An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.docx
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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.docx
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AnOccurrenceatOwlCreekBridge
ANOCCURRENCEATOWLCREEKBRIDGE
byAmbroseBierceAmanstooduponarailroadbridgeinnorthernAlabama,lookingdownintotheswiftwatertwentyfeetbelow.Theman'shandswerebehindhisback,thewristsboundwithacord.Aropecloselyencircledhisneck.Itwasattachedtoastoutcross-timberabovehisheadandtheslackfeeltothelevelofhisknees.Somelooseboardslaiduponthetiessupportingtherailsoftherailwaysuppliedafootingforhimandhisexecutioners--twoprivatesoldiersoftheFederalarmy,directedbyasergeantwhoincivillifemayhavebeenadeputysheriff.Atashortremoveuponthesametemporaryplatformwasanofficerintheuniformofhisrank,armed.Hewasacaptain.Asentinelateachendofthebridgestoodwithhisrifleinthepositionknownas"support,"thatistosay,verticalinfrontoftheleftshoulder,thehammerrestingontheforearmthrownstraightacrossthechest--aformalandunnaturalposition,enforcinganerectcarriageofthebody.Itdidnotappeartobethedutyofthesetwomentoknowwhatwasoccurringatthecenterofthebridge;theymerelyblockadedthetwoendsofthefootplankingthattraversedit.
Beyondoneofthesentinelsnobodywasinsight;therailroadranstraightawayintoaforestforahundredyards,then,curving,waslosttoview.Doubtlesstherewasanoutpostfartheralong.Theotherbankofthestreamwasopenground--agentleslopetoppedwithastockadeofverticaltreetrunks,loopholedforrifles,withasingleembrasurethroughwhichprotrudedthemuzzleofabrasscannoncommandingthebridge.Midwayuptheslopebetweenthebridgeandfortwerethespectators--asinglecompanyofinfantryinline,at"paraderest,"thebuttsoftheirriflesontheground,thebarrelsincliningslightlybackwardagainsttherightshoulder,thehandscrosseduponthestock.
Alieutenantstoodattherightoftheline,thepointofhisswordupontheground,hislefthandrestinguponhisright.Exceptingthegroupoffouratthecenterofthebridge,notamanmoved.Thecompanyfacedthebridge,staringstonily,motionless.Thesentinels,facingthebanksofthestream,mighthavebeenstatuestoadornthebridge.Thecaptainstoodwithfoldedarms,silent,observingtheworkofhissubordinates,butmakingnosign.
Deathisadignitarywhowhenhecomesannouncedistobereceivedwithformalmanifestationsofrespect,evenbythosemostfamiliarwithhim.Inthecodeofmilitaryetiquettesilenceandfixityareformsofdeference.
Themanwhowasengagedinbeinghangedwasapparentlyaboutthirty-fiveyearsofage.Hewasacivilian,ifonemightjudgefromhishabit,whichwasthatofaplanter.Hisfeaturesweregood--astraightnose,firmmouth,broadforehead,fromwhichhislong,darkhairwascombedstraightback,fallingbehindhisearstothecollarofhiswellfittingfrockcoat.Heworeamoustacheandpointedbeard,butnowhiskers;hiseyeswerelargeanddarkgray,andhadakindlyexpressionwhichonewouldhardlyhaveexpectedinonewhoseneckwasinthehemp.Evidentlythiswasnovulgarassassin.Theliberalmilitarycodemakesprovisionforhangingmanykindsofpersons,andgentlemenarenotexcluded.
Thepreparationsbeingcomplete,thetwoprivatesoldierssteppedasideandeachdrewawaytheplankuponwhichhehadbeenstanding.Thesergeantturnedtothecaptain,salutedandplacedhimselfimmediatelybehindthatofficer,whointurnmovedapartonepace.Thesemovementsleftthecondemnedmanandthesergeantstandingonthetwoendsofthesameplank,whichspannedthreeofthecross-tiesofthebridge.Theenduponwhichthecivilianstoodalmost,butnotquite,reachedafourth.Thisplankhadbeenheldinplacebytheweightofthecaptain;itwasnowheldbythatofthesergeant.Atasignalfromtheformerthelatterwouldstepaside,theplankwouldtiltandthecondemnedmangodownbetweentwoties.Thearrangementcommendeditselftohisjudgementassimpleandeffective.Hisfacehadnotbeencoverednorhiseyesbandaged.Helookedamomentathis"unsteadfastfooting,"thenlethisgazewandertotheswirlingwaterofthestreamracingmadlybeneathhisfeet.
Apieceofdancingdriftwoodcaughthisattentionandhiseyesfolloweditdownthecurrent.Howslowlyitappearedtomove!
Whatasluggishstream!
Heclosedhiseyesinordertofixhislastthoughtsuponhiswifeandchildren.Thewater,touchedtogoldbytheearlysun,thebroodingmistsunderthebanksatsomedistancedownthestream,thefort,thesoldiers,thepieceofdrift--allhaddistractedhim.Andnowhebecameconsciousofanewdisturbance.Strikingthroughthethoughtofhisdearoneswassoundwhichhecouldneitherignorenorunderstand,asharp,distinct,metallicpercussionlikethestrokeofablacksmith'shammerupontheanvil;ithadthesameringingquality.Hewonderedwhatitwas,andwhetherimmeasurablydistantornearby--itseemedboth.Itsrecurrencewasregular,butasslowasthetollingofadeathknell.Heawaitedeachnewstrokewithimpatienceand--heknewnotwhy--apprehension.Theintervalsofsilencegrewprogressivelylonger;thedelaysbecamemaddening.Withtheirgreaterinfrequencythesoundsincreasedinstrengthandsharpness.Theyhurthisearlikethetrustofaknife;
hefearedhewouldshriek.Whatheheardwasthetickingofhiswatch.
