The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-06-29
SHE nlBlHE.
Official City and County Paper
BROUGHT TO BAY
AN ENGLISH OFFICERS STORY.

AS you may be quite sure. being only
nineteen. [ was most tremendously anx-
ions to get my commission, and when at
last I was gazetted TO the 2045h Foot.
I did not give my tailor much rest till
my uniform and the paraphernalia of my
outfit were sent home.
I dare say, to the old and sage, 1t is
very ridiculous: Tut to me Ii was glori-
Gus, that FIRST putting on of military gar
ments. The bedroom door was locked
/ was quite alone. There was tall
eheval glass by the bedside, and what
was there to prevent from strutting
about, as scarlet in the face almost as my
tightly buttoned tunic? It did not fit
me perfectly, / knew; but having it al
tered would necessitate its being taken
away, and that idea was insupportabla.
So | kept my things just as they were,
and in the hot stage Of scarlet fever in
which J then was, the fact Of my regi-
ment being ordered to China did not
give me much uneasiness; for even in a
Chinese war there did not seem much
cause for discomfort, since [ believed that
the British could chase the barbarians by
the thousand.
[ viii not trouble you with the account
of orr long journey out, and our land
ing in the Celestial Empire. Let it suf-
fee when | tell you that upon our arri-
val it was to find hostilities in full pro-
gress, and, boy as | was, [ had to take
my turn with the rest, smell powder,
heard the whiz of bullets, and saw my
smart uniform soiled with mud and
filth.
It was hot work in both senses Of the
word. Now we were wading in river
bed OF oru0h, with. the blazing sun above
US, and the rank, steamy heat rising
from the slime now we were storming
a mud fort, or chasing the enemy oyer
the swampy rice. fields or through cane
brakes; while the next day, perhaps,
we were accompanying some looting ex-
petition.
At last, ate. making pretty good pro-
gress up the country. we stormed a town
which | viii call here Ling Pc. It had
been a pretty tough job, for the mud
walls had been held by a strong party of
Braves. However, at last, the day was
ours; the Braves were supposed TO have
been driven out, and we had taken po-
secession, the men distributed themselves
pretty well oyer the place, and l was
along with half a dozen of the bandsmen,
who were on their way to the place chos-
en- for headquarters, there to deposit
their instruments previous to going upon
ambulance duty the helping of the
wounded being, as perhaps you are
aware, the duty Of the bandsmen In time
of war.
Wa@were rather indiferently armed,
The bandsman having only those short
Roman.l looking swords-very blunt ones
too-and though ] bad my sword and
revolver, I had received a nasty thrust
through the right arm from the spear Of
a Brave hurt which necessitated the
wounded limb being carried in sling,
and made me feel more SEX aud faint
than | cared to own amongst men who
would have looked upon my injury as a
mere scratch.
The town was evidently large, dense
y populated place, full of crooked lanes,
streets. aud blind alleys, among which
we kept wandering for quite an hour,
before we We're compelled to own that we
had lost our way.
eff yen be kind enough to take the
-r--e'rvy, re u i0Iiy ye, SAID 0n2
of the bandsmen, turning suddenly round
upon me and scratching his puzzled
pate.
TIN ready enough to lead, Dennis,
said [; ''but I'm about done up for
want of a little water. [ was thinking of
asking you folks to carry me-"
I'm thinking, sor, chat we may just
as well sit down in the shade and wait.
for the headquarters is just as likely to
come to uz as we are to get to it.-A big
place ike this would puzzle map-mak-
err.
Il thought I'd tell you, sir, that
there's a couple of Chinese been follow
ing Us for the last FIVE minutes" said
another Of the men, 'aud 'tain' as if we
had rifles.
| looked uneasily back down the long,
narrow, sun-glared street, bat there was
net soul visible. All was as still as
death, save for distant shot OF two,
which seemed to come from quite an
other part of the town, aud to indicate
that the fighting was net entirely at an
end. The houses on either hand were
closely shattered, and presented the
most blank of aspects, and though we
scanned the windows above, not watch
ing face was visible.
| could not help owning that, should
we be attacked hy 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 one's way through such vii
derness become more and more evident
or aacb srri1a vra 4,fL
It's ny belafe, SCR that Corporal
Smith lading Us entirely wrong" said
the 1tishman, speaking again.
Lead. yourself. them" said the cor
poral, gruffiy, as he tucked his large