Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-04-30


| had passed the river in force; the battle
had already begun. Stephen could see
the advanced brigades falling back be-
fore an advancing French column as
steadily as if they were at review,
firing as they retreated, till they fell in
to the line of redcoats reaching from
the town to the hill. Then came a
long pause.
But presently two long columns, one
to right and one to lett, crossed the
| plain, and, as they neared broke into a
run. One made to the hill for the left;
| the other for the Spanish earthworks
and barricades. The center was let
alone. And then, from both flank and
| right, came great fighting-all to hear,
and nothing to see but the smoke that
crossed the din. After while the
| noise of firing ceased on the Spanish
| side, but only to increase sharply from
the British flank on the hill. Surely
something must happen soon. And
something must be happening; for still
column after column of the French
came to fall upon the left, and still the
fight went on, while the center stood
unattached and unattacking, as if on
| endless parade. An ad-de-camp or an
orderly would now and then be seen
galloping from left to rear; but that
was all. Hour after hour passed. and
still the unseen battle ragged, even until
darkness fell.
What had happened? The firing
ceased, and cloud-like masses were
seen crossing the plain. All sorts of
rumors came out with the stars. Some
said the fighting on the right had ceas-
ed so soon because the Spaniards had
fled at the first onset in a panic; which
was partly true, though their strong de-
fence had given them time to recover.
Some were assured that the left flank
had been turned; but that could not be
true, or the regiments in the center
would not be still left idle where they
| We're. Some saiu that the entire French
force had been driven back and routed;
but that was wild. Only they who had
kept the hill all that long summer day
knew that the sun had set on some
eight hundred fewer lives than he had
risen upon.
1t was as sweet and calm a night as
ever was known, and the carnage
of that day was unseen save by those
! who had taken part therein. To stephen
the battle had been but sound and fury;
and he could almost wish, for once,
| that fortune had not placed him where
there was nothing to do. Having done
his duties for the night, he lay down to
dream or to think, whichever it mi ght
prove. But first of all he made the
entry in his journal that he was keep
ING for Patience to read one of these
days, when he should be not only heart
| to heart, but face to face, with her once
again, and hand to hand.
Face to face, and hand to hand
There upon his was still the ring that
should have been on hers. 1t had mar
ried them; it was none the less a we'd
ding-ring because it was on the BRIDE
groom's finger instead of the brides.
| As he looked at the ring tonight, with
its posy, a strange sort of peacefulness
| fell over him-he could not tell why.
The star of truth above him seemed to
| become twin with the star of courage.
| Think what he might of war and battle,
there is something more than mere
| slaughter to him who sleeps or wakes
on the battle. field, after all. Vaguely
he knew enough of what must have
been done that day to know that many
| heart had been left more heavy than
his, with youth and hope in it, had any
right to be. There Were women in En-
gland and France who would never
hear their lovers hearts beat again.
There were children whose only wealth
would be the boast that their father $
were brave men. Even the revelry of
the night, that contrasted with the peal
of the bugle or the sentry's solemn
| '.Alrs WE'LL" had its pathos: ''Let us
eat and drink, for tomorrow we die -
| or, if not we, then Il gallant comrade or
gallant foe. Yes. there was something
strangely solemn in the air. There was
| Patience waiting his coming home; he
| had made Legs Croft safe to old Tom,
unless the Preston's were fools. ''All' s
Well all must and shall be well. Was
not despair itself a kind of doubling?
and what should he think of Patience
| if she were to doubt or to despair?
And so, while sentinel stars set their
watch in the sky" he placed his ringed
hand upon his heart, and dreamed of
home. And SO, that lovely night.
dreamed many man who was never
| to see home again. For eight hundred
Englishmen and a thousand French
men were but the pioneers in the game
of Death which was about to be played.
When he woke, the firing of last
night seemed to be still in his ears. But
it was nothing of the kind; it was the
firing of this morning. And, still on
the left, the attack had been already
renewed. Once more the regiments
doomed to hold the center of the line
stood waiting and waiting on that never
ending parade. When does the British
soldier not grumble-or the British
farmer, or the true Briton, whoever he
be? There was grumbling enough then,
deep, though, by reason of discipline,
not loud. But presently the din died
away. Was the battle over? So it
seemed.
..None of us can say we haven't
smelled POWDER" said one wag.
''Half breakfast to fight on; seems
to me We ought to have none at all,
said another.
And with such small wit, and much
smaller criticism, passed the hours, till
unspeakable WEAKNESS was scarce to be
borne.
But all at once was seen new thing.
Not two, but three French columns ad-
vanced across the plain; and well-nigh
at the same moment an aide-de- camp
galloped up to Colonel Ravleigh, who
was in command-Stephen's friend the
Major had met his bullet on the Douro,
and that right bravely. After a few
quick words. the aide galloped on.
'.My lads" said the Colonel, ''our
times come They're on as now. Only
one thing-hold your fire till the word
and then-fire low"
Stephens heart did beat as the French
column came on at the double quick till