The Newtown bee., 1889-06-07
THE DRUMMER BOY.

pNioAiSihS oo ouc o1 tuc lIdlldH lIlIdutry regiments, having been sent to occupy an isolated house on height. were un- expectedly 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 barricade the doors, leaving several dead and wounded in the fields. After barricading the doors, the Italian sol diers hastily ran to the windows on the first floor and began to pour steady fire into the assailants, who were gradu- ally advancing in semicircle and re- plying vigorously.
 The Italians were commanded by two subalterns and captain, tall, old fel- low, lean and severe, with white hair and moustache. With them there was a Sardinian drummer boy, not much more than IA years old, who scarcely appear ed to be 12; he was small, with an olive brown face and two sparkling, little, deep black eyes. The captain was direct ing the defence from window on the first floor, while the semicirele of the enemy kept closing up.
 All at once the captain, who until then had been impassi7e, was seen to show signs of uneasiness and to stride out of the room, followed by sergeant. About three minutes afterward. the ser geant came running back and called the drummer boy, beckoning him to follow. The boy ran after him up wooden stair case and went with him into an empty garret, where he saw the captain, who was writing with pencil on sheet of paper, leaning against the window, with we'll rope on the floor at his feet.
 The captain folded the paper and look ing with his cold, grayish eyes, before which all the soldiers trembled, into the eyes of the boy, said abruptly:
 Drummer boy." The drummer boy saluted. The captain said, ssYou have grit.' The boy's eyes lighted up.
 "Yes, captain,' he answered.
 ''Look down there," said the captain, pushing him to the window, Gin the plain, near the houses of Villafranca, where there is a glittering of bayonets. Those are 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 this note to the first officer 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 sergeant threw out the rope and grasped one end of it with both hands the captain helped the boy backward, through the little window. ."Take care,' he said to him; 'the safety of the de- tachment depends on your courage and on your legs.'
 ''Trust me, captain,' replied the drummer boy, swinging himself out.
 "Stoop as you go down." said the captain again. helping the sergeant to hold the rope.
 ''Never fear"
 "God help you.'
 In few minutes, the boy was on the ground, the sergeant drew up the rope and disappeared; the captain sprang to the window and saw the boy flying down the hill.
 He was already hoping that he ha6 succeeded in escaping unobserved, wher five or six little clouds of dust whicf rose from the ground both before ant behind the boy warned him that he hat been seen by the Austrians, who wer' firing at him from the top of the hill Those little clouds were earth throwl up by the bullets. But the boy contin ued to run at break-neck pace. All a once he fell.
 'sKilled!'' roared the captain, bitin, his fist. But he had scarcely said tn word, when he saw the boy up. "Ah only fall!'' he said to himself an breathed again. In fact. the boy bega to run again as fast as he could, but h limped. GA sprained ankle," though the captain.
 The boy ran swiftly for while, the limped and slackened his pace and the broke into a run again; but he scene more and more fatigued and every littl
 while stumbled and paused for a m' ment.
 ssPerhaps he has been hit by glan' ! ing bullet," thought the captain; and | l shudderingly watched his movement 2 and encouraged him and spoke to hi ! as if the boy could hear him. He mea e ured necessarily with keen eyes the di
 tance which interposed between the ru a ming boy and the glittering arms whit t he saw down there on the plain in u # midst of the wheat fields, gilded by u T sun. And, meanwhile, he heard u {. whistling and the noise of the bullets
 the rooms below, the imperious, ang
 cries of the officers and sergeants, u
 groans of the wounded and the crashil
 of the furniture and plaster. ssU u courage!" he cried, following with in gaze the distant boy. ssForward. ru
 He has stopped, curse him! An! he
 running again.
 An officer came, out of breath, h, say that the enemy, without ceasi it. their fire, were waving white flag as us summons to surrender.
 ssDon't answer" he cried, without 'n moving his eyes from the boy, who W ln , no longer running and who appeared ls be dragging himself along with di ,ir culty.
 CT Boy. get on. runl' said the capta as grinding his teeth and clenching
 fists. ssKill yourself; die, scoundrel, lst go on!'' Then a horrible oath bu ne from him. ssAh! the infamous cowa lo- he has sat down." In fact, the b
 whose head till now he had seen prof