The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-07-05
Select Story.
BULLET MARKS.
A WIMBLEDON STORY.

i"S '"ot year. aJ WlHDleuOn-tne we De-
ing, 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 everyone else in the hundred tents
around us.
Here's my last bulls eye and the ser.
geant produced from his cap-pouch ilatten.
ed bullet, turned inside out as nearly as pos.
sible. .
Whats the cause of all that, Il wonder
said the corporal. ,-is''aHh-r't
You see, said the captain being an en-.
gineer, he was bound to know-'when the
point of the bullet strikes the target part OF
the lead is melted by the development oi
heat caused by the sudden arrest of the bul.
let's motion, and goes Off in the splash, the
rest of the bullet is soitened by the heat
and inasmuch as the parts must stop in theil
order OF succession, the edge of the cup oi
the bullet is driven in level with the base OF
the cup. Is that so major {?
Yes, quite right; but if you like, can
spin you yarn about these said bullets
that may just cast out these weeds
well, let's have it,
had sort of second cousin, Gerald
Ashton, who had been brought up with nv.
self and my sister, my father being his
guardian.
We had all been like brothers and siste,
when one day he woke up to find he could
not live without nearer relationship to her
He spoke to the old gentleman, and there
was little family fracas.
He had only hundred year, and nv
father did not think that was enough though
Gerald did there was no object at all in
other respects-let him earn some more and
they would see-waiLa Il little--you know the
kind of thing an old gentleman would say.
Well, 1T was of no use. He said he felt him.
self burden there was no scope for his
energies, and he would go-and 90 he
did.
He disappeared, and in six months after
we heard he was with, say the Fortieth
Dragons, in India.
We wrote, and offered to buy bis discharge
but he wouldn't have none of us He
liked 1t very well was already corporal ;
expected the three stripes soon and was
Gentleman jack with his comrades.
Some six months after this was sent out
to India with company, and as my sister
was getting thin and showing other signs of
the desirability of a sea voyage, and of
warm climate, it was agreed I should take
her over
We reached Calcutta, and in a few weeks
settled down.
There was war going on, and was placed
in charge of one of the chief depots for
small arms and ammunition, besides 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 dreadful
trouble"
put her into an Office chair, and took
the newspaper and read
Yesterday evening as an officer of the
Fortieth Dragon Guards was returning to
camp he was fired 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 the presence of
mind to ride straight to the bushes, and
| there found one of his own men, corporal
Of the troops, nicknamed Gentleman jack
| by his comrades, whose rifle was still smok-
ing from the discharge. Fortunately, at
this moment the guard arrived, and the man
was once at arrested. A court martial will of
course be held at once, and although the
man had previously borne good character
and is reported to be respectfully connected,
it is to be hoped he will receive the proper
| reward for so abominablea crime
Oh | said, this is all nonsense. Gerald's
no murderer, or else he's very much changed.
I'll see what they say at headquarters
DO for Gods sake go. If anything hap
pens to Gerald | should never forgive my
self, for if / had run away with him when
papa was so cruel, he never would have en-
listed at all
Don't talk nonsense, ,Megge, but go home
and I'll come with the telegraph news
went to headquarters they gave me
permission to use the telegraph for ques-
tiOn or two. The report was not encourag-
ing.
1t was our Gerad-the officer had seen the
| flash and heard the repor.-an extremely
loud report, as if there had been two charg-
| es of powder in the carbine.
The bullet was found in the saddle, and
one cartridge was missing from his twenty
rounds. The court.martial had declared him
guilty. and the generals confirmation of the
sentence had just arrived. Fifty lashes in
the camp square and four years imprison-
ment in the civil jail. Sentence to be car
ried out on the 18th. Everybody was sorry,
but quite convinced he had tried to murder
his superior officer. No one could under
stand with what motive.
His statement in defense was that he had
just been returning from guard when he re-
membered that he had forgotten To bring in
| a book one of the officers had asked him to
bring in from the town some three miles dis
tant. Without stopping to think he walked
off at once, got the book, and was within
half mile of the camp, when he fancied he
saw tiger. He got behind the bushes to
watch, and saw one making for the distant
camp, Anxious to secure the prize, he in
cautiously broke open one of the packages,
and loaded to have shot at it. He had
covered the beast, and was firing at the IT,
ger, when he heard another report stimuli
taneously with that of his carbine. He saw
the tiger roll right over as if shot, and then
bound away. In another instant the officer
came round the top bleeding, and ordered
him into arrest. Hewas quite sure that he
hit the tiger, and equally sure that another
rifle vas fired as the same moment that he
pulled the trigger.
OF course such lame statement had No