San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-15

solve, he said shortly:
well, yes, will tell it to you. Inas-
much as you are well informed and hon
est young man, | have confidence in you
and when | have finished you shall tell
frankly-your hand on your HEARTH you
think it strange in me to be moved as /
have been moved. Let us see. Where
shall we begin? First, cannot tell you
his name, the other, since he is living, but
| shall call him by the nickname which we
gave him in the regiment, Thirsty-yes,
we used to call him Thirsty-and he well
answered the name, being one of those who
don't stir from the cauteen, and who toss
of twelve small glasses at the twelve
strokes of noon. He was sergeant of a
company when | was quartermaster, and
he marched by my side as file closer A
good soldier, a very good soldier, a drunk
ard, roisterer, fond Of rows, with all the
bad habits of Africa; but brave as a bayo-
net, with cold, steel blue eyes, brown face
and red beard Not an easy man to get on
with. When | reached the depot of the
war battalion Thirsty had just completed
his service He re-enlisted, took his bounty
and went on three days spree, during
which he rolled through the low quarters
of Algiers with four or five other rakes
like himself piled up in a caleche, and
carrying tricolored flag, with these
words, This will not last always
They brought him back to the barracks,
his skull cracked by saher's stroke. He
had been in row with some loafers at the
house of Moorish woman, who had re-
ceiyed during the squabblc a kick which
proved fatal. Thirsty recovered. He was
put in the stocks for fifteen days and
stripped of his sergeant's stripes. 1t was
the second time that he had lost them. If
it had not been for his bad conduct Thirsty,
who was of good family and fairly edu-
Gated, would have been an officer long ago.
Now, after the affair of the Moor, his
stripes were taken Off; but ak months
later, as | passed the quartermaster ser.
geant's, saw that he had them on again,
thanks to the indulgence of his captain, an
old African campaigner, who had seen his
bravery in kabylie.
Before long the old campaigner was pro
NOTED to be chief of the battalion, and they
sent us new captain, a young Corsican
named Gentle, of p, just from the military
school, cold ambitious, full of merit, they
said, but very eXacting, hard on his men,
giving you six days in the guard house for
| a spot of rust on your gun or a button
| missing from your CATERS; moreover, hav-
| ing not yet served in Algiers and admitting
no sort of laxity or frolicking Capt Gen
| tile took dislike to Thirsty at once, and
| the dislike was reciproCated. Indeed, 1t
could not he otherwise. The first time that
the sergeant did not respond to the even
| ing call, eight days in the stocks; the first
time that he got drunk, fifteen days. While
| the captain, small brown man, stiff as
wire, and with the bristling mustaChe OF
| frightened cat, would throw his punish
ment in his face, saying in hard voice, Il
know who you are, and I'll humble you,
| my boyr Thirsty did not say anything, and
walked quietly to the side of the guard
house, but the captain would have spoken
| more mildly. perhaps, If he had seen the
| angry flush which mounted to the SER
| geant's cheek when he had turned his head,
| and the CLEAN of rage which shot from his
terrible cold blue eyes.
"The emperor declared war upon Aus
tria, and we embarked for Italy. But we
are not concerned with the story Of that
| campaign. will go on with ours. Dur
! ing the preparations for the battle OF
Melegnano, when | lost my arm, you
know. our battalion camped in the middle
of a small village, and having broken
ranks, our captain made brief address,
proper thing for the captain to do-to re-
mind us that we were in a friendly coun-
try, and that our honor demanded good
behavior from rs; adding that any annoy.
ance to any of the inhabitants would be
punished severely. While he was speak
ing Thirsty, who was standing unsteadily
by my side, leaning on his gun Che had half
emptied since morning the keg of the can
tiniere) shrugged his shoulders lightly.
but happily the captain did not see it.
"In the middle of the night started out
Of my sleep jumped off from the bundle
of straw on which was sleeping in farm.
yard, and I saw in the moonlight group
of soldiers and peasants, who were tearing
from the arms of Thirsty, furious as wild
beast, pretty girl, who was invoking to
her aid the Virgin and all the saints in
Paradise. | ran to hold him, but Capt.
Gentle reached him before me. BY one
glance of his eye (the little Corsican had
the look Of u mastery he stilled the ser
geant; then having Gained the Lombard
by some words that he said to her in
Italian, he turned and stood before the
culprit and said. shaking his trembling
hand in his face:
"'They ought to blow out the brains Of
Sucn WreUcnes as YOU III Iho uhedhtilO
will see the colonel, and you shall lose
your stripes again and for good this time.
We shall fight tomorrow: see that you get
yourself killed
I'VE turned in again, but the captain
was right, and at break of day we were
reused by the firing of cannon. We flew
to arms. formed in line, and Thirsty (his
cold blue eyes had never looked more crueD
stood by my side The battalion began its
rnnrnh Il wnS To diSlndRa the white coats