St. Landry democrat., 1892-07-02
TO me,-came and placed himself at


my side.
The battalion began to march.
The intention was to dislodge the
Austrians, who had fortified them
selves, with cannon, in the village OF
Melegnano. Forward, march,
We had not gone two kilometers
when, bang! the enemy's shot took
us crosswise and swept down fifteen
men of the company.
Then, our officers, who were
awaiting the order to charge, made
US lie among the grain as sharpshoot-
ers, but they remained standing, nat
urally. and [ assure you that 1t was
not our captain who stood the least
straight. We, lying among the
grain, continued to fire upon the bat
tery which was within gunshot. Sud
denly I felt my elbow pushed; l
turned and saw La Soft, who was
looking at me, the corner OF his lip
curled with a hooking air, and load
ing his gun. Q,
said he to me, designating him with a
movement of the head.
"' Yes-welI . returned L, with a
glance at tho officer, who was stand
ing twenty PAGES away from us.
well. he made a mistake in talk
ing to me as he did last night !!
Then, with a precise and rapid
movement, he brought his weapon to
his shoulder and tired-and l saw the
captain, his torso suddenly stitfcned
and his head thrown backward, beat
the air with both hands for a second,
drop his sword and fall heavily upon
his back.
"' Assassin ! I cried, Selling the
sergeant's arm.
"But he sent me rolling three
PAGES from him with a blow from the
butt Of his gun in the stomach.
"' Imbecile prove that it was l
who killed him
Il arose in a fury. But all the
sharp shooters had arisen also. Our
colonel, bare headed upon his smok-
ing horse, was there, showing us with
his saber the Austrian battery and
shouting at the top of his lungs:
"' Forward, Zouaves the bayo-
net J.
What could ] do but charge like
the rest And it was superb, that
charge Of the Zouaves at Melegnano.
Have you ever seen heavy sea beat
upon reef ? Yes -? Well, it was just
like that. Each company climbed up
like the surf on the rocks. Three
times the battery was covered with
blue jackets and red trousers, and
three times we saw the embankment
re-appear with its impossible cannon
muzzles like the reef after the rush OF
the sea.
"But the fourth company, ours,
was destined to carry the battery. In
twenty bounds reached the redoubt !;
aiding myself with the butt Of my gun,
I cleared the slope, but [ had only
time to notice a blonde mustache, a
blue cap and the barrel Of a carbine,
which almost touched me. received
near my left shoulder such a shock
that thought my arm was off. [
dropped my weapon, felt as if paralz-
ed, fell upon my side near a calsson
wheel, and lost conciousness.
when re opened my eyes l heard
only distant sound OF musketry the
Zouaves were there, forming a semi
circle, but in disorder. They were
shouting, Victoryl and brandishing
their guns in the air.
An old general, followed by his
staff, arrived at a gallop; he stopped
his horse, took off his gilied KEPT,
waved it joyously, and cried:
"' Bravo, Zouaves You are the
best soldiers in the world !
Il was sitting beside my caisson
wheel. piteously holding my poor
broken arm in my right hand. and [
then recalled LacSoif's terrible crime,
shooting his off er from behind III
the midst Of the battle.
Suddenly he came from the ranks
and advanced toward the general.
- Yes, he himself, La Soft, the as
sassin of the captain He had lost
his fez in the battle, and his close
cropped Uranium was traversed by a
long cash from which a thread of
blood was flowing down upon his fore
head and cheek. With one hand he
supported himself on his gun, with
the other he presented an Austrian
standard, all in tatters and covered
with huge red stalns-a standard he
had captured.
1.-The general gazed at him admir-
ingly and evidently thought him
)" Ho Bricourt, said he, turning
to one of his orderlies, Just look at
that What men
"Then La Soft replied, in his
wheedling voice:
"' Yes, indeed, general, but, you
know, we are the First Zouaves-and
there S only enough of us left for an
other time !!
"I could hug you for that speechn
cried the general. you shall have
the cross, do you hear ?
"And still repeating, What men !!
what men he said something to
his aide de-camp which | did not un-
derstand-you know [ am an Ignorant
fellow-but which [ remember all the
same
Its page from Plutarch, isn'tit'
Bricourt?
"But at that moment my arm gave
me uncomfortable pain [ had ano Their
fainting spell and neither saw nor
heard anything further.
"You know the rest have often
told you how they hacked nv shout
der, and how [ dragged along for two
months in the hospitals with delirium
and fever.
"When was unable to sleep asked
myself what [ ought to do in regard
to La Soft. Denounce him? Yes, that
was my duty, but what would it
amount to? I could not furnish
proofs! And, beside, [ said to my
self, He is a scoundrel; yes, but he
is brave man; he killed Captain
Gentle, but he captured q flag from
the enemy!' And [ knew not what
to resolve upon.
Finally, when was convalescing,
learned that as a reward for his
brilliant action La Soft had passed
with his grade to the Zouaves de la
Garde and that he had been decorated.
All! this at first disguised NE with
my own crop, which our colonel had