The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-14
A BABY IN THE BATTLE.
AN INCIDENT IN THE CAREER OF
HEROIC LORD CHARLES HAY.

and. Raising tina Helpless Child in His
Arms. Carried 1t Up TO the Enomy's
Front and Delivered 1t 70 she Mother.
"Hellol What's Young Salamander'
up 10 now2"
"Mad, fancy, or else he wants to get
killed"
'And 50 he will, whether he wants it
or not, il he goes running in among tho
bullets like that"
In truth "Young Salamander' (other-
wise Lord Charles Hay Of the First Life
Guards did seem 10 be running q fearful
risk without any reason whatever. One
Of the hardest battles ever fought be-
tween the French and English in Bel
GUM was at its hottest. The French
army was much the stronger of the two,
and although the English hold their
ground as stubbornly as bulldogs it
seemed very doubtful which way the
fight would 90. Just then, in the thick
of the uproar and confusion, the rolling
smoke and the flying shot, young Hay
(whose bravery under fire had long since
earned him the nickname Of 'Salaman-
der" from his adoring soldiers) was seen
to step forth from the English line and
advance straight toward the enemy.
A DESPERATE VENTURE.
A more desperate venture could hardly
be imagined, for 50 thickly were the bull
lets flying between the two opposing
lines that the little jets Of dust which
they knocked up from the dry earth
| formed a cloud almost as dense as the
smoke itself. Nothing mortal surely
could live in such a storm Of shot; and
what could he possibly be going TO do
there?
"Come back, my lord; come back, for
heavens sake!" shouted dozen deep
voices at once.
"The young fools mad-stark madp
roared the English colonel, recovering
from his stupor Of amazement "Come
back this minute, you young idiot! DO
you want to be killedT
But Lord Charles still went forward
without q moments pause, as if he had
not heard them. Then the English
ceased firing in sheer establishment; but
lust at that moment the fash and crackle
of a fresh volley burst forth like storm
along the glittering line of French bayo-
nets, and all was hidden in smoke. When
the smoke cleared again every one expect
ed to see the brave lad lying dead. But
no-Hay was still on his feet. His cap
had been struck off, and some said that
Al 80 Ifff no
was still marching onward as steadily as
ever.
And now the French grenadiers, begin
ming to descry him through the rolling
smoke, stopped firing in their turn, sup
posing that this single man who was
coming toward them so boldly from the
English line must be the bearer of some
message from the British general, and
the attention of the two contending hosts
was bent upon the solitary figure be-
tween them. Just then a sudden gust of
wind whirled aside for a moment the
cloud of smoke and dust, and every one
saw for the first time what Lord Charles
Hay was about.
A little to the left of the English line
of battle stood a cluster Of miserable
novels, and the Flemish peasants who IN
habited them, instead of running away
when the battle began, as one might
have expected, had stayed where they
were, seeing that the fight seemed to be
rolling away from them, and not liking
the idea of abandoning their huts, which,
poor and wretched as they were, were
the only home that they had. But they
soon found that they were mistaken, Tor
a sudden change in the position OF the
two armies brought these unlucky cot
tages right into the line Of fire, and the
terrified peasants, finding the cannon
balls falling thickly on every side OF
them, took to their heels at once, drag
cling with them their children and what
few goods they could manage to carry.
In the hurry of this panic flight a tiny
girl, hardly old enough to walk alone,
had fallen or been left behind, and was
now lying on the ground midway be-
tween the French and English lines, cry
ING bitterly, while her mother could be
seen in the distance shrieking wildly and
tossing her arms in the air and strug-
Cling to break loose from her hus band'
who was holding her firmly, for, count
ing his child already lost, he had no wish
to lose his wife as we'll
APPLAUDED BY THE ENEMY.
Coolly as if on parade the brave young
ouardsman strobe onward TO the spot
where the helpless child lay, his fair hair
and bright young face showing through
the billowy smoke like those Of an angel
in some old Italian painting. lie raised
it tenderly in his arms, and some who
saw it said afterward that the poor little
trembler ceased crying at once, as II
soothed and comforted by his gentle
voice and kindly smile. Then, keeping
his own body as much as possible be
tween the child and the leveled muskets
of the French, he went straight on a.
calmly as ever, toward the dark mass oil
his enemies. .,
eDon't fire, comrades--dont fret
shouted a tall stern looking French
soldier. whose grim face WIS black with
dust aud gunpowder. "lf he were
4,.o,,t,, 4;r,as an Enplishman, he's as