Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-03-12
The Starp-Teller.
RJJILET MARKS.
A WIMBLEDON STORY.

A WIMBLEDON STORY.
We were sitting around our tent one evening last
year at Wimbledon-the "we," being our major,
the captain and sub of our company, his covering
sergeant corporal Williams, and certain sapper,
to-wit, myself. We were drinking pale ale, and
smoking, as was every one else in the hundred
tents around us.
sHere's my last bull's-eye," and the sergeant
produced from his cap-pouch fattened bullet
turned inside out as neatly as possible.
"What's the cause of all that, wonder, said the
corporal.
"You see," said the captain-beipg 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 tie bullets motion, and goes of in the
splash, the rest of the bullet is softened by the
heat: and inasmuch as ths parts must stop In their
order of succession the edge of the cup OF the bu
let is driven in level with the base Of the cup.
that so, Major?'' -.
eyes, quite right; but if you like, lean spin you
warn about these said bullets, that may just last
out these weeds. "
'sWen, let's have it. " 81.
had a sort of second-cousin, Gerald Ashton,
who had been brought up withsmysef and my SIS
ter, my father being his guardian.
We had all been like brothers and sisters, when
one day he woke up to find he could not live with
out nearer relationship to her. He spoke to the
old gentleman and there was little family fracas'
he had only a hundred year, and my father
did not think that was enough, though Gerald did
there was no objection at all in other respects-let
him earn some more and they would see-wait a
little-you know the kind Of thing an old gentle
man would say. Well, it was Of no use. He said
he felt himself burden; there was no scope tor
his energies, and be would go-and go he did,.
urged upon him that he should get something
to do. He had been well educated, and clerk
ship, or something of the kind, could be got tor
him if he still resolved not to 20 on at the hospital
No-he would go. There was only one thing he
did do well, that was shoot; and he would carry
his abilities to market where they would be ap-
preciated. And so, at the mature age Of twenty
two, he left us, his profession, his home, and MS
prospects. -,
He disappeared, and SIX months after we heard
he was with, say the 10th Dragons in India.
We wrote, and offered to buy his discharge, but
he would shave none of us" He liked it very
well; was already corporal; expected the three
stripes soon and was ''Gentleman Jack with MS
comrades.
Some six months after this was sent out to In
dia with company, and as my sister was getting
thin and showing other signs of the desirabiity Of
a sea-voyage and warm climate, it was agreed !
should take her over. ..s' q, ....',.
We reached Calcutta, and in a few weeks settled
down. .......,
There was war going on, ami MAS PLACED IN
charge of one of the chief depots for small arms
and ammunition, besides having my regular duties
with my company. :.
One day was down at the store, when my SIS
ter arrived. pale and breathless.
''Look, Charles, poor Gerald's in dreadful trou
ble.''
I put her into an Office chair, and took the news
paper and read o, ,o,
yesterday evening as an officer OF the 4otf
Dragons Guards was returning to camp, ne, Was
shot at from behind cump of bushes; the bullet
struck him in the thigh, and lodged in the saddle
Although wounded so severely, he had suthcien'
presence of mind to ride straight to the bushes
and there found one of his own men, corporal o.
the troop nicknamed Gentleman jack by hls
comrades, whose rifle was still smoking from the
discharge. Fortunately, atthis moment, the guaro
arrived, and the man was at once arrested. a
court,martia will, of course, be held at once, ano
although the man had previously borne a gooc
character and is reported to be respectfully connec
ted it is to be hoped he will receive the proper re-
g. hlo n
'sOh," said, ''this isall nonsense. Gerald S NJ
murderer, or else he's very much changed Ii
see what they say at headquarters
"Do for Gods sake. If anything happened II
Gerald should never forgive myself, for if ha'
run away with him when papa was so cruel, n
never would have enlisted at all.
sDon't talk nonsense, Meggie, but go home
and will come with the telegraph news"
Iwent to headquarters; they gave me permls
sion to use the telegraph for question or two
The report was not encouraging
1t was our Gerald-the officer had seen the ehasl
and heard the report-an extremely loud report
as if there had been two charges Of powder IN tn
carbine.
The bullet was found in the saddle, and one car
fridge was missing from his twenty rounds Court
martial had declared him guilty, and the general
confirmation of the sentence had just arrived. Fit
ty lashes in the camp square, and four years I'm
prsonment in the civil jail Sentence to be carrle
out on the 18th. Everybody was sorry, but quit
convinced he had tried to murder his superior OH
Ger. No one could understand with what motive
T did not know what to think; there was NOR
evidence forthcoming in day or two, when he ha
the papers
His statement in defence was that we had jus
been returning from guard, when he remembers
that he had forgotten to bring in book one OF tn
officers had asked him to bring in from the town
some three miles distant Without stopping t
think he walked off at once; got the book, and wa
within half mile of the camp, when he tancle
he saw tiger He got behind the bushes
watch, and saw one making for the distant camp
Anxious to secure the prize, he cautiously brok
open one of his packages, and loaded, to have
shot at it. He had covered the beast, and was nj
ing at the tiger, when he heard another repol
simultaneously with that of his own carbne. ID
saw the tiger roll right over as if shot, and the
bound away In another instant the officer cam
round the tope bleeding, and ordered him into al
rest. He was quite sure that he hit the tiger, an
equally sure that another rife was fred at the sam
moment that he pulled the trigger.
Of course such lame statement had no effect