The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Prussian Officer, by D. H. Lawrence

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Title: The Prussian Officer

Author: D. H. Lawrence

Release Date: August 31, 2007 [EBook #22480]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PRUSSIAN OFFICER ***

Produced by David Widger

THE PRUSSIAN OFFICER

By D. H. Lawrence

LONDON

DUCKWORTH & CO,

3 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN

Published December 1914

THE PRUSSIAN OFFICER

I

They had marched more than thirty kilometres since dawn, along the
white, hot road where occasional thickets of trees threw a moment of
shade, then out into the glare again. On either hand, the valley, wide
and shallow, glittered with heat; dark green patches of rye, pale young
corn, fallow and meadow and black pine woods spread in a dull, hot
diagram under a glistening sky. But right in front the mountains ranged
across, pale blue and very still, snow gleaming gently out of the deep
atmosphere. And towards the mountains, on and on, the regiment marched
between the rye fields and the meadows, between the scraggy fruit trees
set regularly on either side the high road. The burnished, dark green
rye threw on a suffocating heat, the mountains drew gradually nearer
and more distinct. While the feet of the soldiers grew hotter, sweat ran
through their hair under their helmets, and their knapsacks could burn
no more in contact with their shoulders, but seemed instead to give off
a cold, prickly sensation.

He walked on and on in silence, staring at the mountains ahead, that
rose sheer out of the land, and stood fold behind fold, half earth, half
heaven, the heaven, the banner with slits of soft snow, in the pale,
bluish peaks.

He could now walk almost without pain. At the start, he had determined
not to limp. It had made him sick to take the first steps, and during
the first mile or so, he had compressed his breath, and the cold drops
of sweat had stood on his forehead. But he had walked it off. What were
they after all but bruises! He had looked at them, as he was getting
up: deep bruises on the backs of his thighs. And since he had made his
first step in the morning