The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-01-22

1'rOfWaru marcn! before We bad gone
4 . mile, V'lan! the Austrians' shot uierc.
4 cd our ranks and struck down about fif-
teen Of our men. Then our officers
lcommanded Us to crouch down in the
,lcorn and ire, but they, Of course, re-
tmained standing, and I'assure you that
the captain was the most erect among
them. On our knees III the corn we con-
ltinued firing on the battery, just within
Jour range. Suddenly / felt some one
jpushlng my elbow; turning around saw
la soif, who was. loading bis gun and
4 looking at me with a villainous express
sion about his mouth.
4 edo you see the captain there p said
The pointing toward him.
! "'Yes; what OF that p answered with
sIa glance at the officer who Was standing
! kbout twenty feet from Us.
"'We!l, sir, be made ralstske when
be spoke 10 me as he did last night
"Then in trice, with q quick, exact
mover ent, he shouldered bis gun aud
6red, / saw the captain start. throw
back bis head, beat the air second with
both hands, drop his sword and fall
heavily to the ground.
"Murderer! I cried seizing the ser.
geanl's arm.
"But with the butt of bis gun be dealt
me blow In the chest which threw me
several feet from him.
"'Fool! Prove it is I who killed
himr
1
"Mad with rage I arose; but so did
every one, for our colonel, bareheaded,
upon his reeking horse was there, point.
ing with his sword to the Austrian bat.
tery and shouting at the top of his voice:
"..For ward, Zouaves-tire ~
"What else coald do bat charge like
the othersS And how famous is that
charge of the q 'uaves at Melegnano.
Have you ever seen the great sea beat
ing against, q rock7 Yes3 Ah, well,
this attack was very much like that. Each
company climbed to the top of the re.
doubt as wave over the rock. Three
times the battery was covered with blue
coats and red breeches, and three times
they we're driven back, and the breast
works appeared again with their cannon
mouths, as impossible as the rock after
the wave sweeps over It.
"But the fourth company, our own,
was to carry the day. Twenty bounds
brought me to the redoubt. With the
aid Of my gun / leaped over. the em.
bankment, just In time to see q light
mustache, blue cap and rifed cannon,
which almost touched me, when T. was
shot near the left shoulder with such
force that thought my arm was blown
of. Dropping my gun FROM giddiness
l fell unconscious on my side near the
ammunition wagon.
"When I again opened my eyes only
the sound Of distant musketry could be
heard. The Zouaves were there. stand.
ing in half.circle but with disordered
ranks, and while brandishing their guns
in the air shouted, sVive pEmpereur!'
"An old General, followed by his staff,
was approaching US on galloping steed.
Stopping his horse he took off his cap
and waving it joyfuIly, shouted: l.
"tBravo, Z,uaves! You are the best
soldiers in the worlir
II was sitting near the ammunition
wagon. and while carefully supporting
with my right hand the poor broken arm c
| remembered La Soif's horrible crime G
,f shooting his officer in the back on the '
?
"Suddenly he left the ranks and 90. q
preached the General. Yes. he, La Soil, Q
he captains assassin! In the battle be .
lad lost his fez. and bis closely.shaven |
lead showed deep cash whence oozed o
j stream Of blood over his forehead and Q
heck. With one hand be- supported '
himself with his gun, with the other pre- {
ented the General with an Austrian ban.
Ter, all pierced with holes and stained q
nth large red spots-s dag which be a
sd taken. q
"The General regarded him with ad- q
niration. q
"tLook, Bricourt,' said be turning to n
ne of his orderlies, 'look at him! What p
rave menp Z
"'That Is true, General answered La q
of, sand, besides, you know the First
'ouaves are good for more than one bat.
e.'
"'Let me shake hands with you for
iese Words exclaimed the General. ;,
You shall wear the cross = =
"And while repeating, Such men I :,
uch brave menp he said something to T, r
is aid-de.camp which did not under :. :.
and. You know how ignorant am, :.
ne na0orfha aloo, ~voll 10 I -.,, ...k -. A.. I"
ords:
"'Tt is right out Of Plutsrch IN 1t not, y
ricours2' !"
"But Just then my arm panied me 81 ~ =
,utely that again lost Consciousness, a. a,
I'D neither saw nor heard anything ~ ~
se. "
"You know the rest. I have often
I'D You how my arm was stipulated
I'd how ! spent two months in an am.
alsnce, suffering all the time with fever ur
i'd delirium During the many Sleep CD
IS hours used to ask myself what fe'
lght to do regarding Ls Soif DE-. IN
ounce him openlyp Yes, that was nv OF
lty--but why? could furnish no an
'oofs. And then I would say to N.Y. nv
n, be is scoundrel. II is true, but cour. to-
,eous; he killed Captain Gentle. hut ha
J also took ar enemy's hag,and could an
1t decide the question in nv mind. A.
rwards, when convalescent, learned
at as q reward for his bravery La Soif re,
ID heen promoted to the ranks of the in
uards and also knighted. Ah! how col
at at once disgusted me with my own sh,
oss with which our colonel had Just
corated my coat. However, La Soif =.
served his as we'll; but bis Legion sp'
Honneur' should have served 90 tar s., s.,
t to the soldier appointed to shoot .a, 20.
N! But oil this happened long ago. ~. au
nee then have never seen the SER '
ant who 10 still in service, while am ~. ~
" civilian But suddenly, ON seeing '"'
ut coat With its bullet hole, hanging 10
E old clothes shop-God knows how ed
got there -rnIya few steps from Of
lere the assassin lives, thought OF sta
, unpunished crime, and it seemed as phi
the captain was demanding JUSTICE" the
- tor
l calmed Father Vidal as we'll as tbs
uld, for his narrative had greatly ex-
ed him, and assured him that he had nm,