St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-13

battle-searred soldier. with head erect, eve
sparkling and nostril expanded-well might
the behOlder have recalled the days when
the boys in blue, with unflinching courage.
charged to the mouths of belching batteries
and bayOneted the gunners at their posts.
The circle about the castle is
now complete. and the music
is hushed. A bugle note of defiance
rings out and is answered from the erys-
tai fortress with equal defiance. COM
pany of the asSailants deploys on the skir-
mish line and
THE FIGHT BEGINS.
A few shots break the silence and ara
succeeded by rattling roar of musketry,
deafening and terrible, as though all the
hends of hell had suddenly been turned
loose. Presently the sullen boom of field
pieces is heard and the warlike solo is fol-
lowed by battery chorus that shakes the
earth. AT the same time the air is filed
with glowing stars as thousands of candles
from their sea of sparks are directed against
the castle. The garrison is not slow to re-
spond. There is a laundering report and
shell goes screaming skyward. high into the
air, breaks with crash into myriad eolored
lights and vomiting train of fire. The
artillery, musketry and small arms now be-
come incessant and deafening and the roar
a lnrid cloud arose and wrapped itself
about the contestants, besiegers and be-
eagured. almost shutting in the scene, and
throwing around the moon q veil of blood
red hue. One scarcely knew whether to
close his eyes and give the Imagination
play, or TO open them to a vision which
imagination could scarcely equal. There
stood the castle, wrapped about with its
blOOd-like haze, belching FIRE and smoke.
now sending out whiZZing bomb and then
screaming, shrieking shell, filling the air
with Kissing serpents of fire or glancing
globes of light, but always accompanied by
that Sal of fire, or rain of gold. To the
shrill treble of the fireworks, came the
solid baritone of the musketry and the pom
derous bass of the artillery-the hoarse
music of war.
The beleagured forces, secure in their
castle. drench the air with their missiles
and rend it with their shouts, the voice of
their chief inspiring them TO greater deed
OF daring. Above their heads, waving darkly
over the blOOd-shot cloud, is their sombre flag
which now hangs limp on its staff. Abroad
| on the field is the banner of freedom and
wherever its fiery glances glow the fight
| of the army is hottest. At every repulse,
| Antaus-iike, the boys in blue rally in re-
newed strength and every exposed rampant
/ II dSSdllcu Will uuHOSSlllS uerceneSS.
Pauses in the fight permit the notes of
familiar war songs to ring out until they
| are drowned in cheers.
| SIGNS OF WEAKNESS
presently begin to show in the castle and
with cheer the besiegers press on. Am
munition is growing low in the palace
magazines, though as yet the fire has con-
tinued with unabated fury. The Ice King
| rallies his forces with the energy of deSnair
and bombs and shells are hurled out in
quick succession, but the attacking legion
is undismayed. With new courage wild
rush is made and one of the outer barriers
is captured and its gun turned OH the
enemy. 1t is followed by the capture
of the entire east wing, and one of the most
daring OF the veterans has climbed to the
battlement and hung out small flag. In
the central tower, the fight ragged furiously
and the screaming missiles would have dis
mayed other then veteran hearts. In O