Heunclosedhiseyesandsawagainthewaterbelowhim."IfIcouldfreemyhands,"hethought,"Imightthrowoffthenooseandspringintothestream.BydivingIcouldevadethebulletsand,swimmingvigorously,reachthebank,taketothewoodsandgetawayhome.Myhome,thankGod,isasyetoutsidetheirlines;mywifeandlittleonesarestillbeyondtheinvader'sfarthestadvance."
Asthesethoughts,whichhaveheretobesetdowninwords,wereflashedintothedoomedman'sbrainratherthanevolvedfromitthecaptainnoddedtothesergeant.Thesergeantsteppedaside.
II
PeytonFahrquharwasawelltodoplanter,ofanoldandhighlyrespectedAlabamafamily.Beingaslaveownerandlikeotherslaveownersapolitician,hewasnaturallyanoriginalsecessionistandardentlydevotedtotheSoutherncause.Circumstancesofanimperiousnature,whichitisunnecessarytorelatehere,hadpreventedhimfromtakingservicewiththatgallantarmywhichhadfoughtthedisastrouscampaignsendingwiththefallofCorinth,andhechafedundertheingloriousrestraint,longingforthereleaseofhisenergies,thelargerlifeofthesoldier,theopportunityfordistinction.Thatopportunity,hefelt,wouldcome,asitcomestoallinwartime.Meanwhilehedidwhathecould.NoservicewastoohumbleforhimtoperformintheaidoftheSouth,noadventuretoperilousforhimtoundertakeifconsistentwiththecharacterofacivilianwhowasatheartasoldier,andwhoingoodfaithandwithouttoomuchqualificationassentedtoatleastapartofthefranklyvillainousdictumthatallisfairinloveandwar.
OneeveningwhileFahrquharandhiswifeweresittingonarusticbenchneartheentrancetohisgrounds,agray-cladsoldierrodeuptothegateandaskedforadrinkofwater.
Mrs.Fahrquharwasonlytoohappytoservehimwithherownwhitehands.Whileshewasfetchingthewaterherhusbandapproachedthedustyhorsemanandinquiredeagerlyfornewsfromthefront.
"TheYanksarerepairingtherailroads,"saidtheman,"andaregettingreadyforanotheradvance.TheyhavereachedtheOwlCreekbridge,putitinorderandbuiltastockadeonthenorthbank.Thecommandanthasissuedanorder,whichispostedeverywhere,declaringthatanyciviliancaughtinterferingwiththerailroad,itsbridges,tunnels,ortrainswillbesummarilyhanged.Isawtheorder."
"HowfarisittotheOwlCreekbridge?
"Fahrquharasked.
"Aboutthirtymiles."
"Istherenoforceonthissideofthecreek?
"
"Onlyapicketposthalfamileout,ontherailroad,andasinglesentinelatthisendofthebridge."
"Supposeaman--acivilianandstudentofhanging--
shouldeludethepicketpostandperhapsgetthebetterofthesentinel,"saidFahrquhar,smiling,"whatcouldheaccomplish?
"
Thesoldierreflected."Iwasthereamonthago,"hereplied."Iobservedthatthefloodoflastwinterhadlodgedagreatquantityofdriftwoodagainstthewoodenpieratthisendofthebridge.Itisnowdryandwouldburnliketinder."
Theladyhadnowbroughtthewater,whichthesoldierdrank.
Hethankedherceremoniously,bowedtoherhusbandandrodeaway.Anhourlater,afternightfall,herepassedtheplantation,goingnorthwardinthedirectionfromwhichhehadcome.HewasaFederalscout.
III
AsPeytonFahrquharfellstraightdownwardthroughthebridgehelostconsciousnessandwasasonealreadydead.
Fromthisstatehewasawakened--ageslater,itseemedtohim--bythepainofasharppressureuponhisthroat,followedbyasenseofsuffocation.Keen,poignantagoniesseemedtoshootfromhisneckdownwardthrougheveryfiberofhisbodyandlimbs.Thesepainsappearedtoflashalongwelldefinedlinesoframificationandtobeatwithaninconceivablyrapidperiodicity.Theyseemedlikestreamsofpulsatingfireheatinghimtoanintolerabletemperature.Astohishead,hewasconsciousofnothingbutafeelingoffullness--ofcongestion.Thesesensationswereunaccompaniedbythought.Theintellectualpartofhisnaturewasalreadyeffaced;hehadpoweronlytofeel,andfeelingwastorment.Hewasconsciousofmotion.
Encompassedinaluminouscloud,ofwhichhewasnowmerelythefieryheart,withoutmaterialsubstance,heswungthroughunthinkablearcsofoscillation,likeavastpendulum.Thenallatonce,withterriblesuddenness,thelightabouthimshotupwardwiththe
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