兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》第二十一冊 Civil War on Sunday 07 A Light in the Woods

The firing came to an end. The horses calmed down. Thesmoky air began to clear.

Clara handed Jack and Annie each a can-teen.

"Fill these quickly," she said. "We have no time to waste."Jack's legs felt wobbly as he followed Annie to the creek. Theyfilled their canteens, then climbed back into the wagon.

"Keep alert," said Clara. "Look for the wounded as they comeoff the battlefield." She snapped the reins. The horses started off again.

As they bumped along, Jack looked ahead for woundedsoldiers.

"There!" said Annie.

She pointed to a man limping toward them and waving hisarms.

The man looked very young, more like a teenage boy. Hisuniform was torn and bloody. It wasn't a blue uniform, though.

It was gray.

Clara pulled the horses to a stop.

"But he's a Confederate soldier," said Jack.

'When someone is hurt, you give them a helping hand, nomatter who they are," said Clara. Her voice got softer. "I haveseen courage and kindness on both sides of this war. Sometimesthings are not as simple as they seem."Jack was glad they had stopped to help the soldier.

He jumped out of the wagon.

"Do you need a helping hand?" he asked the young man.

"Thank you," the soldier said softly.

Jack helped him into the back of the wagon. The soldier laydown on a pile of blankets and closed his eyes.

Jack climbed back onto the seat beside Clara. She snapped thereins, and they rode on.

They came across more ragged men rest-ing in the shade of anoak tree. These soldiers all wore blue uniforms.

Again, Clara stopped the horses.

"See if any of those men need a ride to the hospital," she saidto Jack and Annie.

Jack glanced at the soldier sleeping in the back of the wagon.

"Can a Confederate and a Union soldier be together?" heasked worriedly.

Clara nodded.

"Sometimes men are simply too sick and tired to be enemiesanymore," she said. "Sometimes they even know each other.

Many families and friendships have been torn apart by this war.""Let's go," said Annie, hopping out of the wagon. Jackfollowed her.

They carried their canteens to the men under the oak tree.

"Hi!" said Annie. "Does anyone need to go to the hospital?""Only John, our drummer boy," a soldier said. "He's sufferingfrom heat stroke. But we all need some water, miss."Jack saw a young boy lying on the ground.

His eyes were closed.

"Oh, Jack!" whispered Annie. "He looks just like you."The boy did look a lot like Jack--just a few years older.

"We better get him to Clara's ambulance right away," Anniesaid.

She handed her canteen to one of the tired soldiers. Anothersoldier lifted the drummer boy to his feet.

The boy opened his eyes and mumbled a few words. He triedto walk, but he swayed as if he were about to faint.

"Wait--" Jack grabbed the boy. "We'll give you a helpinghand," he said.

The drummer boy put his arms around Jack's and Annie'sshoulders.

"Just a little further, John," Annie said. "You're doing great.

Just a little further..."The drummer boy moved as if he were walking in his sleep.

His head hung down. His feet shuffled in the dust.

"Take good care of him!" one of the men called. "We can't dowithout him!"