The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-17

my pOChet. LIE oilly ldNoI, tHcIcioIe, MIliCH
now ask, is your obliging company as my
friend"
The affair came off; the weapons, rapiers
the time, that same afternoon; the field of
slaughter, retired spot beyond the Bar
racks, and not far from the Southern ex-
tremity of the Rock. Nevertheless, the bus
mess having got wind, few officers lounged
down to see; and several other persons, CT
villains as well as soldiers stood looking on
at distance.
The parties being placed, a few thrusts
were exchanged without effect The Cap
tain looked sulSy enough. 1t was evident
he keenly felt his ridiculous position; he, the
biggest man in the garrison stuck up Vis-a-
Wis in mortal combat with the least. The
poor man fenced as if he couldn't help him
self The little Frenchman, on the contrary,
was all activity and enterprise. At length,
after brisk passage of arms, the two stood
facing each other for a few seconds in per-
feet stiffness, their swords barely touching
at their extremities. Suddenly the little
Frenchman swelIed to twice his natural size,
stamped, shouted "Ha" sprang forward a
yard, sprang back again. 1t was done in
the twinking of an eye. There he STOOD
just in his former attitude, as though he had
never moved. At first was not aware OF
any result, but three inches of his sword had
taken effect, just as surely as when spider,
having Melted a wasp, jumps at him, nips,
and jumps away again. The Captain had
got an ugly probe in his sword arm, between
the wrist and the elbow. The first token was
that he used some shocking bad language;
next, he turned deadly pale; then his sword
gradually went down, down, down; then the
weapon fell from his grasp-he could hold it
no longer NJ. De Mentmanr, scorning to
profit by his success, bowed politely to his
antagonist, thanked him for the honor of
eds meeting" and expressed himself 'per-
feet satisfy"
The Captain was taken away by his Sec
ond, growing thunder, and followed by the
doctor. The officers present, with whom he
was far from popular, were not sorry that
he had got a lesson, and surrounded the
victor. A few words commendatory of M.
De Montmaur's pluck and skill took such an
effect that the little Lieutenant was quite be-
side himself. He gesticulated, he wept. He
called on Olympus to witness that no insult,
however gross, should ever induce him
henceforth to draw his sword, in single COM
bat, against the British uniform, and in
proof of his sincerity he entreated, he i'm
plored that some one present would only
have the kindness to kick him or pull his
nose, and see if he wouldn't take it like a
lamb. To prevent his making more COM
plete ass of himself 1 got him off the field,
gave him an early supper, with short al
lowance of grog, and sent him to bed.
Captain Schnaub, who, with all his little
peculiarties of character, was Jealous Off
Ger. appeared at his post on the third day
with a slung arm, and in a fortnight was
well.
So ends the first part of my story. Much
obliged; no more wine. I'll trouble you for
little of THAT. Thanks, only half tum-
bler-thank you, thank you. I'll just light
another cigar and proceed.
Meanwhile the siege went on. Compared
with their tremendous expenditure of pow
der and shot, the enemy did us very little
damage; and the whole garrison felt con-
WINGED that, unless provisions should fail,
which they never did entirely, we could keep
out our foes from the fortress for whatever
time they chose to remain before it. Mean
while, vainglorious and lively as ever, M. De
Montmaur remained with us, simply, as
suppose, because the besiegers had no pris-
oner of ours to exchange for him, or, if they
had prisoner, preferred exchanging him
for some one else.
In process of time, as the siege proceeded,
my post and duties were altered. There was
reason to suspect that certain residents in
Gibraltar, Spaniards, or others who favored
the foe, were in the habit of concealing
IuoiuSelNeS III tHe rough SrOuuu ABOUT Un6
summit of the Rock, and from that elevated
position making signals to their friends out
side, both by day and night. One or two
delinquents were caught and hanged. had
it in charge to look after this class of offend
ers, while taking also the general superin-
tendence of our posts along the summit,
and seeing that our men there stationed had
their eyes about them. Treachery is easy in
a place besieged, simply because everybody
takes it for granted that everybody else is on
the alert and therefore gives himself no
trouble. 1t was also my duty to take note
of all the enemys movements, and to report
upon them as occasion required. The ar
rangement, SO far as it concerned myself
was not quite to the liking of M. De Mont
maur, who expressed his regret that so much
of my time was occupied on the higher parts
of the Rock, which to him, as a prisoner,
from prudential considerations, were forbid
den ground.
One fine day when 1 was making my OBJ
servations at the Rock Guard, position
which vertically dominated the enemy's
lines, was Unexpectedly joined by Captain
Schnaub. He was off duty, and had just
come up to look about him. Learning in
the courseAof conversation that was on the
point of visiting the Signal-house, another
station on very high ground, he intimated
dill lltSllGiOH VI SOluS IuGrc lOO. L merely
remarked that should be glad to have the
pleasure of his company.
"You will Lot have that" he replied in
his rough way. ''We shall go by different
paths"
''How sop asked. 81 know of but one
path that is available from where we are
that along the summit of the ridge. 1t is
not so smooth as a gravel walk, but it leads
from end to end"
''You know of but one?" said he; "but l
know of two. Go you by the summit, if you
prefer it; 1 shall go by the back of the
Rock"
He spoke in a tone of bravado. Most peo-
pie are aware that the east side, or ''back of
the Rock" is tremendous precipice. For
merly, on the face of this precipice, there
were certain narrow paths, chiefly frequent
ed by goats, and forming communication.
such as it was, between the eastern base of
the Rock and its summit. But one of these
paths having at previous siege been actu-
ally made available by the enemy, they were
all destroyed by scraping the Rock, and,
though there still remained one or two SINH
lar paths-that is, blind paths, as they
might be called-paths which led down
from the summit at one point, and up again
at another-not single communication be-
tween base and summit and base had es-
capped obnteratlon. Those remaining paths
l we'll knew and had occasionally tried: but
it was ticklish work You looked up on a
blank wall of precpice, and down on the
Mediterranean; single false step would be
destruction. To the gallant Captain, the
very bulk and breadth of his corporal pres
ence rendered the proposed expedition dou-
bly, dangerous. There was every reason to
fear even upon mechanical principles, that
his centre of gravity would overlap the line
of safety at certain awkward points: and in
the mildest manner ventured to hint that
he would find the usual path safer as well as
more pleasant.
''To you it may be-" he replied scornfully,
shut not to me. Let me tell you, sir, have
scaled mountains to which this Rock is a
mole-hill. 1 have good head, and l shall
go. Take your own way, and give me leave
to take mine. don't ask you to go with
me, and | wouldn't advise it.''
A boring, boastful man little imagines
how disagreeable he makes himself even to
those who wish him well. In this case there
was nothing more to be said The Captain.
disappearing over the ridge, looked very
much like a man stepping down into vacan-
cy.
Pursuing my course from the Rock Guard
toward the Signal-house, 1 had covered
about half the distance, when | heard hu-
man voice. At that solitary elevation if