Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-06-29

soldiers would be killed or he would
have to surrender and become prison
ers with them. The boy ran SWIFTLY
for q while and then limped and slack
ened his pace, and then broke into a
run again, but he seemed to become
more and more fatigued. and every
little while stumbled and paused for a
moment.
perhaps he has been hit by aqisnc-
/ ing bullet, thought the captain, and
ne shudderingly watched all his move
mentss and encOuFaged him and spoke
to him as If the boy could hear him;
he measured necessarily with keen
eyes the distance interpOsing between
the running boy and the glitterine
OF arms which he saw down there in
the plain in tHe midst of the wheat
fields. gllded by the sun. And mean
/ while he heard the Whistling and the
noise Of the bullets in the rooms below,
the lmperiOus and angry cries OF the
omcers and sergeants, the grOans of
the wounded and the crushing OF the
furniture and plaster. "Up! cOurage!''
he cried, following with mis- gaze the
distant boy. Forward! runl he has
/ stopped, curse him! All! he is running
/ again"
An officer came, out of breath, to
J say that the enemy, without ceasing
their ire, were waving a white flag as
/ a summons to surrender.
Don't arsWerl" he cried without
/ removing his eyes from the boy, who
was already in the plain, but who was
no longer running, and who appeared
to be dragging himself along with diff
fculty.
''But get on! rnni' said the captain,
grinding his teeth and clenching his
lists; "kill yourself, die, scOundrel, but
90 On!" Then a terrible oath burst
from him. ''Ah! the infamous coWardl
he has sat down"
In tact, the boy, whose head till now
he had seen projecting above a wheat
field, had disappeared, as if he had
fallen. But IN a moment his head
came into view again; finally he was
lost behind the hedges, and the cap
tain saw him no more.
He then few down stairs; it was
raining bullets; the rooms were en- /
numbered with the wounded, some Of /
whom Feeled about like drunken men, /
catching at the furniture; walls and /
floors were spattered with blood; |
cOrpses were lying across the doors; |
the lieuteneut's arm had been broken |
by q BALI every thing was in a Wbirl of /
smoke and dust.
''Courage!' yelled the captain. /
''StiCk to your posts! Relief Is com. (
ingl Courage for q little lOngeri"
The Austri&ns had drawn nearer
yet their eontOFted faces doomed /
through the smCkeT above the rattle
Of the firing rose their savage cries, in
sultlng, demanding surrender, threat
enlng slaughter. Occasionally q sold
Ter, terrOr-strIcken, retFeated from
the window, the sergeant drove him
back, but the defenders fire was slack
oh
ment; it was impossible to prolong
the resistance. Suddenly the firing of
the AusGrians slackenad and a thun-
dering voice shouted. first In German,
then In Italian:
Surrender"
''NO," hOWIed the captain from a
window.
And the firing began, again steadier
and hercer on both sides. More
soldiers fell. Already more than one
window was without defenders. The
fatal moment was close at hand. The
captain was muttering between his
teeth IN a broken voice: They're
not coming! They're not cOming!''
and'he ran furiOusly about, twisting
his sabre in his Cienched hand, resOlv-
ing to die, when a sergeant, coming
down from the garnet, cried In a loud
voice, They re cOming!"
They re coming" the captain re-
peated with d shout OF 10y. At this
all shout, unhurt, wounded. sergeants
and officers rush to. the windows. and
once more the resistance grew fierce.
A few moments after q sort of uncer-
tainty and beginning Of disorder were
in the enemy. Immediately,
IN great haste, the captain formed q
company down stairs, with fixed
bayOnets, ready to. make q sally.
Then he flew up stairs again. He had
got up there when they heard
p heavy tread, accompanied by a
formidable hurrah, and from the win
dOWs they saw advancing through the
smoke the twO-COrneFed hats Of the
Italian carbineers,a squadron dashing
along at full speed, and the
1ished in the air, defending
On the heads, shoulders and backs of
the enemy. Then the little troop
rushed out Of the door with lowered
0ayOnets; the enemy Wavered, be- !
came disOrdered and took fight; the {
ground remained clear, the house was Z
rec, and a short time after the height
vas occupied by two cannOns.
The captain, with his remaining [
soldiers, rejOined his regiment. fought 7
again and was slightly wounded in the 4
eft hand by q CHANGING ball, in the 7
asst bayonet charge. The day ended t
a victory for as.
But the day after the fight having {
begun again the Italians were over
Rhelmed, in spite Of a brave resis-
lance, by the superior mum bers of I
5he Australns, and on the morning of '
5he 18th they we're compelled to re c
5reat sOFFOwfully towards the Mincio {
The captain, although wounded, 3