Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-08-21

WucH saw Oh tne IeScueu Dullet, the NO.
5, with dot as fresh and clear as if it had
just come from the pressing machine.
Great was the rejoicing that light in the
camp of the 10th. Blue fires were burnt,
the band came and serenaded Maggie
The whole of the officers, including the old
colonel, came to levee; but still | felt
there was one thing more to be found out
How did the No. bullet get into the sad
die?
At length l inquired whether any of the
officers missed any of their arms. Curl
ously enough, the only missing arms was
gun belonging to the wounded captain.
[ asked, did he remember the size. He
did. 1t was just shade smaller than the
bore of the regimental carbines. You
could get government bullet down by
good deal of hammering.
| now propounded my theory, that the
bullet No. 2, had been fired from the
captains missing rife, for the point Of
the bullet was marked with rings, and
considerably fiattened. Now there was
nothing in the flesh, and nothing in the
saddle to produce these marks, and they
must therefore have been made before
firing
l then proposed that full search should
be made with dogs, for at least two miles
round, from where the shot was fired, to
see If any traces could be found of either
the man or the gun.
We made the most careful search pres
emily | came to a stone on the road itself,
marked in a most peculiar manner.
% What's the cause of these marks "
said | to the tarrier of the troops, who had
volunteered to help, and who said he never
felt more grateful to any one in all his
life, than he did to me for squeezing his
wrist so hard that day.
= What's the cause? It's been used "a
hammer for something-a nail in Il
sboe'
" Nail-heads are square"
. True for you-these are round"
g Do you think a ramrod would make
these marks ?"
1t just would Somebody's been driv-
ing down a hard bullet with it
so think Now take this stone and
throw it straight over that gap into the
middle of the copse and I'll mark where
it seems to fall"
He threw it, and marked the spot. we
found our way into the jungles; and there,
within few yards of the stone, under the
long leaves, we found what we sought-the
remains of a native, stripped entirely OF
flesh and skin except on the hands and
feet, and with a great gaping wound i'll the
skull and in the inside, which the ants
had perfectly cleaned out, was large
piece of the breach Of the burst gun that
he had by his side
The whole evidence was there two
empty cartridge cases ; another No =
bullet; eight untouched cartridges. 1t was
clear enough that the man, whoever he
was, had taken the captains gun and in
putting in two charges of powder. rammed
down the too large bullet with the blows
of the stone on the now bruised end of the
ramrod and the loud report that all the
witnesses spoke of was as loud as the sim
ultaneous report of the discharge of three
charges of powder could make it, While
the want of force in the bullet was ac-
counted for by the bursting Of the gun.
We took home the skull and the burst
rifle, and the cartridge cases, together with
some remnants of clothing and we there
found out the intended murderer to have
been one of the cyces, or grooms of the
captain, that he had horse-whipped month
before for ill-using a horse Of which he
had charge.
OF course there was new trial ordered
and, and as the evidence was unquestion-
able, Gerald was discharged.
Did he leave the regiment ,"
Not a bit-Why should he? The men
worshipped him, and the officer who was
wounded was invalided and he and his
comrades managed matters among them 30
well that at the first parade Of the reei-
ment, in Calcutta, some six months after
wards, the old colonel presented to the men
a new officer, Captain Ashton, adding, - II
he makes half as good an officer as he did
a soldier there will not be a better in her
malesty's service
And your sister Margaret?
"Oh, I've just sent little case lined
with velvet, and something inside engraved |
. William Gerald Ashton, from his affec- !
tionate uncle Once A Week.