Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-11-06
THREE RAVENS.
BY Alphonse Daudet.

| leaden sky. a young soldier is lying
His hands are black with powder and
his clothes are pierced with bullet
| holes. He was in the very heart of the
battle, under full fire, and his COM
rades. seeing him fall, believe him to
! be dead. But he still lives. He calls
with all his remaining strength, bat the
| only response is means and the gurgle
| of the death rattle. At last, numb with
cold and pain, exhausted by the whis-
| Ting of grape and canister, the fash
| ing of cannons and all the scenes of a
| bloody contest, and overcome by the
| deep quiet of nature. he is on the point
of giving up and abandoning himself to
sleep or to death.
Suddenly on the faroff horizon he
sees through his half open eyes three
black specks come out of the north and
gradually grow larger as they APP
proach. They have wings-dark wings
that bear them on. Soon they stop
! above his head, and he sees three ra-
vens suspended in the white air. motion
less with tranquility of beasts of prey
! on the lookout for victims, while the
atmosphere is yet vibrating from the
shock of battle. The almost imper-
ceptible beating of the great wings as
| the birds poise in midair seems like the
fiuttering of three flags of war, each
one bearing as its emblem lowering
raven.
Have they come for me?' he asked
| himself. faint with terror.
| He shudders as he watches the three
ravens descend slowly and perch on a
hillock but a short distance from him.
! They are indeed great birds-fat, glossy
and well fed. Not feather is missing
from their sleek plumage. Moreover.
these birds live In the very midst of
carnage. They not only live in it, but
they even thrive on 1t and look on from
afar-from great heights beyond the
reach of misunderstanding only when
| the regiments are gone and the dead
and dying meet on the same dreadful
| plane.
| In truth. these birds have an air of
Importance. They salute one another
with their beaks, they march to and
fro. as II on dress parade, leaving the
prints of their pointed claws on the
Redeemed snow. Then, when they have
acted the part Of tops tc perfection,
they begin to croak softly, very softly,
without taking their eyes from the dy-
ing man.
Cousins" says one of them, 81 have
brought you hIther for that little sol
der of France who is lying there be-
| fore you. He was proud little soldier,
animated by unusual courage, but pos
| sessing neither prudence nor reflection.
| See his riddled coat and consider how
many balls were necessary to bring
! him low. Cousins. it is fine prey, and.
| IL you are willing. we will partake. But
we must wait yet little before we go
TO him. Though his arms are bruised
and his hands seem powerless, he
would be an object to be feared If be
should revive"
| The speaker is the largest of the
| party. The two others, as they listen.
keep out of the reach of his ferocious,
| hooked beak. He continues:
! "Ah, we shall soon partake! l will
eat his heart. 1t was warm. valiant
heart and will rejuvenate mine"
/
| are saying? Is it true, then, that his
heart no longer beats?
! The second raven takes up the SEN
tence:
( 81 will eat his eyes. French eyes are
large and clear and beamlng with life"
: Quick, open your eyes. little soldier.
/ and cry out loudly. Though you are
I weak from loss OF blood, little still re-
mains in your veins.
| Alasi Truly do they say that he is
! dead. and when. their conference ended,
the three birds approach him with evil
eye and ravenous beak and dropping
wings not a culver passes through his
body. Poor little soldier of Francel
They are going to dismember him.
They will begin with the buttons on
| his coat, for these birds Of plumber
gather up everything that glistens-
even blood. Softly the three birds draw
near, and the oldest of them ventures
peck at his finger. Then the soldier /
rouses: his whole frame starts.
''He is not dead He is not deadr'
cry the cowGrdly birds, retreating to
their hillock.
AL, uo. lie ilttle solulef vi rance
is not dead. He raises his head. In !
dignation has brought back something |
of the old spirit. His eyes grow bright. |
his nostrils dilate. The air seems less !
heavy and he breathes more freely. A |
ray OF the pale red winter sun creeps |
across the torn and furrowed earth. AS |
he gazes in admiration at the mel |
anchoiy sunset. gradually fading into !
the glimmer of twilight. suddenly. IN |
der the warmth of his extended hand |
the slow melting snow exposes a green |
point-a tiny blade of wheat.
Miracle of life! The dying man feels |
as if lie We're born again. Resting his |
hands on the soil of his fatherlapd. he |
tries to sit up. From afar the three |
birds watching him prepare for fight. |