Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-09-07
A WAGER.

Il ~ - SheooNdi3 W.
Iwere started by the big voice of Cap
tain Dumon of the Tenth Dragons
saying; 81 wonder if | will see agair
in this world this poor Boscal, cut in
two by q cannon ball this very after
NOON"
81 hope you will not" replied q
lieutenant of hussars.
why do you hope that?" asked the
captain.
because he would Brighten the life
ont OF you il one OF these nights he
came to visit YOU" replied the lieu.
! tenant.
"IIussar, l do not permit you to in
slnuate that anything supernatural OF
natural may brighten me, Captain
Charles Dumon OF the-the Dragons, u
exclaimed angrily the brave soldier.
"Pshaw sweetly dragon, sweetly
1 have seen men just as courageous as
you are, and believe yourself to be-
going into frances through fright" re-
piled the lieutenant with the greatest
calmness
You did not see that, and defy
you to prove it, 'cried the captain, now
/ furious ~
81 did see that; and | am ready to
bet you good dinner at fifty francs
per capita, that in two months |, or
somebody else will cause you such a
fright as will be remembered by you
till your last hour. DO you accept my
wager 2"
! "Most certainly l do, on the condi.
ton that all of us here present now, or
what will be lett OF us after the taking
of Sebastopol, shall feast at the ex-
pense OF the loser, cost what it may"
+. "All right, dragoon."
| "All right, hussar
AS the taps" sounded we separated,
bidding goodbye 10 each other.
The battle of Tukerman was fought
on the 9Th of November, 1854, eleven
days after the battle of Balaklava.
The night following was exceedingly
cold. 1t was about IL O'Clock D. N ,
and every one in our camp was asleep
but the sentries and grand guards.
Alone in his tent Captain Dumon
snored, buried to the nose in the la yer
OF fresh straw, discovered God knows
where, by his faithful but not over
scrupulous orderly. Near by him was
his big saber, and under his pillow
made of his horses saddle, a pair OF
pistols showed their brass work, shin
ing like gold. Suddenly a human
form, wrapped in white mantle and
I wearing on the head regulation hel-
met OF the dragons, under which ap-
peared face deadly pale, entered the
tent. The apparition seemed to slide
rather than walk. 1t approached the
captain and called him by his name.
The captain awoke, sat up, rubbed
his eyes with his fist and said:
"Who is there? What do you
WANT"
HAS the grave changed me so
much that Charles Dumon, my bosom
friend, cannot recognize in me Prosper
Boscal, killed eleven days ago at Bala-
| klava.p"
| us that you?" ironically replied the
captain. "Well, | thought the Rus
slams to be better killers. With us
French, those that we demolish never
come back to visit their former ac-
quaintances. Meanwhile Prosper
Boscal, my departed friend, you will
greatly favor me by returning to
whence you came from. You must
excuse me, my dear, you being dead,
have time to sleep, and |, being alive,
have not. Then, good bye, my respects
to all in Sheol, please, and take care
not to get cold by playing truant dur
ing such Siberian night"
''Dumon," sadly exclaimed the
ghost, you know how much | did
owe you while on this earth. In order
to see you once more, 10 bid you an
eternal adieu,to give you the last shake
of the hand, | have left the spiritual
world. Instead of the friendly recep-
ton that / have the right to expect
, from you get only sarcasm and ueri-
sion. Take care, Dumon, one never
goes unpublished that insult the dead"
$50 to Hades! Let me sleep If in
two minutes you have not vanished
will finish that Russian job, and l will
do it properly, you can bet. Get out,
and mighty quick, too, or else | will
accelerate your departure with the
point of my saber."
II will remain with you ten minutes
more. Your menaces are foolish your
saber is play-toy and you are power
less, Dumon.'
al am foolish and powerless and my
saber is play-toy! Do you want to
get acquainted with it? Leave this
tent Immediately, you night prowler.
Will you go2"
mo, not before ten minutes"
"Then, take that" and the captain,
drawing his sabre, made a thrust at
! the ghost, who, stretching forth his
hand, seized the blade, which remained
in it, separated from the hilt, held by
the captain.
"You see, Dumonl there is your
blade" and the apparition threw it on
the mantle spread over the straw.
II see nothing. "Horns .of the
DEVIL" yelled the captain, and grab
bling his pistols he fired both shots at
the ghost.
"As / have returned the blade of
your saber TO you, now | return the
bullets from your PISTOLS said the
ghost, throwing TWO pistol bullets on
the mantle.
Per piration could be distinctly seen
on the captains brow, and as he
painted for breath he muttered: THAT
is strange, very strange. Perhaps it is
the truth the dead may leave their
graves. How pale he is"
The ten minutes have elapsed,
Dumon. must leave you forever. l
forgive you, and there is my hand,
anG | am gone"
| Captain Dumon took the hand