Дни грёз
The Twenty-first Of October
Inthematteroffacingshewassimplyfaultless;amongchevrons,badges,medals,andstars,hemovedfamiliarly;heevenknewthenamesofmostofthecolonelsincommand;andhewouldsquandersunnyhoursproneonthelawn,heedlessofchallengefrombirdorbeast,poringoveratatteredArmyList.Myownaccomplishmentwasofanothercharacter—took,asitseemedtome,awiderandamoreuntrammelledrange.DragoonsmighthaveswaggeredinLincolngreen,riflemenmighthavedonnedsporransovertartantrews,withoutexcitingnoticeorcommentfromme.ButdidyouseekpreciseinformationastothefaunaoftheAmericancontinent,thenyouhadcometotherightshop.Whereandwhythebison“wallowed”;howbeaverweretobetrappedandwildturkeysstalked;thegrizzlyandhowtohandlehim,andtheprettypressingwaysoftheconstrictor,—infine,thehauntsandthehabitsofallthatburrowed,strutted,roared,orwriggledbetweentheAtlanticandthePacific,—allthisknowledgeItookformyprovince.Bytheothersmyequipmentwasfullyrecognized.Supposingabookwithabear-huntinitmadeitswayintothehouse,andtheatmospherewaselectricwithexcitement;still,itwasnecessarythatIshouldfirstdecidewhethertheslothadbeenproperlydescribedandproperlyfollowedup,eretheworkcouldbestampedwithfullapproval.Awritermighthavewonfamethroughoutthecivilizedglobeforhistrappersandhisrealisticbackwoods,andallwentfornothing.IfhispemmicanwerenotproperlycompoundedIdamnedhisachievement,anditwasheardnomoreof.
