabbed Thomas and dragged him back into the grass, throwing him onto the ground so hard that the air was knocked from his lungs. "Line up! Line up!" Captain Campbell shouted. Thomas had watched the men drill back at the camp. They'd practice for hours, lining up in different battle formations, shooting at targets hundreds of

突然，地面震动了，数百名骑在马背上的灰色士兵从树木繁茂的山坡上涌了出来。 “反抗军骑兵!”“我们遭到攻击了!”亨利抓住托马斯，把他拖回到草地上，用力把他摔在地上，把肺里的空气都震掉了。 “排队!排队!”坎贝尔上尉喊道。 托马斯看着士兵们在营地里操练。 他们会练习几个小时，排成不同的战斗队形，射击数百个目标

yards away. During drills they sometimes smiled and joked as they marched, tossing their hats into the air and catching them with the sharp metal tips of their bayonets. This was nothing like the drills. The men were dead serious. Even those who had been sagging during the march were now moving with lightning speed. With swift motions, the men ripped open their ammunition cartridges with their teeth, poured gunpowder down the barrels of their rifles, then pushed the bullets in with ramrods. "Stay down, Thomas!" Henry yelled. "Get behind me!" "Take aim!" the captain screamed. The soldiers all dropped to one knee, pointing their rifles at the charging cavalrymen. "Ready! Fire!" Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Bullets from a hundred muskets tore through the air.

码远。在演习中，他们有时一边行军一边微笑和开玩笑，把帽子抛向空中，用刺刀锋利的金属尖抓住帽子。 这一点也不像演习。 这些人严肃得要命。 甚至那些在行军中无精打采的人现在也以闪电般的速度前进了。 这些人动作迅速，用牙齿撕开弹壳，把火药倒在步枪的枪管里，然后用推杆把子弹塞进去。 “趴下，托马斯!”亨利喊道。 “到我后面去!”“瞄准!”船长尖叫道。 士兵们都单膝跪地，用步枪指着冲锋的骑兵。 “准备好了!火!”繁荣!繁荣!繁荣!繁荣!一百支火枪的子弹在空中呼啸而过。

Five rebel soldiers fell from their horses, tumbling onto the ground, rolling down the hill. "Reload and fire at will!" the captain shouted. Within seconds, the men had their rifles reloaded. Boom, boom, boom! More soldiers fell. Black gun smoke filled the air, mixing with the dust. And as quickly as they had appeared, the cavalrymen were gone. The Union soldiers stood up, catching their breath, running to help the few men who lay on the ground, wincing in pain. And then suddenly Thomas's mind roared with panic. Birdie! He leaped forward, staggering through the smoke. He managed to find the wagon that Birdie had been riding in. It was tipped over.

五名叛军士兵从马上摔了下来，滚到地上，滚下了山。 “装填弹药，随意射击!”上尉喊道。 几秒钟之内，士兵们就把步枪重新装上子弹。 砰，砰，砰!更多的士兵倒下了。 黑烟弥漫在空气中，与灰尘混合在一起。 他们一出现，骑兵们就不见了。 联邦士兵站起来，喘着气，跑去帮助躺在地上的几个人，他们痛苦地蜷缩着。 突然，托马斯的脑子里充满了恐慌。 小鸟!他向前一跳，摇摇晃晃地穿过烟雾。 他设法找到了伯蒂乘坐的马车。 它翻了。

Sacks of flour and beans were scattered everywhere, some burst open by bullets. Lester and Homer were both in the grass, looking dazed and bruised. "Homer!" Thomas said. "Where's Birdie?" "Good Lord, I thought she was with you!" Homer said, jumping up. "Lester hurt his leg. I was trying to help him. And with all the smoke …" Thomas looked all around, praying he'd see Birdie running across the field, calling his name. But she was nowhere to be seen. Soon dozens of men were looking everywhere for her. They searched other wagons. They combed through the tall grass. Finally Thomas and Henry crossed the road and walked to the edge of the woods. Something caught Thomas's eye, something small lying on the ground. It was Birdie's doll.

一袋袋面粉和豆子到处都是，有些被子弹炸开了。 雷斯脱和霍默都躺在草地上，一脸茫然和伤痕。 “荷马!”托马斯说。“小鸟在哪儿?”“天哪，我还以为她跟你在一起呢!”霍默说着跳了起来。 ”雷斯脱伤了腿。我只是想帮他。 托马斯环顾四周，祈祷能看到小鸟跑过田野，喊着它的名字。 但她却无处可寻。 很快，几十个男人到处找她。 他们搜查了其他的马车。 他们在高高的草丛中穿行。 最后托马斯和亨利穿过马路，走到树林的边缘。 有什么东西引起了托马斯的注意，一个躺在地上的小东西。 那是小鸟的娃娃。

He picked it up. It was splattered with blood.

他把它捡起来。上面溅满了血。