St. Landry democrat., 1888-03-03
CORPORAL CRUPP.
How He Became the Best Soldier
in the Colony.

in the Colony. @.
1t was a gloomy December day in the
year of grace 174-
An east wind coming over the cold
waters of the Atlantic, and wide ex-
panse of salt marshes, moaned through
the pines and swept over the sandy
stretch where the little settlement OF
Savannah was just beginning to pull
itself together. i#a 80 *e#@a
The scene was not very attractive. A
rude ut,strong stockade containing a
number of shops and houses, the head
quarters and barracks of the military,
and a few outlying cabins of the more
adventurous pioneers-this was all. Z
In a comfortable room in the most
pretentious building in the stockade,
the headquarters of the commanding
General, three gentlemen sat bya blaz-
ing wood fire. They were drinking
Madeira, and their rubicund visages
showed that they were not unaccus-
toned to this and even stronger bev-
erages. e4
One of the three wore scarlet uni
form, glittering with a profuse en-
blazonry Of gold lace, but his large
spare figure indicated great strength,
and his face, with it's prominent Roman
nose and brilliant eyes, would have
stamped the man in any circle as re-
markable person, a born leader of
men. t. 4.s@if5.srs @s,... 800,
ID This man, the central figure of the
group, was General Oglethorpe. a
The other two, dressed also in scar
let uniforms. were brother officers.
One was Major Dalhousie, the other
was Captain Cardigan They were
young men. but their appearance
showed them to be gallant soldiers,
well suited to the business in which
their General kept them engaged day
and night. d Z tarr 9.aaz@
The three officers had something
more serious on hand than the discus
sion of their Madeira, 18TH
The fellow will have to be shot,
then, = remarked Major Dalhousie, air.
lily, as he swallowed another bumper.
I'm afraid So" said Captain Cardi-
gan, adjusting his ruf1es, "but it is
pity. Corporal Crupp is a good sol
der at times. Lord! But he can fghtr'
sZoundsr' exclaimed the General,
''much do Il deplore theonecessity, gem
tlemen, but discipline is more import
ant in these savage wilds than it is in
Europe Here warfare is nothing but
butchery, and we need every man in
our small force. Now, when I was
campaigning on the continent, con-
tinued the General, as he paused to
drain another glass, "a little drunken
ness, more orless, did not matter. I
myself once refused to take French
officer prisoner because he was so befud-
died that he ran into our lines, A
splendid fellow he was, too. Once our
commands were fronting each other
justas the fight opened, and the French
man, taking off his hat said: .Gentle-
men. viii you have the goodness to fire
first!'' .st3 -
THAT was grand" cried Major Dali
housie. - 9
! 1T was.' answered the General,
sententiously, s'but it was not war. It
was an attempt to apply the tactics Of
the ball room to the battle field. Well.
my bull dogs accepted the invitation,
and in less than five minutes we had
driven the Monsieurs out of sight =
But, said Major Dalhousie, 1--WE
are leaving the ssubject- i, Must the cor
poral be ishotp" s aasaes
ITO a certainty, = murmured Captain |
Cardigan, who had spilled his wine and
was peering into his right boot under
the impression that something was |
wrong somewhere. f5# ss
''Let US see, said the General, s'you
have had the varlet in the guard
housep" " 81 at
"a hundred times, . replied the Cap
tain.
Cursed il ! think he has ever left
it, replied the Major.
"And yet he fightsa'' ~
Like the Deuce" exclaimed both
officers. as.s,Fl itI 4 s.s5ss i.
HE saved us from surprise a
month ago. put in the Major.
1T is a serious case, said the Gem
eral. THE trustees of our infant coll
ony are determined to prohibit the
of rum, and all that is brought
here has to be STAYED. ]" IL
..Islo4 and DEATH" interrupted the
Major. ..how does the fellow get his
tipple?' Il