The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-05-22
FABLE THE FIFTH.-cosr,,rr,

and the charge. An instant ago the
deep column was about to burst through
the line; now the line was sweeping the
broken column into the plain. So, at
least, it was to one who was there: those
who were not have doubtless more to
tell 1t seemed a marvel The French
men turned their backs; the English
men holly followed. Who, at that mo-
-nlent of sudden victory, could feel the
savage rise in him? Not Stephen Har-
low, for he was a man.
More and more the flying column
broke, and man after man went down
before the pursuing steel Order was
lost, and the pursuit went far out into
the plain. 1t was rout; and If the
French had thus been met elsewhere,
the day was surely gained.
But hark-if any had ears to hear! A
thunder shook the plain. and nearer and
nearer the afternoon sun flashed back
from cuirass and sabre. Down upon that
struggling red line came the dragons,
and under that sudden aid the broken
column managed to face round. 1t was
for the Tedcoats to reel back, and to
gather as best they could. And the
men, whose blood was on fire with fam
-cied victory, and. being slow English
men, scarce knew what was upon them.
did gather with cheer. Stephen knew
NO more than they, but he saw a flash
of steel before his eyes, and received
sharp blow on one arm while he caught
the Kings colors with the other from
the lad who carried them, as the latter
went down. The scattered pursuers
formed somehow, and more by instinct
than by word of command, and with
dXed bayonets, faced without fiinching
the new onset of the dragons. while
the rallied French foot opened fire.
L know not if Stephen Harlow
Thought even of Patience then. Yet
he was not thinking of life. or he sure
~ would have thought of her &c lived
Tor. Battle had bitten into him at last,
and he had the colors to guard or die
for. A rush like the roar of the sea
was in his ears. And then, for the first
time during that great battle. of which
he saw no more than the fraction of a
fraction, such as one soldier among
thousands may see, came the boom of
big guns. He knew that every COM
Cade had his teeth set and his eyes
aglow. for so We're his own. Up flashed
the sabers; down, like whiriwind.
rode the dragons once more. There
was nothing for it but to wrap the
colors round his wounded arm, and to
fight for them so.
The Colonel was down: and for the |
rest it was every man for England and |
his own hand.
Then the whirlwind was followed by |
darkness. Not even Patience was any
thing to Stephen Harlow more.
H.
The real Dick Blackthorn. though he |
had the honor and glory Of opening the !
fight of Talavera. saw little or nothing
of that famous battle. 1t was not be- |
cause he was unwilling to do ANYTHING /
except his duty, and he was as ready 10 |
tight the French, on general principles,
As any man there; but good luck or i'll |
luck, ct any rate, luck of some sort. |
pursued him steadfastly. He shouted |
out his warning to the outpost, which. |
indeed. by this time needed no further |
warning. and then. instead of joining
them as they fell back upon the adj /
vanced brigade 10 which they belonged. |
held to his original pgrpose-if his inn
pulse could be called by so fixed a word,
and put his horses head towards the !,
town. / think he had recognized the /
uniform he ought to have been wear
ing. after sll-indeed, l am sure: and |
better be Portuguese than British
deserter. But before he had got any
distance to speak of toward the lines
of Spain he found himself charging
alone upon the flank of an advancing
regiment of roLtigeUrs: and there was
nothing for it but make back for the
wster-course again, where the banks
might cover him.
IF yesterdays was fix, what's this
30 be calied?" thought he. Most de- /
cidedly fixer. Pm cut of. horse, foot.
and all I've half mind to get myself
taken prisoner. A prisoner of wars
about the only thing I've never tried.
BY the Lord Harry, they're st it nowm
And there, all day long, lay Dick
Biackthorn perdu, as if he were the
veriest coward living in ditch to es-
cape powder and steel. But his skin
was by no means unhealthily thin. and
he felt no scruples on the point of
AO1lOI. "Hdt Ulu ttU0Dic ulttl WsAs the
uncertainty; and not even that troubled
him long. at least so soon as hunger re-
turned in full activity. But that also
had to be forgotten, so fsr IS that in
exorcisable spirit NAV. He did his
best; and the battle of Talavera ragged
round Dick Blsckthorn sitting in the
midst of it and attempting to kill no
enemy but time, with cigar.
And over him also the ominous first
night fell. with its silence as of lund
sky before its first sullen growl Well,
night was the time for making his way
somewhither; IN the present state of his
appetite il did not seem to matter much
where Better capture and q crust than
liberty without crumb. The French
might be in Talavera by this time, for :
aught he knew. But nothing venture,
nothing win.
So, to prepare himself for the next
fortune of war. he buekled himself IS
Eight as he could, made himself a quid :
for he had been a sailor; and then !
but, behold. sight that made his |
heart leap for joy; the heart of a man 5
who had tasted nothing but tobacco, {
and not much of that, for near four
hours, and in near eight
and-forty little more than the scrapings {
Of an unknown bone
1t was hedgehog; nothing more t
But the soldier and sailor had been a (
gypsy, too, so far as . gsntile may. {
In trice he had put the bristly limo '
cent into clay pie, had lighted fire '