The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-01
BROUGHT TO BAY.
AN ENGLISH OFFICERS STORY.

AS you may be quite sure, being only
nineteen, was most tremendously anxious
to get my commission, and when at last |
was gazetted to the 20lth Foot, | did not
give my tailor much rest till my uniform
and the paraphernalia of my outfit were
sent home.
Care say, to the old and sage, it is very
ridiculous but to me it was glorious, that
first putting on of military garments. The
bedroom door was locked / was quite
alone. There was a tall cheval glass by
the bedside, and what was there to prevent
me from strutting about, as scarlet in the
face almost as my tightly buttoned tunic :?
1t did not fit me perfectly, knew but
having it altered would necessitate its being
taken away, and that idea was insupporta-
bic So kept my things just as they
were, and in the hot stage Of scarlet fever
in which | then was, the fact of my regi-
ment being ordered out to China did not
give me much uneasiness for even in
Chinese war there did not seem much
cause for discomfort, since | believed that
the British could chase the barbarians by
the thousand.
will not trouble you with the account of
our long journey out, and our landing in
the Celestial Empire. Let it suffice when
tell you that upon our arrival it was to find
hostilties in full progress, and, boy as |
was, had to take my turn with the rest,
smelt powder, heard the whiz of bullets,
and saw my smart uniform soiled with mud
and filth.
1t was hot work in both senses of the
word. Now we were wading in river-bed
or creek, with the blazing sun above us,
and the rank, steamy heat rising from the
slime now we were storming mud fort,
or chasing the enemy over the swampy
rice-fields or through canebrakes while the
next day, perhaps, we were accompanying
some footing expedition.
At last, after making pretty good pro-
gress up the country, we stormed town,
which | will call here l4ing-Po. 1t had been
a pretty tough job, for the mud walls had
been held by strong party of Braves
However, at last, the day was ours the
Braves were supposed to be driven out, and
we had taken possession, the men distribute
ing themselves pretty well over the place,
and was along with half dozen of the
bandsmen, who were on their way TO the
place chosen for headquarters, there to de-
post their instruments previous to going
upon ambulance duty, the helping Of the
wounded beng, as perhaps you are aware,
the duty OF the bandsmen in time of war.
We were rather ndiflerently armed, the
bandsmen having only those short, Roman
looking swords-very blunt ones too-and
though | had my sword and revolver, /
had received hasty thrust through the
right arm from the spear of a Bravo
hurt which necessitated the wounded limb
haipnr ,al ,,, eli L.. II
more sick and faint than | cared to own
amongst men who would have looked upon
my injury as a mere scratch.
The town was evidently large. densely
populated place, full of crooked lanes,
streets, and blind alleys, among which we
kept wandering for quite an hour before
we were compelled to own that we had lost
our way.
eff yen be kind enough to take the lads,
Mr.. Grey, We'll folly YEP said one of the
me and scratching his puzzled pate.
''Pm ready enough to lead, Dennis. y /
said; shut Pm about done up for want Of
little water. / was thinking of asking
you to carry me.o
''I'm thinking, sir, that we may just as
we'll sit down in the shade and wait, for the
headquarters is just as likely t. come to
us, as we are to get to it. A bigAlace like
this would puzzle map-maker.o
81 thought I'd tell you, sir, that there's
couple of Chinese been following us for
the last five minutes" said another of the
men, sand faint as if we had rifles"
/ looked uneasily back down the long,
narrow, sun-glared street, but there was
not a soul visible. All was still as death,
save for a distant shot or two, which seemed
to come from quite another part of the
town, and to indicate that the fighting
was not entirely at an end. The houses on
either hand were closely suffered and
presented the most blank of aspects, and
though we scanned the windows above, not
a watching face was visible.
- could not help owning that, should we
be attacked by some detached body of the
Braves, our chances would be very small
and should have blamed myself for want
of care, had not the difficulty of finding
ones way through such q wilderness be-
came more and more evident at each stride
we took.
''It's my belafe, sir, that Corporal Smiths
lading us entirely wrong," said the Irish
man, speaking again.
"Lead yourself, then,o said the corpo-
raj, grufiiy, as he tuckedhis large ophicleide
beneath his arm, and paused to wipe the
perspiration from his forehead.
81 tell you what, sir" said another man
Jour best cornet player tive had better
make dash for it L don't like the look of
this at all. Win you order retreat ?"
'Why, what's wrongw said / testify,
for all the time there was a dizzy sensation
in my head, and the street looked misty be-
fore my eyes.
''We are being lodged, sir, and no mis-
take !; and if we take refuge III one of these
houses, we shall perhaps only be burned
QUIZ
Trying to rouse myself, [ hurriedly took
glance at our position We were EVIDENT
ly in one of the lower parts ofthe town; and
the street wherein we were was one of the
narrowest had seen since in the country.
Every here and there alleys ran off at right
angles, but each apparently ended in cul-
de-sac, and to enter one of them might
have been like running into a gin, from
which there was no means of eXtricatmg
ourselves. To make matters worse, too.
there was at one end of the street. the CLINT
of arms and moment after four or five
Braves showed themselves for a moment,
and then disappeared.
Fortunately, the peril that threatened our
little party seemed to clear my head from
the misty sensation; and tried to devise
some plan for immediate execution.
"They will come upon us suddenly from
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