The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-08-15
Taking Things Coolly.

Some of the many instances of extra
ordinary GOODNESS in the midst of danger
and otherwise that have been recorded,
are here offered to our readers, together
with some amusing sayings and doings.
When gallant Ponsonby lay previously
wounded on the field of Waterloo, he for
got his own desperate plight while watch
ing an encounter between couple Of
French lancers and one of his own men,
cut of from his troop. As the French
men came down upon Murphy, he, using
his sword AS if il weIe a stillelagh,
knocked their lancers alternately aside
again and again. Then suddenly setting
spurs t. his horse, he gallopod off full
speed, his eager foes following in hot
pursuit. but not quite neck and neck.
Wheeling round at exactly the right mo-
ment, the Irishman, rushing at the fore
most fellow, parted his lance and struck
him down. The second, pressing on to
avenge his comrade, was cut through
diagona.iy by Murphy's sword, falling to
the earth without q cry or groan; while
the victor, scarcely glancing at his handi
work. trotted off whistling Tie Grinder.
PJusouby's brave cayaIry-man knew
how 10 take things c0o.ly, which, accord
inc to Colonel r. p Anderson, is the
special virtue Of the British man-of-wGr,
who, having the utmost reliance in him.
self and his commanders Is neither east
IL over excited or readily alarmed. In
support f his assertion, the colonel re-
lates how two tars, strolling up from the
Dil-kusha Park, where Lord Cyde's
army was stationed, towards the Resi-
dency position at Lucknow, directed
their steps by the pickets If horse and
foot. Suddenly, a twenty-tOur pound shot
struck the road just in front Of them.
"I'm blessed, Bill said one Of the tars.
IF this here channe. is properly buoyed y"
and on the happy 60 lucky pair went to-
wards the Residency, as calmly a, If they
had been on Portsmout Hard. During
the same siege, very young private OF
the 1924 was on sentry, when an eight
inch shell, fired from gun a hundred
yards eff, burst close 10 him, making a
deal Of noise ana throwing up an I'M
mense quantity of earth Colonel An
derson rushed to the spot. The youthful
soldier was standing quietly at his post,
close to where the shell had Just ex-
ploded. Being asked what had hap
penod, he replied uncoucerningly 81
think a shell has bursted sir"
Towards the close Of the fight Of Ink
ermann, Lord Raglan, returning from
taking leave of General Strangways, met a
sergeant carrying water for the wounded.
The sergeant drew himself up to salute.
when a round-shot came bounding over
the hill, and knocked his forage cap out
of his hand. The man picked il up.
busted it on his knee, placed it carefully
on his head, and made the salute, not a
musc,e of his countenance moving the
while. "A neat thing, that my man o.
said L 20 Raglan. Yes my lord re
turned ,hc sergeant, with another salute
''but miss Is as good as Il mile" The
commander was probably not surprised
by such an exhibition OF sang fr0id, be
ing himself good that way. He was bad
" hu at Waterloo; and, says the Prince
of Orange, who was in the hospital, Il
was not conscious Of the presence of
Lord Ftzroy Somerset until heard him
call out in his ordinary tone: "Hollo /.
Don't carry that arm away till have
taken oil my ring" Neither wound nor
operation had extorted groan from his
lips.
The Indian prides himself upon TAX
ing good or i'll in the quietest ways; and
from q tale told in Mr. Marshal's Cana
dian Domiaioa, his civilized half brother