The Penn's Grove record., 1885-11-07
a Chop FALLEN Hero.

story at his W expense. He was for
aging with a party of his men in the
Crimea, when he reached an open glade
through the midst of which dubbed a
little stream, and here determined to
halt for a quarter Of an hour and then
to try driving the sheep he had captur-
ed. He was leading, and had already
flung himself down by the rivulet and
buried his burning face in the cooling
waters, when a sudden yell and a sour
ry of feet brought him to his legs in a
moment, as II Of his men rushed past
him endeavoring to unsling his musket,
and shouting 1.-THE Cossaeks 1.-The
Cossacksl Run, sir run for your life"
Like the American captain who under
similar circumstances started early, on
the plea that he was a little lame, our
hero came out ahead in the movement
to the rear. He says Il arrived in
the village of Biorko two minutes by
the watch before the most active OF my
party-arrived bathed in perspiration,
with bleeding face, torn clothes, and
bruised frame, for more than ono |
had measured my length on the ground
in The course of that wild flight" The
sheep were abandoned to the enemy,
and though the report that Cossacks
were in that vicinity was evidently a
surprise to his captain he accepted his
excuses and commended bis exertions.
SO 81 found, greatly to my surprise,
that / had emerged from this ignomin-
ious business with an enhanced rather
than a lowered reputation. In the berth
that evening l laid down the law on the
subject of the Russian Army with
much authority, and limited that at
least a couple OF squadrons had attack
ed us, otherwise l should certainly have
held my ground and-the mutton"
From the flagship next morning came
a request that the hero of this adven-
ture be sent abroad.
l had been race to face with the enc
my, and a post-captain was actually
demanding my presence that | might
explain to him the first serious land
operation of the year. It was glorious,
and my bosom swelled as l mounted the
Rigorous's gangway.
sis it true that you were chased by
Cossacks yesterday" whispered mys-
t~eriously the midshipman who received
me.
81 believe you, my pigeon; three
quarters of a regiment. Great hairy
scoundrels with lances as long as the
flying jib BOOM"
"Well, you are to 20 down to the
captain and tell him all about it. He's
in the cabin with your skipper"
i followed the youth, regarding the
smile that played round his mouth as a
token of pure envy.
In the frigate's fore cabin l found the
two captains at breakfast and was cour-
teously beckoned by Capt. Y-to oc-
cupya third seat at the table, where l
did infinite iustice-although l had
breakfasted already-to the good things
set before me, paying particular atten
ton to a glorious dish of sayory mutton
chops.
"Steward, give Mr.. E another
bone" observed the host a%pprovingly,
she has earned his grub this time, at
all events; HASN'T he, G-?" with a
glance at my skipper, whom | perceived
to be struggling with suppressed laugh
ter.
The meal over we retired to the after
cabin, when, at Capt. Us bidding,
| recounted every particular of yester-
days adventure. How much | EN-
broldered that simple narrative | know
not, for my constant enGeavor ever
since has been to escape the memory of
that forenoon, but l Lave reason to be-
lieye that my Cossacks grew into acorpS
d'armee, and that my escapes from
captivity or death were little short of
miraculous.
swell, Mr.. E-,"said Capt. Y,
good humoredly, ''you seem born under
"a lucky star. Now go to the gunroom
and tell your adventures, for my officers
are longing to hear the truth"
l bowed, withdrew, and on reaching
the main deck was surrounded by the
frigate's junior officers, who accompan-
led me 10 the berth, and, after provld-
ing me with a glass of grog, insisted on
hearing the adventure from beginning
to end. But what meant the shouts OF
laughter with which my narrative was
greeted? ard why did the senior mate
lead me to the sheep pens and ask HE if
L should recognize an old friend when
saw one?
Spare me, reader, l beseech you, any
further Illustration of the intense anus
ment that every one, except myself, de-
rived from this "My First Commando
for it turned out that my Cossacks were
a party of the Rigorous officers on a
picnic, and the chops ! had just eaten
were a part of my W abandoned spoil.
Let me draw a veil over the agony l
suffered from eeaseless chatf, and let
me conclude by saying that many month
elapsed before | really enjoyed the taste
of mutton, while even now | feel un-
comfortable if brought face to face with
a sheep,
My own belief Is that, with the
dent varieties. almost universally grown
in the West, we have stalk, leaf and