Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-11-03
!. The Old Soldiers Story.

Duke of Wellipgton's wars, afte
the French bad retreated through
Z portugal, and Bad'5os bad fallen, anC
we had driven them fairly over Il,
Spanish frontier, the light division
W Us ordered ON a few Of their Ions
leagues further, TO occupy line ol
pbsts among the mountains whicl
/ rise over the northern banks Of the
duadiana. a few companies Of oui
regiment advanced q TO occupy a VII
ldge which the French had aban.
dpned.
We had d brisk march over a
s. storched and rugged county, which
hE Eld already been nnsack ed of all
that could have supplied us with
flesh provisions; it was many days
since we had heard the creak Of the
commlssary S wagon, and we had been
on very short commons. There was
no reason to expect much in the vii
lpge we were now ordered to, The
French sswho had just marched out,
would, of course, have helped them
selves to whatever was portable, and
must have previously pretty we'll
drained the place We m made a
search, however, judging that posi-
bly, something might have been con
tealed from them by the peasants;
imd We actually soon discovered sew
tral houses where skins Of wine had
been secretel. A soldier, sir, ! take
it, after hot service of fatigue, sell
lom thinks Of much beyond the
comfort of drinking to exec ess, and
! freely own Chat our small party
soon caused a sad scene Of coufu-.
sion,
Every hoRse 9 nd howell was search
ed, and many poor fellow, who had
toIhide his last skin Of wine
from his enemies, was obliged to
it 10 his allies. You might
see the poor natives on All sides
running away, some with morsel
of food, others With skin of wine
in / heir arms, and followed by the
lneii aces and staggering steps Of
the weary and hall-drunken soldiers, !
YIFtn09 rtaoll' was the cry in eve
~ Part of the village. an English
soldier, sir, may. be for months TO-
5cther in n foreign land, and have a
pride in mol knowing how TO ask for
bit liquor. | was no bet
.er than thb rest.
sJinol Quiero t4io.l" said ], TO a /
ooor, haltstaryed, and ragged na-E
IKE, who was stealing of, aud mEiihgIl
something under his torn cloak; I Vt-Il
lol you BeggaTly scoundrel. give
ne elno!" laid !. |!
"J1ao do lraqo!' he cried, af hel
,roke from my grasp, and ran q flck-
y aud feaI fully away. II
| was not very drunk--l had not /
lad above half my quantity--and ! |
,ursued him up a street. Bus he |
vas the f&eter. and ! should hake |
ost him, had ! not made a sud /
len turn and come right upon him !,
n a forsElken alley, where ! slp- /
,osed the poor thing dive It. ! y
eized him by the collar. He was |
small and spare, he trembled under
ny gripe; but still he held his own,
md only wrapped his cloak the clo-
er round his property. |
Hpinoi qmerO Oino!1 said ]; Ngive |
ne nnoi
''Nada, nada taagol' he repeated-
| had already drawn my baEonet.
am ashamed, sir, to say, t bat we
.sed to 10 that to terriGy the poor
,retcbes, and make I hem the soon
r give us their liquor. AS held
i'm by the coll pr with one hand, ! |
,ointed the ba yonet at his breast
18th the other, and ! again cried,
"Ktno no tfngo = mao, nao fs! II II
nd re spoke the words with such all
ook Of tfuth and ca rnestness that. /.
ad not lanoied that ! coulh trace
Trough the folds of bis cloak the \,
cry shape of 4 small wine-4kin, II
hould have believed him.
Lying rascal" s. nd ], $50 you
,on't GIVE me the liqaor? Then the
~ earth shall drink it!P and |
Irucll the point # my bayoaet deep
tto that which he was still huggiug
/ bis braaet Oh. sir! it was not
inc that tridkled down y was
lood. warm blood! -and a piteous
NJ weutlixe i chill across MY heartl
he poor Spantard opened his cloak