The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-26
CHAPTER XI.
1oMs VISITOR IN TIE ADVANCE.

for him: that he was detailed for court
martial in the morning. and that IN th'
evening he was once more for the trenches
The consequence was that ne found no OPP
porsunity for that insidious cross-eAamlAa-
ton of Hugh Fleming, and it So happened
that Hugh, who since the death OF Grogan
had been acting as a captain, was not 10
cluded in the covering party formed by the
tn in the evening.
On his arrival at the brigade ground,
Byng found himself for the advanced
trenches and though IN those weary watches
that had gone by, q man had otttlmes muc d
leisure to brood over his affairs, yet the
nights had waxed much livelier Of late, and
those in the advance had to be so continually
on the alert, that they hal not much time to
mediate on a love chase gone awry, or how
e assuags the angry imOortunites of cred
itors whose patience was at length ex-
hausted, two circumstances that year ago
claimed a good deal Of attention from most
Of them. Although nothing but the coca
sional monotonous roar of the big guns
broke through the quietness Of the night,
yet Tom aud his comrades kept vigllent
watch and ward. They were dealing with
an enemy bold and energetic, who threw
no chances away, and whose skirmisherS
stole up nightly as near as they dared, to see
IL too fatal a sense Of security
might vouch them the opportunity for a
sortie which they were always seeking.
However, daybreak came without even an
alarm, aud the sun shone brightly out over
the shattered town heralding the advent Of
q glorious day toward the very end of May
Byng was sitting vita his back to the para
PEI Of the trench, musing dreamily over
Frances Smerdon'5 letter and what reply be
should make to it, when be was once more
recalled to sense of sublunary matters by
his more mercurial subaltern, who suddenly
exclaimed:
II say, Tom, do you remember what day
tbis Isf
"Yes. Wednesday. replied Byng. lazily
Wednesday; es, sir the We'd esday, by
Jove, it's the Dtrby day. and what a day
they've got for it. Do you recolect going
up last year and seeing Andover win"
Eyes, laughed the other; land how we
all backed King Tom, and saw our horse
run good second on three legs; showing
that but for the mishap he ought to have
won.n
'Ah, yes, but what fun we had all the
same. What lunch we had with those
dragon fellows over on the nil. They were
all on Andover-drank buckets of cham
payne to celebrate his success, and insisted
upon our drowning our losses in the sa ufe
manner. All. we were credit TO the regl-
ment on that occasion patterns of sobriety
to the whole British army after having
been engaged in such revel"
''Iempord mUtdntur, as they taught us
at school, laughed Byng Last year
pigeon pie, plovers eggs, ami Geisler's brut,
were hardly good enough for US, and now
I'm dying for the sight of that villainous
servant of mine with the tea and cold
bacon, Surely they're awfully late with our
breakfast"
mo, just s." rejoined his companion,
glancing at his watch. Listen, there go
the clocks inside" and he jerked his head
in the direction of the town.
A few minutes more and two or three
servants belong to the regiment made their
appearance. carrying their masters break
fastS with them. Very much to the aston
ishment of Tom and mis- companions came
also French officer, in the uniform of the
Zouaves, the triple row OF gold lace round
his KEPT, and the elaborate embroidery o.
the sleeve of his smart, dark blue jacket,
indicating that he as a captain, lust as
much as his shaven forehead, and swaggerv
q
the Zouaves.n
Tom raised his cap POLITELY to the French
man, whose kepl vas off instantly in re-
turn, and then could not help casting a look
of inquiry at his henchmap.
The colonel commanding the third
parallel, sir, told me to bring this French
officer to you. And will YOU be so good as
TO show him all there is to be seen in the az,
vance"
The French officer with a flourish of his
cap commenced q voluble speech in bis own
language, TO the effect That if he might
trespass upon the amiability of monsieur he
would wish to see what We were doing in the
front. Toms knowledge of the French
language like the majority of his brethren
In the English army. was limited in the ex-
treme, and the quick witted Z1uave saw at
once that he was not understood. He
changed Instantly into the Anglo-Saxon
vernacular.
"Ah, monsieur" he continued. "you no
like 60 spik French. You English all can.
but you nevare will, mon ami. | am en-.
gagged like yourself, in this stupide siege,
knocking our heads for moAths against This
pig of town. | sometimes wish | WAS back
in Africa; chasing the kaby.es was more
amusing this. This morning | said 10 my
self: Mon cher. you ennIi yourself, you
get the-what do you call it-ah, bored you
require the Change, you want distraction.
! said to my chief: Mon colonel, thi,
fatigues me, these pigs Of Russians Will not
knock me on the head, although, ma foi, ~
he continued, with a shrug OF his shoulders
and grimace, ''they have been making ii
lively enough for US lately. With your
permission to-day, / will 60 and look at our
gallant allies. | will study the little lanes
and bitches they make, and see if | like
them better than our own And now, mon
sieur, must throw myself upon your good
nature. as soon as you have finished your
breakfast. Permit me 10 offer you a cigar.
ette," and having handed his case TO Tom
the Zouave selected one for himself, and
throwing himself on the ground, proceeded
to smoke and chat easily as if be had known
his companions all his life He was very
communicative about his past, be gave
them to understand that he was a Partisan
by birth, and that Paris was the only place
fit to like in. But you DO not live there
for nothing my friends; and when one has
come to the end OF ones resources. there i;
nothing for a gentleman but the Seine. OF
Africa and the Zouaves. l chose the latter
and parole d'hOnneur l have never regret
ted it. It's wild service ours, but it makes
the pulses tingle in your veins-there is not
ane of US but what has won his rank at the
swords point"
Tom felt there was something fascinating
about his guest, 10. spite Of his somewhat
braggadocio manner. He had the bearing.
moreover, of a man who had certainly been
accustomed to good society, and Tom knew
that what he said of his CORPS was true, ard
that the dare devil troops of which he was
a captain, had little reverence for any Off
GERS who had not won their grade under
their own eyes. Breakfast over, Tom began
his task as cicerOne. and was much struck
nd Of he