The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-04-20


finally lay down their arms.
Thus an hour passed.
Bayardet, who had picked up the gun
Of one of the wounded in order to shoot
like 4 common soldier, was very much
alSrmed. Never could he pass over the
bodies of the Prussians; there were too
many of them. The zousves had used
up half OF their cartridges, and when
their ammunition should be exhausted
their last resource would be 10 risk
almost certain death in an attempt to
force their way out with the bayonet--
for the lieutenant did not even dream Of
surrendering. He was much depressed.
What would they think of him for thus
throwing himself into the jaws of the
wolff OF him, an old soldier. accustomed
to all the tricks of the Arabs, who had
fought for twenty years in Algeria, in
the Crimea, in Italy, in Mexico, and who
had just got himself caught like an or
binary conscript, with fifty men? What
ever his heroism, he could foresee the
blame that would be heaped upon him.
1t was dishonor.
stLieutenant, . said his sergeant, there
is one way. will start If you like. Per-
haps lean slip through the lines of these
eaters of sauerkraut. l viii reach the
camp and bring back aid, for surely they
cannot leave US in this box,
II was thinking of that" answered
Bayardet; "but did not dare to propose
it to you, so great is the risk of losing
ones skin. Go ahead. You will take
Sid; he will guide you. If you are
wounded or captured let the dog go; he
win get there unless bullet stiffens him
out.
And, tearing leaf from his memoran-
dunn book. the lieutenant scrubbed these
few words in pencil:
Have fallen into an ambush. Come
If you can. You have only to follow
Sid. There is no time to lose.
He signed the note and fastened it to
the dogs neck with piece of gilt cord
torn from his tunic.
The sergeant opened the door and
slipped out, preceded by Sid.
Another half hour passed. The zouaves
discussed in low tones the probabilities
of success. 'sThe sergeant has passed,
said Bayardet. .sYVe are saved. These
words had scarcely left the lieutenant's
lips when few shots were heard two or
three hundred yards away. Evidently
the sergeant had been making long
search for an opening; he had been seen.
But had he succeeded? Anexciting ques-
ton which each one anxiously asked
himself. Five or six minutes later there
was another little voIley, but farther off
than the previous one.
''There, that is for Sidi, = growled Bay
ardet. ''The sergeant must have been
caught. If they didn't hit the dog, he
must be far awayl'
The time passed with tormenting slow
ness. At every moment Bayardet con-
suited his watch, the only jewel that he
had, and he was painfully surprised to
see that the hands had scarcely moved,
not even the minute hand. He began
to believe that the accused watch had
stopped, and yet he had been careful to
wind it, Besides. several of the zouaves
had watches, and it was out of the ques-
ton that all should have stopped.
Listen, lieutenant said an old sol
der with a beard that was almost white
and who had won his stripes. 1--WE can
not mold here any longer. Ny comrades
agree with me; they had rather catch
BULLETS than the rheumatism. Let us
starti'
Silence in the ranksl' replied Bay
ardet.
But he was choking with anger and
dying with anxiety. To make the time
pass quickly he paced back and forth in
the sort of barn, an asylum which had
become q prison, swearing between his
teeth, grinding the soil under the heels
of his boots and biting his lips until they
bled.
The sergeant and Sid had been gone
an hour, which made two since the you
ayes entered the howell and three since
the accommodating party left the camp.
Bayardet, tired of tramping, sat down
on stump, took out his watch again,
held it in his open hand and did not take
his ewes off the dial. He had lust al
lowed himself five minutes respite. at
the end Of which time he must come to
a decision. The Ave minutes having
fallen into eternity, Bayardet replaced
the watch in his fob. blew his nose,
coucbed. spat like an orator about to