New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-02-09

and Presbyterian tyrants. may be the Devil
Or the Pope for all thou knowest.'
Might ye no be the Pretender 7" asked Spig-
| got. with sour smile.
may, have a better travelling name than
that; but say to this gentleman that the Major
OF Marshal Orkney's Dragons requests the
pleasure Of sharing stoup Of wine with him.
Sir, it mattereth little whether ye give your
name or no. replied the host bitterly &c for we
are a nameless now. Twelve months ago we
were true Scottish men, but NOUS
&c Our king is an exile-our crown is buried
for ever, and our brave soldiers are banished to
far and foreign wars, while the grass is growing
green in the streets of our capital--ay, green as
it is at this hour in your burgh of Grail; but
hence tc the stranger; yet say not" added the
traveller, bitterly and proudly ssthat in his
warmth the Scottish cavalier has betrayed him
SELF
While the speaker amused himself with ex-
amining printed proclamation concerning the
ssTiend Commissioners and Transplantation off
Paroch Kirkis,' which was pasted over the stone
mantelpiece Of the bar, the landlord returned
with the foreign gentleman's thanks, and an in
vitation to his chamber, whittier the Major i'm
mediately repaired; following the host up n
narrow stone spiral stair to a snugly wainscott-
ed room, against the well-grated windows of
which sudden shower was now beginning to
patter.
| The foreigner, who was supping on a Grail
capon Tin other words broiled haddock) and
stoup of Bordeaux wine, arose at their entrance,
and bowed with an air that was undisguisedly
continental. He was a man abOye six feet, with
a long straight nose, over which his dark eye
brows met and formed one unbroken line. He
wore suit of green Genoese velvet, so richly
laced that little of the cloth was visible; full
bottomed wig, and small corslet of the bright
est steel (over which hung the ends of his crava),
as well as pair of silver mounted cavalry pis-
tolls that lay on the table, together with his un-
mistakable bearing, decided the Major of Ork-
ney's that the stranger was brother of the
sword
ssFair sir, little introduction is necessary be-
t tween us, as, l believe, we have both followed
| the drum in our tme,'' said the Major, shaking
the curls of his Ramillie wig with the air of
man who has decided on what he says.
81 hare served, Monsieur replied the for
eigner, ss under Marlborough and Eugene
ssAh! in French Flanders Landlord-gude
man, harkee-a double stoup of this wine;
have found comrade tonight; be quick and
put my horse to stall, will not ride hence for an
hour or so. What regiment, sir 20
sI was first under Grouvestien, in the Horse of
Driesberg."
ssThen you were on the left of the second col
umn at Families, on that glorious 18th Of
May said the Major, drawing the high backed
chair which the host handed him. and spread
ing out his legs before the fire. which burned
merrily in the basket-grate on the hearth, &c and
latterly-"
sUnder Wandenberg'
"Ah an old tyrannical dog"
A dark cloud gathered on the strangers lofty
brow
'sI belonged to the Earl of Orkney's Grey
Dragoons,' said the Major, F." and remember old
Wandenberg making a bold charge in that bril-
liant onfall, when we passed the lines of Mon
sieur lie Mareschal Villars at Pont-a- Vendin,
and pushed on to the plains of Lens
That was before we invested Doway and
Fort Escharpe, where old Albergotti so ably
commanded ten thousand we'll beaten soldiers. %
&c And then Villars drew off from his position
at sunset and encamped on the plain before
Arras
Thou forgettest, comrade, that previously
he took up position in rear of Escharpe.''
g True; but now am right into the very
melee of those old affairs, and the mind carries
one on like rocket. Your health, sir; by the
, way, II am still ignorant Of your name.'
GO / have such very particular reasons for con
cealng it in this neighborhood, that"
'sDo not think me inquisitive; in these time
l men should not pry too closely
GO Monsieur will pardon me hope"
''No apology is necessary, save from myself
for now my curiosity is thoroughly and mos
impertinently whetted, to find a Frenchman il
this part of the world, here in this QUITO -th
goes from, on bleak promontory of the Ger
man Sea, the East Neuk of Fife"
s'Monseur will again excuse me: but have
most particular business with a gentleman il
! this neighborhood; and, having Travelled all the
way from Paris expressly to have it settled,
beg that may be excused the pain of prevari.
cation The circumstance of my having served
under thhe great Duke of Marlborough against
my own King and countrymen is sufficiently
explained when acquaint you that was ther
. IL French Protestant refugee but now, without
changing my religion, have King Louis's gra
cous pardon and kind protection extended tt
me.''
And so you were with Wandenberg wher
his troopers made that daring ontall at Pont-a
, Vendin, and drove back the horse picquets o
, Villars,' said the Major, to lead the converse
ton from point which evidently seemed un
pleasant to the stranger. 's'Twas sharp, short
| and decisive, as all cavalry affairs should be
You will of course remember that unpleasant
: affair of Wandenberg's troopers, who were ac
cused of permitting French prisoner to es
G cape 1t caused great excitement in the Brit
t ish camp, where some condemned the dragons
f others Van Wandenberg, and not a few ou
great Marlborough himself"
S ss did hear something of it, said the stran
c ger in a low voice.
t 'sThe prisoner whose escape was permitte
4 was, believe, the father of the youths who cap
e tured him. circumstance which might at leas
y have won them mercy"
d From the Baron!'
ssl forgot me; he was indeed merciless."
= ''D But as | left his dragons, and indeed tn
n army, about that time, | will be glad to hea
1t your account of the affair.
st '' 1t is a very unpleasant story; the more
as was somewhat concerned in it myself sal
G the Major, slowly filling his long-stemmet glass
and watching the white worm in its stalk so in
l. tently, as he recalled all the circumstances h
e was about to relate that he did not observe til
s. face of the French gentleman, which was pal
st as death; and after short pause he began o
follows:
70 &c In the onfall at Pont- a. Vendin, it happene
that two young Frenchmen, who served as gel
e. tlemen volunteers with you in the dragon reg
s, inlent of Van Wandenberg, had permitted--ho
le OF why, l pretend not to say--the escape of
is certain prisoner of distinction. Some said
lie was no other than Nj. lie Mareschal Villars hin
,e self. They claimed a court martial, but the o
p, Baron, who was savage-hearted Dutchmal
insisted that they should be given un uncond
Il tionally to his own mercy, and in an evil MI
W ment of heedlessness or haste Marlborough col
id sentcd, and sent me Il was his Ad-de-Caml
with written order to that effect, addressed
> Colonel the Baron Van Wandenberg, whose res
iment of horse met en- route for St Nenan
- about nightfall, on a cold and snowy evening
/ II, ,nrN n1,or,