Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-03-27

| months pay, and no one would lend Nj =
fsrthipg. Rumsging in all his pockets ha
found nothing there but his cartridee.hoI.
but this he drew out and offered il as q ,t.t.
Whilst the dice were being shaken, it sudden.
ly struck Richard that the soldier who held
the stake was the same who had bought the
bottle-imp, and would, Of course, through il,
presence, be sure to win. He cried SiopU"
but too late the dice was thrown, and Rich
ard lost. He rushed back to his tent in des-
pair. A comrsde, who was somewhat moro
sober than he, took him by the arm, ard
asked him on the way IL he had more car
tridges in his tent.
No" said Richard, cor I would haro
played on {"
$50 you can when you've bought new ones"
said the soldier; "for the commissioner comes
TO review rs next month, and if he finds o
soldier without cartridges, he has him shot"
Next month ~ cried Richard; "weIl,
before that time L shall have my pay, and
buy new cartridges.n
So they parted, and Richard proceeded to
sleep of his intoxicstion.
But in little while he was awoke by the
voice OF the corporal before the tent s.Ho,
tomorrow Is the review; the commissioner
will be in the camp by break Of day" Rich
ard was startled from his sleep. He thought
Of his cartrides. He called to his comrades
IN the tent to know If any one would lend 10 him:
but they abused him for drunks ard and would
not answer. Then he searched his clothes and
found at last Eve fsrthings. With these he hew
from tent to tent in the dark, trying to buy
cartridges, but in vain, till he re ached a tent
where the voice that answered him with an
imprecation was that of the soldier who had
won his cartridges.
Comrade,S said Richard, pieadine,y,
"you or some one must help me. You plum
dered me once before, and yesterday you took
my all from me. If the commissioner finds
tomorrow that I have no cartridges, be will
have me- shot. You must give, or lend, or
sell me some"
"Giving and lending have forsworn, 4" said
the soldier; but to quiet you, will send you
cartridges. How much money have Won
Five farthings," answered Richard,
We'll" said the other, "to show you that
Lam good comrade, there are five cartridges
for your Eve farthings."
The exchange was made, and Richard re-
turned, to sleep till the morning,
The review took place, and all went well.
But when the soldiers were again in camp,
the sun burned intolerably through the tent
canvas Richards comrades went to the can
teen, and be remained alone with empty peck
cts and piece of ration bread, faint and sick
with yesterdays corouse and to- days exer-
tions All, he thought, "if had now but
one Of all the ducats I once lavished like a
fool" Scarcely had he formed the wish,
WneG prlgnt new Qucat lay In Die lett hand.
The thought of the bottle imp shot through
his mind, and imbittered his momentary joy
at the sight OF the piece of gold. Just then
entered the eomrade who had sold him the
cartridges
"Friend," said he, with a troubled air,
"the phial with the little imp in it-you know
bought it in the wood from you-is missing.
Have L, pcrchsnce, given Ii you unawares,
for cartridge? 1 had wrapped il up in paper
like them and laid it with my cartridges
Richard sought anxiously in his cartridge
box, and in the first paper he unfolded, be
found the goblin creature.
That Q well," said the soldier, " should
have been sorry to have lost the thing, ugly
as it looks; it always seems to me as if it
brought me unusual luck at play. There,
comrade, take your farthing again, and give
me the creature"
Most eagerly did Richard consent TO the
transaction, and they parted. But all his peace
was gone since he had again seen and handled
the object of his terror. He threw from him
the ducat he had Just before sighed for, and
at last the dread that the bottle-imp might
still be lurking somewhere near, drove him
out of the camp, and through the deepening
evening, into the thickest forest shades, where,
exhausted by terror and WEAKNESS, he sark
upon the ground.
sob" said he painting, that had but
water a ask to quench my thirst :" and there
stood a water-fask at his side. He thought Of
the bottle imp-searched in his pocket-snd
felt it there.
FRO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NExTl