The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-02

enough to throw aside their wraps and
make the best Of their way downstairs
CASTOR. whose instantaneous cure
Sister AngeliQue afterward described
as little short Of miraculous. wa the
first to reioin his comrades; and. de-
scrying his prosecutor. Bouchard.
standing apart from the rest, and ap-
parently in no very good humor. went
up to him with outstretched hand and
. frank. CHEEKY smile.
We'll. lieutenant" he said. you
won't have me cropped now"
SO it seems" grimly replied the
other. returning somewhat reluctantly
the pronered grasp. You have moro
luck than you deserve; for. depend
upon il. / should have shown you no
mercy"
Each Of the seniors entitled to pro-
motion having notified to the adjutant
on duty the regiment to which he was
DESTROYS of being attached. the prepa-
rations for departure we're speedily
completed. At An early hour in the
afternoon the band Of exulting young
STEERS started for Paris, intent on max
ing the most of the three days allowed
them before joining their respective
corps. Gaston's regiment being
stationed at Lille. he had ample leisure.
after partaking of . farewell repast at
Brebant's with his old companions, to
carry into execution his long-cherished
project of paying flying visit to his
cousin Louise at Trouville; and. re-
pairing on the third dry to headquar-
tiers. reported himself to the colonel OF
the F~Orty.secOnd Dragons, who re-
ceived him o cordially.
you are dispensed from duty" said
his chief. until you have got your kit
in order. Ma fol, young man. you
have arrived in the very nick OF time.
for before the week Is out We shall be
on our way to the 'front.'"
On his first appearance at mess. de
Langeais discovered to his astOnish-
ment that every one of his new COM
p~anions. without exception. was closely
cropped. "A very necessary pre-
csztion." said the president, Tin war
time: the less i~ncumbrance we carry
about US the better. Along beard and
as little hair as possible: no comb or
razor wanted. nothing but q simple
'brush-up.'"
Not to MENTION" chimed in an old
campaigner Of prcverbial badness.
that a heavy helmet plays the very
deuce with ones hair"
CASTOR listened with due respect to
these well-meant exhOrtatiOns. but
without the slightest intention of being
influenced by them; and. on the ar
rival of his division at Metz some days
later. had already, more than Once.
declined to avail himself of the services
of the regimental barber.
Nevertheless. he instinctively felt
that a continued refusal to conform to
the general custom must inevitably en-
danger his popularity. and that the
only way to atone for this obnoxious
singularity was to distinguish himself
by some exploit which might obtain
for him an honorable mention in the
order of the day.
An opportunity soon came. On the
18th of August his regiment. posted
near St. Private. behind an avenue OF
poplars bordering the road to Saar-
bruck, had been exposed for several
hours to 4 CALLING fire Of the German
artillery: and had suffered severely
from An incessant storm Of shells,
which were beginning 10 set the trees
on fire. The position of the French
corps became untenable. and the
colonel. deciding that the enemy's
guns must at any cost be silenced, Or
dered a small detachment of dragons
commanded by de Laugeais to charge,
and cut them of from the main body.
The Germans. taken by surprise and
imagining they were about to be at
tackled by the entire regiment ceased
firing and hastily retreated. leaving
one OF their guns on the field. which
CASTOR. at the head of fifteen men, bore
down upon. and, sabering the gunners,
carried it triumphantly into the French
lines.
Bravo" cried the colonel. warmly
grasping the young sub-lieutenant's
hands; you have deserved the Cross
for this. and 1 will take care that you
get it."
Stimulated by this first success and
eager to justify by some further act of
daring the good opinion Of his chief.
de Langeais neglected no opportunity
of proving himself worthy of it. Dis
patched on a fOraging expedition, and
attacked by an outpost of infantry. he
completely routed them and brought
ten prisoners to the camp. and . few
days later held his ground for half an
hour. unsupported. ave by his own
men. against an entire corps of the
enemy. His gallantry did not pass
u~nrewarded. Not only was the Cross
of the Legion Of Honor conferred on