Morris tribune., 1886-10-06

Auu TeC5lNSu painful WOullO III lilo
forearm. He narrated the whole af-
fair to us, the retreat and the sad end
ing of that heroic combat, with so
lamentabls an air of disbursement
that the captain began to treat him
as if he were deserter and q coward.
With what noble Indignation he dem
onstrated that if the "Zouaves of
Death" had been there things would
have been very different. There
upon, warming to the subject, he
sketched out for us a plan for sortie
by the passage of the Disc, a march to
Rouen and final triumphant arrival
at Havre so clearly and wildly that
he aroused Durand to great enthu-
siasm. And all this time, poor humili-
ated Victor was suffering from his
still bleeding wound.
The next day Victor had fever
and kept his bed, and for some weeks
he did not appear at the table. The
Captain, meanwhile, theoretically
established his pretensions to the
hand of Gertrude. The evening that
Victor reappeared among us, weak
and paler than ever, it seemed to me
that Gertrude's eyes were very red
and that some skirmish had taken
place between her and her mother,
who seemed morn taken up with
NORM than ever. l saw that it was
time to interfere in the interest OF
these poor children. 1t was the last
day of the year, and Us we We're talk
ing of the new year we decided to cele-
brate the anniversary together.
"Egad, Nine. Durand, SAID the Cap
tain, 81 have surprise for your New
Years present"
This put an idea il my head.
On New Years Day Durand received
us, radiant with open arms. The
strategical editor of LIE Temps had
just struck terrible blow at Prince
Charles in the neighborhood of Ev
reaux. Durand offered us this good
news for our New Years present. Vic
tor brought a hare which he had
trapped beyond the Notifications. AS
to the Captain, he presented Mime.
DEdand with bag of marrons glaces
in the Uhlan's helmet.
Madame" said he, magnifcently,
81 am sorry did not bring it in the
head of its owner"
What" cried Nine. Durand, almost
speechless with emotion, did you kill
him."
GAY, to get this bonbon box, mad
ame-a performance which, l make
bold to say, would not have been at
tempted by many men,"
l will pass over the recital of this
adventure, Of which you may be sure
our Bombastes did not spare US the
smallest detail. Crouched down be-
hind cask, he had watched for. sur
prised, and knocked down the wearer
of the cap, a solitary sentinel, and
had strangled him, in order not to
arouse the attention of the enemy by
using his revolver. What poor show
ing the hare, strangled, too, made be-
side this glorious triumph!
"Well," said l, 81 would not think
of rivaling such a hero as the captain;
but l also have my little surprise.
But it has not yet arrived, and Ihope
you will dine without waiting for it."
We sat down to table, and very
pleasant dinner it was. We had just
reached the coffee, when a servant in
formed us that an artilleryman had
just deposited my present in the draw
ingroom. Repairing thither, wefound
the object on the table, wrapped in
bright-colored paper and tied up with
gay ribbons.
"What in the world can it be?" ask
ed Nine. Durand.
"Don't try to guess, my dear mad
anne; it is bombshell."
ga bombshell?"
"Durand has often expressed to me
a desire to possess q bombshell, one
that has seen SERVICE and at my re-
quest my friend Roland, commandant
of a battery, has sent me this. 1t is
from the Akron plateau, where it fell,
but failed to explode"
AS spoke, united the blue ribbon,
took off the paper, and the bombshell
appeared, black, sinister, and menac-
ing.
'My dear fellow" said Durand, 81
am delighted. l shall hang it up in
my study"
"But," objected Nine. Durand, eff
it has not gone Off"
ooh, have no fear. 1t was under
stood that Roland would only send
1T to me empty and harmless. How
ever, there is a letter accompanying
it,"
NJ opened the letter, and was about
to Nread it aloud, but at the first line
my Mace began to express surprise, then
anxie&-. when every one cried:
'WhSSS''s the NATTER"
"Great% heavens!-I have--listen,"
and I readA
DEAR FR1ESR:-Here is the bombshell
you desired. BNt / have been unable to
find an artillery -rQan who knows how to
unload it. Send it<to, the armorer in the
Passage de POpera, Nho will fix it for you
perfectly. But warm you to take great
precautions; not the hast shock, not the
faintest friction for il y$Qu strike it with
even sheet OF paper it WHY explode.
Yours, AS ever, ROLAND.
/ was interrupted by criesN OF fright.
"Oh, take it away" cried Nine. Du-
rand. ooh, this is terriblel ANbomb-
shell in my housep'
"For heavens sake" said /, raising
my hand warningly, "be calm! NO
not be frightened; the artillerymaa
who brought it shall take it away"
"But, sir" said the servant, who
stood trembling in the door, "the ar
tilleryman has gone"
"Then," said l, sit is who must"
II forbid you'll" cried Durand. You
are not strong enough to carry it. You
would let it fall on the way-perhaps
on the stairs, or even in this room"
Nine. Durand threw herself on me,
crying: "No, no, not you. 1t is too
dangerous. Not you."
"This," said Durand, 'is work for a
strong soldier Happily the Captain
"I?" said the Captain uneasily.
eyes; you are as strong as bull,
and besides you are used to these
dreadful implements of war. You