The canteen filled with a maddening slowness, in the manner of all bottles. Here's your drink. Collins appeared as a man dreaming. When one tried to drink the other teasingly knocked his elbow. From the language being used and the machines and uniforms the soldiers are wearing it would appear that it is He was not a hero. ", "He's goin' to that well there after water. Start by marking “A Mystery of Heroism” as Want to Read: Error rating book. ", "We ain't dyin' of thirst, are we? These futile cries, wrenched from him by his agony, were heard only by shells, bullets. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. That's foolishness. They mingled with the shells and the pieces of shells until the air was torn in all directions by hootings, yells, howls. As a matter of truth, he was sure of very little. And it was as if this arm was not at all a part of him, but belonged to another man. When Collins faced the meadow and walked away from the regiment, he was vaguely conscious that a chasm, the deep valley of all prides, was suddenly between him and his comrades. One of a "swing" team was suddenly smitten quivering to the ground, and his maddened brethren dragged his torn body in their struggle to escape from this turmoil and danger. And at that interval to the rear, where it is the business of battery horses to stand with their noses to the fight awaiting the command to drag their guns out of the destruction, or into it, or wheresoever these incomprehensible humans demanded with whip and spur--in this line of passive and dumb spectators, whose fluttering hearts yet would not let them forget the iron laws of man's control of them--in this rank of brute-soldiers there had been relentless and hideous carnage. The colonel and the captain contemplated him for a time. Crane used different expressive words to show the readers the situation of the soldiers while waiting for a big battle. TEXT Stephen Crane (1871-1900) American journalist, poet, and author wrote The Red Badge of Courage: an episode of the American Civil War (1895); But he was amid wounds. There were furtive silver glintings some feet from the surface. As he ran the canteens knocked together with a rhythmical tinkling. I bet there's water in that there ol' well yonder!". A Mystery Of Heroism By Stephen Crane Unfamiliar Terms Smitten- Struck, as with a hard blow. When at home his mother had aroused him for the early labour of his life on the farm, it had often been his fashion to be irritable, childish, diabolical; and his mother had died since he had come to the war. One who will go out their way, risking their life even, to do something for others. The broadest selection of online bookstores. A Mystery of Heroism is about Fred Collins whom is in the middle of a battle during a … Some curious fortune of the battle had made this gentle little meadow the object of the red hate of the shells, and each one as it exploded seemed like an imprecation in the face of a maiden. Share your thoughts Complete your review. A Mystery of Heroism. A shell had smitten one of the pieces, and after the flare, the smoke, the dust, the wrath of this blow were gone, it was possible to see white lugs stretched horizontally upon the ground. "Look here, my lad," he said, in a pious sort of a voice--"Look here, my lad"--Collins was not a lad-- "don't you think that's taking pretty big risks for a little drink of water. As he neared the house, each detail of the scene became vivid to him. He suffered that disappointment which we would all have if we discovered that we were ourselves capable of those deeds which we most admire in history and legend. 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