Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-10-31

Run, everything WhlIitu hiOunu Iltl ll6li
on my side near the wheel of a powder
wagon and lost consciousness.
"When | opened my eyes | heard only
the sound of distant firing. The zouaves
were there, formed in a disordered semi
circle. They cried 'Vive rEmpereurl' and
brandished their guns at arms length in
the air.
can old general, followed by his staff,
came up at IA gallop. He refined up his
horse, and, waving his gilded chapeau in
the air, he cried: Bravo, zouavesl You
are the first soldiers Of the world
81 was sitting by my wheel, piteously
holding with my right hand my poor
broken paw, and | recalled the frightful
crime of Thi~rsty-killing his officer from
behind on the field of battle.
suddenly he came from among the
ranks and advanced toward the general
yes, he himself, Thirsty, the assassin of
the captain. In the fight he had lost his
cap, and his shaved head appeared ira
versed by n saber stroke from which a
stream of blood ran down his forehead
and on his cheek. Leaning with one hand
on his gun, he presented an Austrian
flag, tattered and with great red stains on
tia flag which he had taken. The gen
eral seemed to regard him with admira-
ton and find him superb. Say, Bricourt,'
said he, turning to one of his artillery
officers. Look at that. What men!
"Then Thirsty said in his hoarse voice;
That's true, my general, but you know
the First zouaves. There are enough of
them for more than one time
81 could embrace you for that phrase
cried the general. "You shall have the
cross, you know"
And repeating always, What men,
what men, he said to his aide-de camp a
phrase which | could not understand my
self am too ignorant. you know, but !
remember it all the same-'Isn't it, | Bri.
courty It's like Plutarch.'
But at that my arm panied me
again, and f~ainting saw and heard moth.
ing more.
"You know the rest. | have often told
you how they hacked off my arm and how
was carried for two months in ambu-
%lances, delirious with fever. In my sleep
less hours asked myself what | should do
in regard to Thirsty Denounce him2
Certainly that was my duty, bat how?
What proofs had |? Then | would say to
myself, He is a %scoundrel, but II hero. He
killed Capt. Gentle, but he captured an
Austrian flag And | could not decide.
At last, when | was convalescent, | learned
that as a reward for his brave action
Thirsty had been transferred with his
grade to the Zouav of the guard, and
had received a decoration. All, at first
that Disguised me with my W cross,
which our colonel had just attached to my
cloak at the hospital. However, Thirsty
merited his as well, after all; but his Lee
gion of Honor should rave served as a
target for a firing squad of soldiers. Well,
all that was a long time ago. | have never
seen the sergeant again, who is still in the
service, and | am in civil life. But just
now, seeing that tunic with its bullet hole
God knows how it came there, hanging
at that old clothes dealers, two steps from
the barracks where the assassin isl
thought of his UNPUBLISHED crime, and it
seemed to me that the captain cried for
Justice"
| did my best to calm Pere Vidal, who
had been much excited by his story. | as
sured him that he had lone everything for
the best, and the heroism of the sergeant
balanced his crime. But some days later
on arriving at the office | found Pere
Vidal, who handed me a journal so folded
that but one column was visible, and who
said gravely:
"What did | tell you?"
| took the journal and read as follows:
"Another Victim Of Intemperance.-Yes-
terday afternoon on the Boulevard de
Grenelle "A sergeant Of the Imperial you
ayes by the name of Mallet, who bore
among his comrades the sobriquet
Thirsty and who had been drinking
heavily with some companions in the neigh
boring drinking places, was seized with a
sudden alcoholic delirium while looking at
some old uniforms hanging in front Of an
old clothes merchants.
Becoming suddenly furious the ser
geant drew his saber bayonet and ran down
the street, to the great terror of the pass
ers by. 1t was only by the greatest efforts
that the two soldiers who accompanied
him were able to overcome the mailman,
who in his rage shrieked increasingly: i
am not an assassin | took an Austrian
flag at Melegnano!
I'VE are told that in fact Mallet had
been decorated for that feat of arms, and
that it was only his inveterate drunken
ness which prevented him from becoming
an officer.
'Mallet has been taken to the military
hospital of Gros-Caillon, from whence he
will presently be transferred to Clarendon
for it is doubtful if the unfortunate mar
will ever recover his reason"
AS | returned the journal to Pere Vida
he looked at mt gravely and said;
Captain Gentle was a Corsican. He il
avenged New York Evening Post.
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