3. Ài-chêng, chiàn-cheng, lâng-lâng kong-pêng
(III)
Peyton Farquhar /pe.ton fa.kóa/ sī chi̍t-ê chèng-choh ê lâng, chhut-sin tī lāu-sek, chin siū chun-kèng ê Alabama khùiⁿ-oa̍h ê ka-têng. In-ūi chhī lô͘-lē, i hām kî-thaⁿ lô͘-lē-chú kāng-khoán mā sī chèng-tī-ka, i thian-seng tō chú-tiuⁿ hun-lia̍t chú-gī, jî-chhiáⁿ choan-sim hōng-hiān Lâm-hong ê lí-sióng. Ūi-tio̍h kò-sèng kiông-sè ê chióng-chióng in-toaⁿ, tī chia lán m̄-bián kóng-phòa, hō͘ i bē-tit ka-ji̍p eng-ióng ê kun-tūi, pī-bián liáu kiat-kó sit-khì Corinth ê hiah-ê pi-chhám ê chiàn-tàu; i oàn-chheh chit-chióng bô kong-chhái ê hān-chè, ǹg-bāng hoat-hui ka-tī ê lêng-le̍k, pí chò-peng kòng-hiàn khah chē, hō͘ i ū ki-hōe li̍p-kong.
I chai-iáⁿ, ki-hōe chóng-sī ē lâi, chiàn-cheng kî-kan, lâng-lâng lóng ū ki-hōe. Chit tong-sî, i mā chīn i ê lêng-le̍k teh chò. Tùi Lâm-hong ū pang-chān ê ho̍k-bū, lóng bē hō͘ i kám-kak siuⁿ pi-bî, bô siaⁿ-mih mō͘-hiám tùi i sī siuⁿ hûi-hiám, chí-iàu hû-ha̍p i chî-ê ū kun-jîn sim ê pêng-bîn te̍k-sèng, i sêng-sim sêng-ì, sui-bóng chu-keh bô chin ha̍h, siōng-bô i sió-khóa tông-ì hit-kù chiâⁿ pháiⁿ ê kóng-hoat: ài-chêng kap chiàn-cheng, lâng-lâng lóng kong-pêng.
Chi̍t-kang boeh-àm, Farquhar hām in bó͘ chē tī óa lông-tiûⁿ ji̍p-kháu ê chi̍t-tè seⁿ-sian ê tn̂g-í, chi̍t-ê chhēng phú-sek ê sū-peng khiâ-bé kàu mn̂g-kháu, lâi pun chúi lim. Farquhar Tt chin hoaⁿ-hí chhin-chhiú thè i ho̍k-bū. Tī in bó͘ ji̍p-khì the̍h chúi ê sî, i kiâⁿ óa kui-sin thô͘-hún ê khiâ-sū, jia̍t-sim kā thàm-thiaⁿ chiân-sòaⁿ ê siau-sit.
"Pak-kun teh siu-chéng thih-lō͘," sū-peng kóng, "í-keng chún-pī sin ê chìn-kong. In í-keng kàu Niau-thâu-chiáu Khe (Owl Creek) kiô, kā siu-chéng hó-sè, koh tī pak-hōaⁿ kiàn-li̍p ûi-cha̍h. Chí-hui-koaⁿ í-keng hā-lēng, mā tah kah móa sì-kè, soan-pò͘ kóng, jīm-hô lâng nā kan-jiáu thih-lō͘, thih-lō͘ kiô, pōng-khang, a̍h hóe-chhia, lia̍h tio̍h ē sûi kā tiàu-sí. Góa ū khòaⁿ tio̍h hit-ê bēng-lēng."
"Chia kàu Niau-thâu-chiáu Khe kiô gōa hn̄g?" Farquhar mn̄g.
"Tāi-khài 30 mai."
"Khe-hōaⁿ chit-pêng kám ū phài peng?"
"Kan-ta siat chi̍t-ê kéng-kài sàu-só͘ tī pòaⁿ mai chìn chêng ê thih-lō͘, koh tī kiô ê chit-thâu khiā chi̍t-ê sàu-peng."
"Ká-sú kóng ū chi̍t-ê lâng -- chi̍t-ê pêng-bîn koh ū gián-kiù ká-hêng -- nā phiah kòe kéng-kài sàu-só͘, koh khó-lêng phah iâⁿ sàu-peng," Farquhar chhiò-chhiò kóng, "i ē-tàng chhòng siáⁿ?"
Sū-peng siūⁿ chi̍t-ē. "Chi̍t-kò-goe̍h chêng góa bat khì hia." I ìn. "Góa khòaⁿ tio̍h, kū-nî kôaⁿ-thiⁿ ê tōa-chúi ū chek chin chē tōa-chúi-chhâ tī chit-thâu ê kiô-tun, taⁿ lóng taⁿ lo͘-lo͘ ah, ná-chhiūⁿ môa-chháu hiah hó to̍h."
