Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-10-07

enemy. The night chosen by Raymond
to desert had come-a cold, rainy night
bringing with it melancholy thought; we
were to fight the next day Toward md
,yht, just rs l was falling asleep Ray.
mo.,d entered my tent. 4te
:" Basilr he whispered in my ear.
"'Who is thereof 3a'n {la
at is l. Adieu" ll
GO You are going already?"
eyes. Goodbye and he grasped my
arm. Listen he continued. Ii. as we
expect, there should be battle to mor-
row, and If we meet it
Z" understands we are friends.' iloi
" Well, we will embrace each other
and continue to fight, each on his own
side. As for myself shall surely die,
for will not leave the field without hav-
| ing my revenge on the Colonel. AS for
you, Basil, do not expose yourself too
much. Gloryi You see what itis-smoke.'
| land lifes' as 6f ..
l"' Yes, you are right. Become COM
flanders continued Raymond, raising his
voice. The pay-that is a more serious
matter-rum, tobacco pretty women.
Alas everything is over for mep
"'Good God! what are you thinking
Off said |, quite overcome. We both
| OF us have made more than one narrow
| escape already e,,,...s
y" Well, then, let us name a place to
meet after the engagement
Wherever you please f"i q
In the hermitage of st. Nicholas, at
| one o'clock at night, If one Of us is not
| there it will be because he could not come !;
he will be dead, Is it agreed ?"
Perfectly. Farewell, thenn i'tji
"' Farewellr a3lJa u3d ga. -ai
We threw ourselves in each others
arms; then Raymond disappeared in the
| shades of night.
g AS we feared, or, rather, as we had
tOreseen, the rebels attacked us the next
day. The action was hot, and lasted from
three O'Clock in the afternoon until even
ing. Once only in the melee did catch a
glimpse Of my friend Raymond he wore
on his head the little berett0 of the Car
lists. They had already named him com
mander; he had killed our Colonel. My
luck was not so good. | was made prisoner
by the enemy.
1t was one O'Clock in the morning,
the hour of my rendezvous with Ray
mond. found myself shut up in room
used as prison, and in the heart of a
small village then occupied by the Car.
lists / asked about Raymond. 0
go He is brave fellow they answered
me; he has killed Colonel, but he must
be dead .t... .,sg .f.s
GO Why 500
"' Because he has not come back
Oh, how much suffered that night!
A hope, however, still remained; Ray.
mond had undoubtedly waited for me at
the hermitage, and that was the reason
they had not seen him again. How anx-
ious he must have been at not finding me
at the rendezvous | thought to myself
He believes am surely killed; and, in
fact, is my last hour SO far off? The Car
lists shoot all their prisoners; to morrow
| must die. 1t is true that Raymond will
return before-but if l die to-day! My
God my God! | am losing my headr
"Dawn broke upon me while in the
midst Of these reflections. A chaplain
entered my prison; all my companions
were sleeping.
:" l must die!'I exclaimed on seeing
he priest.
"' Yesr he answered gently
"What! alreadyy Y.-
go No; in three hours
"A moment later my companions were.
awakened. A thousand cries, a thousand
sobs, q thousand curses echoed through
the prison.
"A man about to die ordinarily seizes
one fixed idea and clings to it. Night
mare, fever or madness, that is what hap
pened TO me. The thought of Raymond.
took possession of my mind; | saw him
living, | saw him dead-sometime strug-
Cling in the melee, sometimes waiting for
me at the hermitage. ] was deaf, dumb,
nsensible--idlotic, in fact.
"They took off my officers uniform
and put on the cap and hood of a private
soldier on me; then with my twenty COM
panions marched toward death. From
this number only one, a musician, was to
escape his doom. The Carlists spared the
lives of musicians, not only because these
poor devils were scarcely to be feared in
battle, but also because they themselves
wanted to form bands Of music for their
own battalions."
And YOU were musician, Master Ba-
sill; that is what saved you'll" exclaimed
the young folks in one voice.
"No, my children, +" replied the vetei an;
Il was not musician. The Carlists drew
up in line of battle. One platoon was de-
tached, the platoon of execution, and we
was given to me- | should thus be the
tenth man to die. Then ! thought of my
wife and my daughter-of your mother
and of you, my child.
The execution began. AS my eyes
were bandaged l could not see my com
panions. l wanted to count the shots that
| might know when my turn came, but
before the third report lost the count.
"Ah, those gun shots l shall hear
them always. They seemed to resound
far away, very far away, and all at once
TO burst within my head. The reports fol-
lowed each other, however