Wichita eagle., 1888-01-11
THE DRUMMER BOY.

July "a 1S4S about sixty soldiers belonging
to one of the ltasan infantry regiments, hav-
ing been sent to occupy an isolated house on
height, were unexpectedly attacked by two
companies of Austrians who, firing on them
from different points, barely gave them time
to take refuge in the house and hastily barrl-
cade the doors, leaving several dead and
wounded in the fields After barricading the
doors the Italian soldiers hastily ran to the
windows on the first floor, and began to pour
a steady fire into the assailants, who were
gradually advancing in a semicircle and re-
plying vigorously.
The sixty Italians were commanded by two
subalterns and a captain, a tall old fellow,
lean and severe, with white hair and mus
taches; with them there was a Sandman
drummer boy, boy not much more than Ia
years old, and who scarcely appeared TO be
70; he was small, with an olive brown face,
and two sparkling little deep black eyes The
captain was directing the defense from a
window ON the first floor, while the semicircle
of the enemy kept closing up.
All at once, the captain, who until then had
been impossible, was seen to show signs OF
uneaSiness and to stride out of the room fol-
lowed by sergeant. About three minutes
afterward the sergeant came running back
and called the drummer boy, reckoning him
&c follow. The boy ran after him up
wooden staircase and went with him INTO an
empty garnet, where he saw the captain, who
was writing with pencil on sheet Of paper,
leaning against the window, with a well rope
on the floor at his feet
The captain folded the paper and, looking
with his cold grayish eyes, before which all
the soldiers trembled, into the eyes Of the
boy. said abruptly:
Drummer Doy!7 The drummer bow sa-
luted. The captain said: "You've got grit"
The boys eyes lighted up Eyes, captain" he
answered.
"Look down there" said Che captain, push
ing him to the window, ''in the plain, near
the houses Of VilIafranca, where there is a
glittering of bayonets Those are CUR friends,
standing idle Take this note, catch hold of
the rope, slide down from the window, run
down the hill, go through the fields, reach
our friends and give the note TO the first Off
Ger You see. Chuck away your belt and
knapsack."
The boy took off his belt and knapsack and
put the note into his breast pocket; the ser
geant threw out the rope and grasped one end
of it with both hands; the captain helped the
boy pass backward through the little window.
"Take care" he said to hiin; "the safety of the
detachment depends on your courage and on
your legs
Trust me, captain" replied the drummer
boy, swinging himself out.
Stop as you go down." said the captain
again, helping the sergeant to hold the rope.
"Never fear"
"God help you"
In few moments the boy was on the
ground: the sergeant drew up the rope and
disappeared: the captain sprang TO the win
dow and saw the hoy flying down the hill.
He was already hoping that he had sue
ceeded in escaping unobserred when five or
six little clouds of dust which rose from the
ground both before and behind the boy
warned him that he had been seen by the Aus
tIians, who were firing at him from the top
of the bill Those little clouds were earth
thrown up by the bullets. But the boy con-
tinued to run at brealsaeck pace. All at
once he fell.
"killedl' roared Che captain, biting his fist.
But he had scarcely said the word when he
saw the boy get up. "Ah, only a fall" he
said 10 himself, and breathed again. In fact
the boy began to run again as fast as he
could, but he limped. "a sprained ankle"
thought the captain.
The boy ran swiftly for awhile, then limped
and slackened his pace. and then broke into q
run again, but he seemed to become more and
more fatigued, and every little while STUN
bled and paused for a moment.
perhaps he has been hit by q glancing
bullet" thought the captain, and he shudder-
ingly watched all his movements and ell
Outraged him and spoke to him, as if the boy
could hear him; he measured necessarily,
with keen eyes, the distance interpreting be-
tween the running boy and the gittering of
arms which he saw down there in the plain
in the midst of the wheat fields, gilded by the
sln. And meanwhile he beard the whistling
and the noise of the bullets in the rooms
below, the imperiouS and angry cries
OF the officers and sergeants, the Sroans of
the wounded, and the crashing of the furni-
ture and plaster. Up. courage" he cried,
following with his gaze the distant boy.
Forward run! He has stopped, curse himl
All! he is running again"
An officer came, out Of breath. to say that
the enemy, without ceasipg their fire, were
waving white rag summons to surren-
der.
Don't answerin lie cried, without remov-
ing 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 difficulty.
But get on run!' said the captain. grind
ing his teeth and cercbing his fists; skill
yourself. die, scoundrel, but SO on!' Then a
horrible oath burst from him. All, the in
famous coward, he has set down." In fact,
the boy, whose head, till now, he had seen
projecting above a wheat field, had disap-
peared, rs if he had fallen. But IL moment
his head came into view again; finally he
was lost behind the hedges, and the captain
saw him no more.
He then few downstairs; it was raining
bullets: the rooms were encountered with the
wounded, some of them reeled about like
drunken men, catching Ut the furniture;
walls and floor were Spat;ered with blood;
cogpses We're lying across the doors; the
lieutenant's arm had been broken by ball;
everything was in a whirl of smoke and dust.
Courage" yelled the captain stick 10
your posts. Relief is coming, Courage for
q little while longer!" The Arstrians had
drawn nearer yet, their contorted faces
doomed through the smoke: above the rattle
Of the firing rose their savage cries, insulting,
demanding surrender, threatening slaughter
Occasionally 2 soldier, terror stricken, re-
treated from the window; the sergeant drove
him back But the defenders FIRE was slack
ening; their faces showed encouragement:
it was impossible TO prolOng the resistance.
Suddenly the firing or the Austriaas SLACK
ened. and Q laundering voice shouted, first in
German. then in Italian:
Surrender
@No." howled the captain from a window.
And the firing began again stcadier nnQ
iercer on boJn sides. More soldiers fe'i.
Already more than enc window was without