Поющие в терновнике

           "WhyshouldyougofightingoldMotherEngland’swarsforher?Whathassheeverdoneforyou,exceptbleedhercolonieswhite?IfyouwenttoEnglandthey’dlookdowntheirnosesatyouforbeingacolonial.EnZedisn’tinanydanger,norisAustralia.ItmightdooldMotherEnglandtheworldofgoodtobedefeated;it’smorethantimesomeonepaidherforwhatshe’sdonetoIreland.Icertainlywouldn’tweepanytearsiftheKaiserendedupmarchingdowntheStrand."

           "ButDaddy,Iwanttoenlist!"

           "Youcanwantallyoulike,Frank,butyouaren’tgoing,soyoumayaswellforgetthewholeidea.You’renotbigenoughtobeasoldier."

           Frank’sfaceflushed,hislipscametogether;hislackofstaturewasaverysorepointwithhim.Atschoolhehadalwaysbeenthesmallestboyinhisclass,andfoughttwiceasmanybattlesasanyoneelsebecauseofit.Oflateaterribledoubthadbeguntoinvadehisbeing,foratseventeenhewasexactlythesamefivefeetthreehehadbeenatfourteen;perhapshehadstoppedgrowing.Onlyheknewtheagoniestowhichhesubjectedhisbodyandhisspirit,thestretching,theexercises,thefruitlesshoping.

           Smithyinghadgivenhimastrengthoutofallproportiontohisheight,however;hadPaddyconsciouslychosenaprofessionforsomeoneofFrank’stemperament,hecouldnothavechosenbetter.Asmallstructureofpurepower,atseventeenhehadneverbeendefeatedinafightandwasalreadyfamousthroughouttheTaranakipeninsula.