Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-09
| where he begins to live and whimper like a
new born babe over his granite rocks.
| Here is u short sketch introducing one OF

|
| the characters of the book:
The little affair of Assewal scarcely deserves
to be called "A battle, 1t was merely prelude :;
nay, not even that, only tuning of fddles
Tor the l." Grand Devils Opera" which crashed
and roared 80 late into the next day that the
| last mutter of it as heard the sinking sun
hamed upon the Eastern ghaut !; and night
and silence, only halt broken by the low walls
and means of the wounded, settled down upon
another great field, whose name henceforth is
one of the landmarks of history.
Yet a remarkable thing happened there
The advance guard of the enemy, as well as
one can understand, were In "a strongish posi-
ton, on the other side OF a nullah, and were
keeping up an Internal fire of artillery at a
native regiment OF ours, which was only half
sheltered by Toll In the ground. lt was ab-
soIuteIy necessary that TINS regime should
stay In Its present position, for ii was the ex-
treme OF our lett flank 10 that little affair and
our general was engaged In turning their left
flank, and forcing them INTO that oIsadvanta-
Seous position IN which they gave battle
The next day, and got SO terribly beaten.
Sir Charles had deputed the work TO be
done on his right to three or four men whose
names have since been burnt deep into the
memories OF their countrymen, and IL erefore
ne knew that the work on the right was being
as efficiently done as If he h id been there HIM
self.
II was necessary, however, for the eagle s
eye 10 Watch this lett flank, which was our
weakest place. And so the eagle was there
with ms great hooked beak stretched towards
une enemy, from time to time shaking out his
ruttied feathers ready to swoop and strike.
As he was The I4Oth drago were be-
hind the slope 10 which he stood and if the
Sikh artillery aid not soon feel the pressure
which he Was putting On their left, 1t would
become necessary 10 hurl our cavalry at this
artillery and silence it, with the loss of halt of
, one OF our Test regiments.
No one could doubt that. The piain-more
Iectiy the giacis-w hich lay between the
Sikh artillery and the half concealed native
regiment III the lower ground, was being
llpped and torn and rIven by their furious
cannonade. Lie, even ior a single individual,
seemed To be impossible there. What would
be the iate OF seven hundred close packed
horsemen, ,-Thermopyl@ or Balaclavai
Some oI The shot W reaching the native
regiment, and they were ge1iing fdgety. Ii
'hey could be kepG there until me pressure on
the eneInys lett Hds telG? If the sacrifice Of
the l4O.h could be saved? But good many
shot lad come ripping IN on the flank com
panies, winch were exposed each side OF
The rJA IN tne ground, aud they were getting
unsteady
:. 10 and tell him to draw his flank com
|
ing, found himself face TO lace with a cornet
OF the l40th, handsome, penslve- loo king
boy, vino, by some accident, had been sent up
70 hln with message.
1ne boy, a 5cariet and-gOld thing, all over
sQIdeA lrIppeIIee and tags and bobiaI.s, topped
WIKI white plth helmet, Very beautiful and
expensive ArtIcle, (receivirg one thlrd the pay
oi SiaHordsnlre irOn puddier,) went jinglIng
DOW" the mil and PASSED behind the native
regIme MT, iii he came 10 the colonel. rhey
saw hlu deliver his message. ami thought he
was coming back again.
30 ne Was, but Fery queer route. He rode
pas The ieit flank OF the waverlog regiment,
and teen. mounting the hill, turned. and came
cpoity juggling bacS at a sling over that
terrible pain slope, which was being ripped,
and torn, and sent lnso the ait in ali direc-
lons by the enemy shot, and en- which hu-
man lie appeared impossible. Fountains and
showers Ui stones and sand Were rising and
falling ali Around MIN as he rode, but ne came
cooiiy elanklns OD, and While the staff were
| expecting 10 see him cut two every instant,
tie managed II knock his helmet off.
lie stopped, dismounted, picked up, put
II On uIndsIde before, altered 1t, and prepared
10 mount. HIS horse was restive, and he
gave 1t d good-natured little Kick in the ribs
got ou again, and came Jangling slowly up to
tte tope where the eagle was posted. The
very angry lie shook ms fea; hers and opened
on aim.
" Are you Frenchman. SIT, that you play
these Tomtool's games under fire. Do you
know, SIR, that your life Is your country =, sir ,
and sha death Is very solemn thing? Do
YOU know that II 1t were not iur an extraor-
dIn-ry Instance of Gods mercy, you would be
IyinS bowling and Tying in the grass yonder
" hat dld you 90 1t tor eh. Elf I
ne hpV aka1 .fb
ancaoly eyes, aud saId.-
| = Ihe S4th seemed getting unsteady, sir,
ana thought | would show them that II was
not 80 bad IL looked.
= Hem tha- Is another matter. That is a
different affair, altogether You have acted
wien great valor and discretion you have
done d noJle deed at the right lime. Such
actions d. yours, sir, ele' ate the tone OF the
army, ana deserve to live 10 the mouths of
men forever. " hat is your name
- George Hilton"
" lie ls JACKS boy said general, who
stood near.
" ~ coulin't you have said 80 before -
snapped out the eagle.
= Bee use | dIdn want to spoil the fun of
nearing you make set complimentary speech
70 Jack boy. Fancy sue. torrent OF fer
wa eloqvence being poured out on has head.
lts as good as IA play.
Inc great warrior was very much amused ,
anu held out his hand TO the lad.
" You are at your father $ tricks, are you
you monkey! Go back to your regiment. |
shall write 10 your mother
And SO he die, ana kept his eye on the boy
Young George hilton soon changed INTO an
lniaAtry regiment, partly because his mother
nad lost some money, and partly because his
| patron and hIs tather' s friend wished it. In
.lme nls p rOn died but he iuu.,ht his way
steadily ON through the weary nights of 1854,
| through The daI < and terrible hour OF 1855,
leaving his mark on everything he under 10 ok,
and getting his name we,l known, not only ut
| The Horse Guards, out lhe most careless of
The general pubiic. Here find him now on
| the terrace beslde Laura. Colonel Hilton,
4. b, V. c., tall man of remarkable per-
sOnai Beauty, with a dark brown beard, and
large melancholy eyes; and with a low itched,
DuE s.ngularly Ill ,tinct voice. A dangerous
man ior any girl to listen TO, among the length
enlng summer swIilght shadows, particu larry
after having had LJrd Hatterleigh gobbllug
and stlut.ecIng out insane political twaddie
| the hole evening.
AsPHoDEL. Boston Ticknor & Fields.
This volume has been variousy criticized.
One writer says
The moral of the story is excellent. show
of conscience No affinity question mars
this work, as is too often the at the present
| time but it is a sketch of real life.'
Another critic briefly dsmisses the work with
this condemnation
% Asphode bears the imprint OF Ticknor &
Fields for Which reason We have endeayOred