The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-09-26

Il Tho Wild hawks shadow fleets across tho grass,
Its softened gray the softened green outlying;
And fair scenes fairer grow while yct they pass
As breezes freshen when the day is dying.
osweet September thy first breezes bring
Tho dry leafs rustic and tho squirrels laughte
Tho cool, fresh air, whence health and vigor sp, n
And dpromise Of exceeding JOY hereafter.
| BULLET u. ]: T MARKS. l'
We were sitting round our tent on
evening last year, at Wimbledon-th'
1--WE" being our Major the Captain, ant
sub Of our company, his covering ser
geant, Corporal Williams, and a Ger
tain sapper, to wit, myself: We were
drinking pale ale and smoking, as wa!
every one else in the hundred tentl
around u.s..
"Here's my last bulps-eye," and the
sergeant produced from his cap-pouch .
flattened bullet, turned inside out Il
neatly as possible.
"What's the cause Of all that, I won.
DER" said the corporal.
"You see," said the Captaiprbeing
an engineer he was bound to know
"when the point of the bullet strikes
the target, part Of the lead is melted by
the development Of heat caused by the
sudden arrest Of the bullets motion,
and goes off in the. splash, the rest Of
the bullet is softened by the heat; and
inasmuch as the parts must stop in
their order of succession, the edge Of
the cup of the bullet is driven in level
with the base of the cup. Is that SO,
Major?'>
eyes, quite right; but, if you like,
I can spin you yarn about these said
bullets, that may just last out these
| weeds"
"Well, let's have it,"
I had sort Of second cousin, Gerald
| Ashton, who had been brought up with
myself and my sister, my father being
his guardian. =
| We had all been like brothers and
sister, when one day he woke up to
find he could not live without neare,
relationship to her. He spoke to the
old gentleman, and there was little
family fracas.
He had only a hundred a year, and
my father did not think that was
enough, though Gerald did; there was
no objection at all in other respects
j let him earn some more and they would
see-wait little-you know the kind
of thing an old gentleman would say
Well, it was of no use. He said he
felt himself burden; there was no
scope for his energies, and he WOULD
go-and 60 he did.
-Iurged upon him that he should gel
something to do. He had been vel
| educated, and clerkship or something
of the kind, could be got for him if ht
still resolved not to 60 on at the hospi
tai.
No-he would go. There was onl,
one thing he did do well, that wa
shoot and he would carry his abilities
to market where they would be appre
ciated. And so, at The nature age o
twenty-five, he left us, his profession
his home, aud his prospects.
| He disappeared, and six months At
ter We heard he was with the 4Oth Dr..
goons, in India.
! We wrote, and offered to buy his dis.
charge, but he would "have none o1
u.s." He liked it very we'll ; was al.
ready corporal expected the three
stripes soon and was "Gentleman
Jack" with his comrades.
Some six months after this WAT
sent out to India with company; and
as my sister was getting thin, and shov
ing other signs Of the deslrability Of .
sea-voyage, and of warm climate, il
was agreed should take her over.
| We reached Calcutta, and in few
| weeks settled down.
! There was war going on, aud I va
placed in charge Of one of the chief de
pots for small arms aud ammunition
besides having my regular duties will
the company.
One day I was down at the store
when my sister arrived, pale and breath
less.
"Look, Charles, poor Gerald's i,
dreadful trouble"
/ I put her inte an Office chair, ant
took the newspaper and read,-
/ F"Yesterday evening, as an officer 0
the 4Oth Dragon Guards was return
ing to camp he was shot at from behint
a ,clump Of bushes ). the bullet struol
him in the thigh and lodged in tn
saddle. Although wounded SO severe
ly, be had sufficient presence OF min.
to ride strai ght to the bushes, and ther
found one Of his own men, a corpora
of the troop, nicknamed 'Gentlema,
jack by his comrades, whose rife wa
still smoking from the discharge. For
tunately, at this moment. the guard al
rived, and the man was ct once arrest
ed. A. court martial will, of course
be held at once, and, although the mai
has previously borne a good character
and is reported to be respectfully con
nected, it is to be hoped he will receiv
the proper reward for SO abominable
crime"
"Oh," I said, "this is all nonsense
: Gerald's no murderer, or else he's YER
much changed. I'll SEQ what they sa
At headquarters."
a"Do, for Gods sake, 20. II any
thing happened to Gerald I should nev
er forgi i've myself, for if had run ava
with him when papa was so cruel, h
never would have enlisted at all"
"Don't talk nonsense, Meggie, bu
60 home, and I'll come with tho tele
graph news" r: ....... ............
II went to headquarters; they CAV
me permission to use the telegraph 70
question or two. The report was no
encouraging. .}.# j.
/ It was our Gerald-the officer ha
seen the fash, aud heard the report
IN extremely loud report, as if ther
had bsen two charges Of powder in th
carbine. ...sz =. e., .....
!, The bulletswas found II the saddl,
: and one cartridge was missing from hi
twenty rounds. Court martial had d,
: :, .Fs y 80 -.<:a 81 - .~-