Litchfield enquirer., 1872-12-05
BULkET- T-MARkS.
4 WIMBLEDON STORY.

We were sitting round our tent one evening last year, at Wimbledon.-the Eve" 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.
 Heres my last bull's-eye," and the sergeant produced from his cap-pouch 8 fattened bullet, turned inside out as neat ly as possible.
 "Whst's the cause of all that, I won- de1," said the corporal
 "You see," said the captain,-being an engineer he was bound to know,-"when the point of the bullet strikes the target, part of the lead is melted by the develop ment of heat caused by the sudden arrest of the bullets motion, and goes of in the splash, the rest of the bullet Is softened by the heat; and inasmuch as the parts must stop in their order of succession, the edge of the cup of the bullet is driven in level with the base of the cup. Is that 90, Major?"
 s'Yes, quite right; but, if you like, I can spin you yarn about these said bull lets, that may just last out these weeds"
 "Well. let's have it."
 had 8 sort of second-cousin. Gerald Ashton, who had been brought up with myself and my sister, my father being his guardian.
 We had all been like brothers and sister when one day he woke up to find he could not live without 8 nearer relationship to her. He spoke to the old gentleman, and there was little family fracas.
 He had only hundred year, and my father did not think that was enough, though Gerald did; there was no objec- tion at all in other respects,-let him earn some more and they would see,-wait 8 ittle,-you know the kind of thing an old gentleman would say. We'll, it was of no use. He said he felt himself burden; there was no scope for his energies, and he would go.-and go he did.
 I urged upon him that he should get something to do. He had been we'll edu- cated, and clerkship, or something of the kind, could be got for him if he still resolved not to go on at the hospital.
 No,-he would go. There was only one thing he did do we'll, that was shoot; and he would carry his abilities to a market where they would be appreciated. And SO, at the mature age of twenty-two he left us, his profession, his home, and his prospects.
 He disappeared, and six months after we heard he was with, say the 10th Ora goons, in India.
 We wrote, and offered to buy his dis charge, but he would 'thave none of us. |" He liked it very we'll; was already corpo- ral; expected the three stripes soon; and was ''Gentleman Jack" with his com rades. Some six months after this was sent out to India with company; and as my sister was getting thin, and showing oth- CT signs of the desirability of sea-voy- age, and os 8 warm climate, it was agreed l should take her over.
 We reached Calcutta, and in few weeks settled down.
 There was war going on, and | was placed in charge of one of the chief de- pots for small arms and ammunition, be- sides having my regular duties with the company.
 One day was down at the store, when my sister arrived, pale and breathless. ''Look, Charles, poor Gerald's in dread ful trouble.'
 put her in an office chair, and took the newspaper, and read,- Yesterday evening as an officer of the i 40th Dragoon Guards was returning to camp he was shot at from behind a clump of bushes; the bullet struck him in the thigh and lodged in the saddle. Although wounded so severely he had sufficient presence of mind to ride straight to the bushes, and there found one of his own men, . corporal of the troop, nicknamed s'Gentleman Jack" by his comrades, whose l rife was still smoking from the discharge Fortunately, at this moment, the guard l arrived, and the man was at once arrested A court-martial will, of course, be held at l once, and, although the man has previous ly borne good character and is report ed to be respectfully connected, it is to be hoped he will receive the proper re- ward for SO abominable crime"
 "O," said, tsthis is all nonsense. Ger aids no murderer, or else he's very much changed. I'll see what they say at head quarters"
 "Do, for Gods sake, go. If anything happened to Gerald should never forgive myself, for if had run away with him l when>papa was so cruel, he never would have enlisted at all. "
 Don't talk nonsense, Meggie, but go home, and I'll come with the telegraph news"
 Iwent to headquarters; they gave me permission to use the telegraph for q question or two. The report was not en- oouraging.
 It was GOT Gerald, ,-the officer had seen the fash and heard the report, t,-an ex- I tremely loud report, as if there had been 4 two charges of powder in the carbine.
 The bullet was found in the saddle, and one cartridge wss missing from his twen-