Chit-sî in bó͘ phâng chúi chhut-lâi, sū-peng kā lim liáu. I chin ū lé-sò͘ kā soeh-siā, ǹg Farquhar àⁿ-io kiâⁿ-lé, tō khiâ-bé lī-khui. Chi̍t-tiám-cheng liáu-āu, iā tō sī thiⁿ-àm liáu-āu, i koh keng-kòe chhân-hn̂g, ǹg pak óng i tú-chiah lâi ê hong-hiòng. Goân-lâi i sī chi̍t-ê Pak-kun ê cheng-chhat-peng.
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3. 愛情, 戰爭, 人人公平
(II)
Peyton Farquhar /pe.ton fa.kóa/ 是一个種作 ê 人, 出身 tī 老式, 真受尊敬 ê Alabama 快活 ê 家庭. 因為飼奴隸, 伊和其他奴隸主仝款 mā 是政治家, 伊天生 tō 主張分裂主義, 而且專心奉獻南方 ê 理想. 為著個性強勢 ê 種種因端, tī chia 咱毋免講破, 予伊袂得加入英勇 ê 軍隊, 避免了結果失去 Corinth ê hiah-ê 悲慘 ê 戰鬥; 伊怨慼這種無光彩 ê 限制, ǹg 望發揮 ka-tī ê 能力, 比做兵貢獻較濟, 予伊有機會立功.
伊知影, 機會總是會來, 戰爭期間, 人人 lóng 有機會. 這當時, 伊 mā 盡伊 ê 能力 teh 做. 對南方有幫贊 ê 服務, lóng 袂予伊感覺 siuⁿ 卑微, 無啥 mih 冒險對伊是 siuⁿ 危險, 只要符合伊這个有軍人心 ê 平民特性, 伊誠心誠意, 雖罔資格無真合, 上無伊小可同意彼句誠歹 ê 講法: 愛情 kap 戰爭, 人人 lóng 公平.
一工欲暗, Farquhar 和 in 某坐 tī 倚農場入口 ê 一塊生鉎 ê 長椅, 一个穿殕色 ê 士兵騎馬到門口, 來分水啉. Farquhar Tt 真歡喜親手替伊服務. Tī in 某入去提水 ê 時, 伊行倚規身塗粉 ê 騎士, 熱心 kā 探聽前線 ê 消息.
"北軍 teh 修整鐵路," 士兵講, "已經準備新 ê 進攻. In 已經到貓頭鳥溪 (Owl Creek) 橋, kā 修整好勢, koh tī 北岸建立圍閘. 指揮官已經下令, mā 貼 kah 滿四界, 宣布講, 任何人若干擾鐵路, 鐵路橋, 磅空, a̍h 火車, 掠著會隨 kā 吊死. 我有看著彼个命令."
"Chia 到貓頭鳥溪橋偌遠?" Farquhar 問.
"大概 30 mai."
"溪岸這爿敢有派兵?"
"干焦設一个警戒哨所 tī 半 mai 進前 ê 鐵路, koh tī 橋 ê 這頭徛一个哨兵."
"假使講有一个人 -- 一个平民 koh 有研究絞刑 -- 若避過警戒哨所, koh 可能拍贏哨兵," Farquhar 笑笑講, "伊會當創啥?"
士兵想一下. "一個月前我 bat 去 hia." 伊應. "我看著, 舊年寒天 ê 大水有積真濟大水柴 tī 這頭 ê 橋墩, 今 lóng 焦 lo͘-lo͘ ah, ná 像麻草 hiah 好 to̍h."
這時 in 某捀水出來, 士兵 kā 啉了. 伊真有禮數 kā 說謝, ǹg Farquhar àⁿ 腰行禮, tō 騎馬離開. 一點鐘了後, 也 tō 是天暗了後, 伊 koh 經過田園, ǹg 北往伊拄才來 ê 方向. 原來伊是一个北軍 ê 偵察兵.
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3.
II
Peyton Farquhar was a well-to-do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family. Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with the gallant army that had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth, and he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction.
That opportunity, he felt, would come, as it comes to all in war time. Meanwhile he did what he could. No service was too humble for him to perform in aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier, and who in good faith and without too much qualification assented to at least a part of the frankly villainous dictum that all is fair in love and war.
One evening while Farquhar and his wife were sitting on a rustic bench near the entrance to his grounds, a gray-clad soldier rode up to the gate and asked for a drink of water. Mrs. Farquhar was only too happy to serve him with her own white hands. While she was fetching the water her husband approached the dusty horseman and inquired eagerly for news from the front.
"The Yanks are repairing the railroads," said the man, "and are getting ready for another advance. They have reached the Owl Creek bridge, put it in order and built a stockade on the north bank. The commandant has issued an order, which is posted everywhere, declaring that any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels or trains will be summarily hanged. I saw the order."
"How far is it to the Owl Creek bridge?" Farquhar asked.
"About thirty miles."
"Is there no force on this side the creek?"
"Only a picket post half a mile out, on the railroad, and a single sentinel at this end of the bridge."
"Suppose a man--a civilian and student of hanging--should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel," said Farquhar, smiling, "what could he accomplish?"
The soldier reflected. "I was there a month ago," he replied. "I observed that the flood of last winter had lodged a great quantity of driftwood against the wooden pier at this end of the bridge. It is now dry and would burn like tow."
The lady had now brought the water, which the soldier drank. He thanked her ceremoniously, bowed to her husband and rode away. An hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal scout.
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