The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-02-28

and a stiff northeast gale outside Of
that; who can set u forty-foot lad
der ON end, balance himself on top
oft, and shoot wild pigeons on the
wing, one at a time, just behind the
eye, with a single barreled Mimic
rife, three hundred yards distance,
and never miss a shot; who can
take a five shooting revolver in
each hand and knock the spots out
of the ten of diamonds at eight
PAGES, turning somersaults all the
time and firing every shot in the
air-that is q Zouave.
| am q Zouave.
My musket education progresses
i am getting on fncly-I can tell
the muzzle from the stock at first
sight, and shall soon be able to say
which end of the ramrod to put
down, and which side up the cart
ridge goes.
But 1 am paying more attention
to my gymnastics just at present
than to my musket, for every body
knows that in q battle arms are not
Of near so much Importance as
Iegs-it is very good thing to
know the use of yourlegs-in case
of war.
I've got a practicing room, where
| gymnastic every day. I've taken
upthc carpet-a performancewhi
my landlady entirely approves
I've piled the chairs on top Of the
table m a corner, and have sold my
bed at auction-Zouaves sleep on
the floor. u. r.....
Besides, it is a good thing to
know how to sleep without II bed
in case of war. asngdstsr
Spinkey and his brother came to
see my room after L had got it ar
ranged practice--they did things
they Zouaved a little, by way OF
setting me an example. = rd
1 found out by the actions of the
Spinkey brothers the exact dimen-
sions of my room; it is three flip
flaps long, and a handspring and
two back somersaults wide. .H..
By means of a fip-Aap you dis
concert your enemy's aim and draw
his fire, then you kill him. A flip
flap is a good thing to do-in case
of war. .r.ag 3. u. ....., aI.
By means of u handspring, you
reverse your position, and your be-
wildered enemy cuts off your foot
instead of your head. Then you
kill him; then you screw on q
wooden leg and do so again. When
you've done it twice, you've killed
two enemies and only lost two legs
and, after that you can only loose
wooden legs, which are compare
lively cheap, especially if the wal
is in a well timbered country.
A handspring is splendid thing
to do-in case of war.
BY means of a forward somer
sault, you leap over your enomy
when he charges on you; then, by
a back somersault, you fall on hi
head from a great height and stul
him; then you kill him.
A somersault is an indispensable
maneuver-in case Of war.
Our company-Spinkey com
manding-can go through tn
manual of arms complete, and onl.
touch the ground three times the.
do all the loading in a single somer
sault, springing into the air at tn
word "Up!" with their musket
empty, and loading exactly togeth
er at the word of command, givel
by Spinkey with speaking trum
pet, and firing by files as they com
down. .ga 81 Jqod .w I'# ..r'
When Spinkey left my room
began to practice; for I'm YER
anxiousto progress. Our compan,
has been all drafted into Kerr
gan's Contingent, and we must a
be ready. 2rag tjmu3 a'rouaaE
Tried q 7somersault first, as
thought it looked very easy,o A
you have to do is to- throw you
:: heels up and your head down, an
{ then bring your head up and you
heels down; it's the easiest thin
in tho world--apnarently. Whe