Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-08

made profound seml-clrcul3r Obelsance x
the garrison. He then skipped down tC
the enemy's trenches, ard was lost te our
view.
But not till he had been recognized both
by the Captain and myself
"That little wretch Of Frenehman p
exclaimed the Captain.
The ludicrous reality broke at orce upon
my mind. "Fhe Baboonp replied.
Captain Schnaub turned on me like a
tiger.
didn't want 70 hurt the Captains feel
ings; but the whole thing was so unutter-
ably eomieal, laughter was irrspressible; so
laughed heartily, there was no helping
It. The Captains rage knew no bounds.
1t was too clear. "That little wretch had
again been too much for him; had disguised
himself had taken the path to the back OF
the Rock, had there met the Captain, and
had got off undetecsed and unsuspected
T1e Opt ain, to hide his wrath and n or.i-l
ncation, was again disposed to quarreI.
Perceiving, however, that continued far
less inclined to wrsngle than to laugh, he
gradually toned down and turned sulkv.
Savage that the ''little wretch had got of.
what chiefly s-ung MIN was one particular
incident After some minutes gloomy 81.
lence it at length came out; ITO think
that was his bridge and that he actually
walked over me from end to end"
':Never mind, Captain" said I. "Con-
sidering your smplitudes, he knew vefy
well it would be much more serious busi.
ness if you walked over him; SO of two
evils he chose the less. And now let me
advise you to keep your own counsel. No
body in the garrison knows of this little
affair at the back of the Rock but ourselves:
and 1 shall not mention it"
Somewhat Modified, the Captain awhile
remained silent and pensive. At length,
growing confidential, and speaking low
"Do you know" said he tjust as he had
got his beastly foot on the small Of my
back, he gave uttersnee to a strange sort
of cultural cry, which did think rather
odd as coming from g baboon-a kind Of
mixture between e chuckle and the crow |
ing Of cock"
30, then, the little FTenchmsn had felt !
such intense exultstion at the rich idea of /
walking over the Captain, that between
Growing and chuekliDg, he had nearly be- !
trsyed himself, and stood detected man |
and no monkey.
However, though the joke would have
sxhiarsted the whole garrison, kept my
promise, and did not tell, SO the Captain
was not made lsughing-slock. There
was strict examination Of the quarters
which had been occupied by NJ de Mont
nsur, but the search brought nothing to
light which indicated preparations for
leaving. He had doubtless been sided in
his escape by soma party or parties within
'he garrison. 1t transpired that he had !
been wholly absent from his apartment
Turing the four-snd-twenty hours which
preceded his fight; and for
not reporting this, the proprietor, civilian,
lsd to pay small pecuniary 1ne-a far
lighter punishment than he deserved.
Whether the balloon carried any i'm
oortsnt information respecting the state of
Ifsirs within the fortress to our enemies
without, we never learned. If he did it
little. a few days sfter came
heir grand attack. We burnt their host-
ng batteries, and shortly after the siege
vas raised.
Passing along the sea wall the second
lay after the attack, noticed brother
'ficer with his elbows on the psrapet, blow
ng cloud. I was soon by his side doing
IS he did.
Our faces were towards the water. We
sw the whole surface of the bay covered
Yiih fragments of wreck, the debris of bat
;slleons. And let me remark, if We hxd
lot burnt them we should have sunk them,
o steady and overwhelming was the fire
+ our artillery. True, we fred red hot
alls; but 1 quite agreed with an cid az
illery officer, who remarked, "Sir, we could
ave beaten them with cold shot"
Among the wreck that had foated in, my /
and noticed several human
odies popping up and down, now visible,
ow disappearing, as they were rolled and
ossed by the waves-the corpses eff our
nemies who had perished in the attack.
Up bobbed very dark face.
"Ah," said my companion, "tbsEs an
Lndaluz. How curious! These fellows
lwsys call themselves BEancos; ard they
re only half shade lighter than the
fcors over there on the other side"
Look there" said 1 "slas, a poor
riest Don't you see his shayen crown q
See this little one" said he, close in
? the shore"
"A drummer-boy," ssid 7.
More likely a Powder-monkey," said
9.
Military said /. 7
"Nsvsl," said he.
Each of Us begged leave TO assure the
her that he was as blind as bat. The
lfersnce, of course, led TO wager; and
e walked down together to the shore in
rder to ascertain which had won.
The sufferer fosted prone, with ms head
nder water. A soldier turned him over
" rs with the butt-end of his musket 2
10 powder-monkey, no drummer-boy. 1t !
ss my poor little friend, NJ. dc Mont E
.aurl
On one side of his head and face was q
confusion, enough to have kill
/ 8 much bigger man. At lesst then he
sd escaped the horrors of sufocatiOn OF
ow combustion, the lot of 90 many Span
'rds on the awful night OF the attack
b the yells of a thousand autOs-da-fe !
,emed all to be concentrated and avenged e
/ the fearful screams that came in to US {
ON the burning ships
! at once took charge Of the corpse, and {
len and there determined to give my lit :
G lsmented friend soldiers funeral, sc
1rding to his rank. :
But he had cut and run, Could he re-
live military honors?
Yes. He had never given his parole;
nd he had only svsiled himself of every
right, by all the laws of war, to
Icspe if he can.
The funeral was very generally attended
? the officers of the garrison, amongst
hom NJ. de Montmsur mad been laughed Z
and rather liked. 1t was net alto Z
ether to the liking of Captain Schnsub;
ut that gallant officer also, yielding to +
y persuasive powers, was present with t
he BLGektOood's Magazine,