, 1877-12-30

GABRIELLA'S GRATITUDE.


london Sncfety.
"Now, Mai. Tanfylde, your tale, II you
please-'' .
- uy tale9' repeated the gz1zzlcd warrior,
wrtnkling I'D his hard mahogany features into
most upromantic grin; 'd'ye think Tire ever
hccn . man to danglc upstairs aud down
stairs, ena in my lady's chamber. Not II
uI'm not SO sure about that. But a tale we
must have, aud OF love and Of Christmas, too"
4 sudden change came over the War-worn
Major: .
.sOf love and Of Christmas, too,'' he muttcr-
I'd to himself, and then went on more loudly,
~ forgot; hare such tale, and you shall
hear it. Dye see that scara"
He surcad out on the table his brown sincwy
right hand, palm downwards. aud with his lcft
foretingcr he pointed to dark purple ring in
4he flesh, round which the skin was slightly fur
royed and uneven; but save when direct attcn-
1;on was called to the mark, and under good
1ipht. it would not hare been much observed
- III tell you the tale OF that,'' he went on;
aand !nurh good may it do the hot-blooded
youngsters"
.fancy TO yourselves bleak October morn
;n- the twilight OF carly day which is worse than
NJ iirlt at all, OF, at least, is more imposing;
fast-lowiug and winding river. whence arises
dense, clamnly, white mist shroudtng all things
frovn REV: thick scrub running down the pre-
c;ntous banks to the very waters edgei SOM
Ire background OF lofty rugged mountains; and
a m,dy Of armed men sleeping souDdly as they
iie, like the shected dead. rolled in their coarse
cray blankets under the shelter OF the woods
1,,i.. the course of the rapid stream.
4 few sentries here and there in advance,
RI whom was one-1, q commissioned officer
in 1lcr Majesty's army, home from China on
long leave, and spending 1t, or wasting it, as
volunteer in Garibaldi's army Of 1850.
Through Sicily had We come, yictors in every
Grht: through Calabria, which offered us no re-
s;stapcc; to Naples, the Bourbon Capital, that
ftl without an exchange Of shots; and SO on to
thc banks .. the Eolturno, in front OF Capua,
wherein lay belcaguercd the army OF Francis H.,
whilom King OF the Two Siclies, aud now fight
inv desperately to regain his throne
- :. shrill vet not loud. whistle from the left
fc1 on nv ear, electually dispelling the drowsi-
ness INDUCED by the nipping air OF daybrcaK,
and by the drcarr watch, which had now lasted
e;ucc nliuuight,-a long 'scntry-go,' but such
was the c'1ston1 there and then.
..{nsta,tay became rigid as ratnrOd, and
brought .ny rifle to the Sprcsent.' Out of the
dcnsrncss Of the white mist doomed figure
ramiy coming in my direction.
.tStand. or Gren cried !, in my own tongue,
for. # must tell the truth. was taken rather
unawarcs, and forgot to challenge in Italian:
T.. Bos.i, old fellow; it's only me-Willy
Mountjoy-'
nost,' asked /, slliycring with cold, and no lit
lie anuoyed at the loss of dignity as indicated
in tbs ircc-an1-easy reply to my formidable
SUMMONS.
Ws'i, ! heard most distinctly horse
=. More likely q donkey bra5ing-to his
~ Funny dog! No. it was n horse neieh!ng,
md there were certainly no horses in front OF
our lines last evening. Besides that, thought
- i soldier has no business to Think was
nv stupid interruption.
:: But as happen to be sailor, do think.
1hcari as plain as hcanyorr voice, a-a-sort
o[-wcl, arow.'
4 row! What was it like!'
s.sNell, can't say exactly-somethtng like
VIXEN the purser's people are rolling CASKS
about the decks, and you arc trying to get to
sleep il YOUR watch below
-; 4 ru,s5!:.. noisc:'
t''ies; q low, heavy, rumbllng no1se-out tnat
way
.:dc pointed with his finger to our left half
'front.' lust wncre Cdpua lay. but of course we
could sec nothing for the trick mist.
''.Come back to your post with me- L said,
tand We will listcn.'
ave did so,-not sound. placed my ear
on thu ground. and in q few seconds jumped
up again on my feet
-. Good heayens!' cried, it is the rumble OF
artiller5!'
1
we'll say now, rs later, had not long before re-
ceiyed his Licutcuant's swab in tho English
Royal Navy, and had come out to Italy with me
by way OF a lark while waiting ap-
at his post, with strict injunctions to be
on the q,ei rte. I ran back through the wood to
the wretened shanty where the guard were
living, and told the officer in command smart
Gcnoese, who had seen good deal OF actlTe
scryice-my suspicious, nay, my certainty, that
1,.11c
leading from Capua to St. Angelo, where our
main body OF Garibaldiui lay. Hastily hee
turned out the whole OF his men, advanced
them in loose order, and as swiftly though
silently as possible, far beyond the post Of my
friend and ehurn, Willy Nountioy, and III a
quarter of an hour we had ample evidence that q
large body OF infantry cavalry, and artillery were
en- route in the direction have mentioned Inc
alarm was passed with the speed OF lightning
along the whole Garibaldian line, aud in less
than thirty minutes the guns Of the attacking
NeapoIita1s roarel out the shotted salyoes which
saiutcd the commencement of the desperate
battle Of the Noturno
.iDof7t think Pm going to lnfict on you q
sort Of special correspondents report OF that
plucky fight; all l have to say about 1t can be
hacked in q short sentence, viz, It lasted 1oI
eight hours, and at the end OF it the hing aud
his army we're driven h=ltcr-skcltcr back to
Capua, the artillery Of which fortress alone
saved them from utter rout ..
t.Wcll, no, 1t was not there got that scar
wait, and you shall know all about it. But
ras nicEed,-a Inuskct-baH through the thtcR
of this left arm here; while Willy Moutjov was
rrcsentetl with q sabre-wound-a sweeping cut
IL the ribs from Ncapolitan dragoon-that
would have probably finished him had not Q
casll-bc!t, which he wore round his waist and
next his skin, turned away the weapon and pre-
vented serious mischief. Those two wounds VIC
rctciyed, much about the same moment. on tue
far bank OF the Eoturno, which party of lis
had crossed in hopes Of defeating flank move
n,cut that the cnc.nr we're attempting towards
the close of the engagement; both OF US we're,
so II speak, completely knocked out OF time,
and believe wc gave ono another up 1or oead,
as men arc apt to do under similar circuu1.
stances. Before our comrades advanced
farther, two OF them had roughly bound up our
wounds, had bidden us be OF good heart unit
they returned, and then had rushed forwards
with the wild ringing EUz'ira Gdribaldi! which
seemed to fire the very blood Of the General's Z
enthusiastic followers.
.+Thcy never returned; Tor the NeapoltanS
tool, to the mountains trendlng round anu
rcaryards in the direction OF Madoa
Joni; and when the pursuit WIS over,
aud the latter lad led out Ut slsht,
our detachment made its way back
10 st. Angelo by another route,-cleau forget
linz all about Willy Mountjoy and myself.
1--WE lay on the ground under some trees-aI
times half unconscious. at times uozn.r III
times stupctted with the pain Of our "ouncs-
mill night began to fall, when tho sharp, cnll
air cifectually aroused us. Then, despalt1ng