Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-17
A BABY In THE BATTLE.
AN INCIDENT IN THE CAREER OF
HEROIC LORD CHARLES HAY.

Front and Delivered 1t to the Mother.
"Hello! What's Young Salamander
up to now?'
"Mad, fancy, or else he wants to get
killed"
Sand SO he will, whether he wants il
or not, il he goes running in among the
bullets like THAR
In truth Young Salamander" (other-
wise Lord Charles Hay of the First Life
Guardsl did seem to be running fearful
risk without any reason whatever. One
of the hardest battles ever fought be-
tween the French and English in Bel
gium was at its hottest. The French
army was much the stronger of the two,
and although the English held their
ground as stubbornly as bulldogs it
seemed very doubtful which way the
fight would go. 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
dbN ciIiNC OIL III lONdiNl Tue tllGIllN.
A DESPERATE VENTURE.
a more desperate venture could hardly
be imagined, for so thickly were the bull
let's flying between the two opposing
lines that the little jets of dust which
they knocked up from the dry earth
formed cloud almost as dense as the
smoke itself Nothing mortal surely
rrtll H.. IN e
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-starl mad!'
roarcd the English colonel recovering
from his stupor Of amazement. Come
back this minute, you young idiot! Do
you want to be killed.
But Lord Charles still went forward
without a moments pause, as if he had
not heard them Then the English
ceased firing in sheer astonishmcnt; but
just at that moment the flash and crackle
of fresh yolley burst forth like a storm
along the glittering line of French bayo-
nets, and all was hidden in smoke. When
thesmoke cleared again every one expect
ed to see the brave lad lying dead. But
no-EIay was still on his feet His cap
had been struck off, and some said that
they could see blood on his face, but he
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 contendng hosts
was bent upon the solitary figure be-
tween them. just then sudden gust OF
wind whirIed aside for n moment the
cloud Of smoke and dust. anI every one
saw for the first time what Lord Charles
Hay was about
y little to the left of the English line
of battle stood cluster OK miserable
novels, ana the Flemish peasants whom
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 wrctchci rs they were, were
the only home ltat they had. But they
soon found tuaJ hey were mistaken, for
a sudden chaue, in the position of the
two armies brought these unlucky cot
tages right intp the line Of fire, and the
terrified peasanrs. finding the cannon
balls falling lhick,y on every side of
them, took to tnoir heels at once, drag
ging with them their children and what
few goods they could manage TO carry.
In the hurry Ct this panic flight 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 hiHr'e while her mother could be
seen i4 tas distance shrieking wildly and
tossias her arms in the air and strug-
gling t9 break loose from her husband,
who was holding her firmly, for, count
ing his chi.i already lost, BE had no wish
to lose his wife as well.
APrlAuDED BY THE ENEMY.
Cooly II ON parade the brave young
guardauau au.e onward TO the spot
where the Hs child lay, his fair hair
and bright .agl face showing through
the b.iiowE smoke like those of an angel
in some old Italian painting He raised
it tenderiy in his arms, and some who
saw it said aitarwarl that the poor little