The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-08-19

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ed determined face, surmounted by |
small cap, glittering with single golden
tassel. The young warrior bestrode mag
n6cent charger, broad in the chest, small
10 the head, delicate In each slender limb,
n viii nosir quiverng as though they
SHOT forth jets OF flame. That steed was
black as DEATH
Without word, the soldier turned to
his men,
Eighty-four forms, with threats and
breasts bare, eighty four battle horses,
eighty-four sabres, that rose IN the clutch
OF naked arms, and flashed their tighten
ing over eighty-four faces. knit In every
feature with battle fire.
Men, follow |" shouted the young COM
maader, who had beeen created soldier
by the hand Of Jackson, as his tall form
rose In the styrrups and the battle breeze
PLAYED with his long black hair.
There was no response In words, but
you should have seen those horses culver
beneath the spur, aud spring and launch
away. Down upon the sod with one ter
rible beat, came the sounds of their hoofs,
while through the air rose in glittering cir
cles those battle scimetars.
-Four yards in front rode May, himself
and his horse the object of a thousand eyes,
SO certain was the death that doomed be-
fore HIM; proudly in his warrior beauty he
rode that steed his hair foated from be-
meath his cap in raven curls upon the
wind.
He turns his head-his men see his
face with his stern lip and knit brow
they feel the fire of his eyes they hear
not Men forward !'-but Men follow y
and away, like an immense battle engine
composed of eighty four men aud horses,
woven together by swords-away and on
they dash.
They near the ravine; old Taylor fol
lows them with hushed breath, aye, clutch
Ing hl, sword hit, J sees the golden tas-
SCI OF May 6 Gaming IN the canton fla +.
They are on the verge OF the rayIne,
May still IN front. his charger flnging The
earth from among the the cannon, star
up half-cad f. red with blood and
begrlmmed with powder.
1t Is Rldgley, y no TO day has sworn to
wear mantle of Rnggold, and to wear 1t
Well? AT once his eyes catch the light
now blazing In the eyes of May, and
sprlnglng to the cannon he shouts
Que momenf, my comrades, aGd [ will
draw tneIr fire j.
The word is not passed from lis lips
when his cannon speaks out to the battery
across the ravine. His flash, his smoke
have not gone, but bark /! Did you hear
that storm OF copper balls clatter against
his cannon? Did you see it dig the earth
beneath the hoofs of Mays squadron?
Men follow y Do you see that face
cleaning With battle fire, that scimetar
cutting Its glltterirg circle in the cir?
Those men can hold their shouts no longer,
rending the air with cries. Hank ! The
whole army echo them They strike their
spurs, and worried into madness, their
horses whirl on and thunder away to the
deadly ravine.
The old man Taylor said, after the bat
tie, that he had never felt his b oart beat as
it did then. For it was glorious sight to
see that young man, May, at the head of
his squadron, dashing across the ravine,
four yards in advance of his foremost man,
while long and dark behind him was
stretched the solid line of warriors and
their steedS.
Through the windows of the clouds some
CLEANS of sunlight falI-they light the
golden tassels on the cap-they glitter on
the appraised sword they illumne the
dark horse and his rider with their warm
glow-they reveal the battery-you see it
dUONo Tie iuFtHeE DdIlk Oh tnc TdVl0S,
tros ding death from every muZze
Nearer and nearer, up and on! Never
heed the death before you, though it is
certain. Never mind the leap, though it
is terrible. But up the bank and over the
cannon-hurrah AT this dread moment,
just as his horse rises for the charge, May
turns and sees the sword Of the brave Inge
On his right. turns again and reads his own
soul written in the fire Of Sacket's eye.
"COME!"
They did come. 1t would have made
your blood dance to see it. As one man
they whIrled up the bank, following May
sword as they would banner, and striking
maGIy home as they heard through the
roar of battle they heard it-that word of
frenzy, come.
As one mass Of barred chests, leaping
horses and dazzling cimeters, they charged
upon the bank; the lannon's fire rushed
into their faces; lnge, even as his shout
rang on the air, was laid a mangied thing
beneath his steed, his throat torn open by
cannon shot. Sacket was buried beneath
his horse, and seven dragoous fell at the
battery's muzzie, their blood and brains
whirlcd into their comrades eyes
Still May is yonder, above the cloud, his
morse rloung over the heaps OF dead, as
with his sabre circliug round his flowing
hair, he cuts his way through the living
wall, and says to his comrades-"C ome!"
'Al around him, friend and foe their
swords locked together-yonder the blaze
Of musketry showering the iron hail upon
his band--beneath his horses feet the
deadly cannon and CHASTITY corpse, still that
young soldier rides on, for Taylor has said,
SILENCE that battery" and he will do it.
The Maxlcans are driven from their
guns; their cannons are sienc d, and May S
heroic band, scattered among the maz IS of
the chapparel, are cntanglel in wall of
bayonets. Once more the combat deepens,
and dyes the sod of blood. Hedged in by
wall of steel, May gathers eight of his
men, and hews his way back to the captur-
ed battery. As his charger roars, his
sword circles over his head. and sinks blow
after blow in the foeman' Threats. To the
left shout Is heard, the Americans, led
on by Graham, Plealgnton and Winsh 2,
have slenced tie battery there, while the
whole fury of the Mexican army seems con
centrated to crush May and bis band.
As he went through their lock ed ranks,
so he comes back. Everywhere hi, men