The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-11-29
OLD HORNUS.

olID 1lOllN w..
A single French regiment, ON an I'M
sheltered railroad bank, stood like a tar
i get for the Prussian army, massed in
the woods some so yards away. AS
the bullets fell thick about them, the
French officers ordered their men to lie
down, but not one would obey. All
remained proudly standing about their
flag.
In that broad expanse of green pas
lures and waving cornfields illumined
by the setting sun, that body of tor
mentea men, enveloped in q cloud of
smoke, looked like a flock surprised in
tie open fields by the first gust OF o
terrible tempest. It did indeed rain
lead ON that hillsidei Nothing could
be heard but the cracking discharge
OF musketry, the heavy rumbling of
shells and the ceaseless vibration of
balls all over the battlefield.
Again and again the flag fell, but
every time a clear, bold voice rang out
above the din of the musketry, the
oaths of the wounded, the death rattle
OF the dying:'To the flag, boys! To
the fiag!"
And instantly, like a vague shadow
in that fiery fog, an officer would spring
forward, and the dauntless ensign, as
if restored to life, would look down
again upon the battle.
Twenty-Five times it fell. Twenty
two times it's staff, still warm as it slip
ped from a dying hand, was caught and
raised again, and when at sunset the
remnant of the regiment, a little hand
full of men, slowly retreated the flag
was but a tattered rag in the hands of
Sergeant Hornus, the twenty-third en-
sign of the day.
This Sergeant Hornus, an old fellow
who could scarcely sign his name, had
been 90 years in gaining the rank of
a noncommissioned officer. The mis-
cries of the founding and the brutality
of the barracks had left their impress
in his low, obstinate brow, his back bent
by the knapsack and that unscrupu-
lous air of the trooper in the ranks. He
staInmered a little, too, but eloquence
Is not essential in an ensign. That
same evening Of the battle his colonel
said to him. You have the flag, my
gallant fellow-well, keep it"
And On his shabby army coat, worn
md faded by rain and powder, the suit
er placed at once the golden badge of
ne ensign. This was the one glory of
ma life. From this time the old troop
er lid up his head. The poor soul,
VINO harafNRrwa nod ~r-cl1-l w-sAL -
a aid downcast glance, henceforth
s1ooI prsldly erect, with eyes ever
hi.e1 70 Wach that scrap of cloth fiut-
sefiH In the b-eeze, and to hold 1T very
nighFery upr1sat, above death, de-
feat ad treachery.
rev was there Aaan so happy as
Hornt when he stood Oh tha hat+,a-
heid, y hands clasped about his fiap-
stan ] its leathern sheath. silent
motlonss, grave as a priest, one wou,d
nave ID that he was holding IN
thing sred. His whole life, his whole
being uttered in the fingers gripped
Q beautiful golden rag upon
which J balls seemed to hurl them
selves, d his defiant eyes looked the
Prussia straight in the face as If To
say, Jury now to take it from me,''
NO II try-not even death. After
those Oily battles Of Borny and
tiraveiol the flag left the field cut to
pieces rally riddled with bullet
holes pf was still old Hornus who
bore III. ben came September, the
army ~ 2, the siege, and that long
encampHi in the mud till the cannon
rnstea' ssthe finest troops in the
world, ofalized by inaction, by
lack of pfons and of news. died IN
the trencf fever and despair and
deaoiy Nsfess. Leaders and men
aIKe 'os' pence. Hornus alone still
naa iai'n, trlcolor rag was all the
woriu " And as long as he kept
tnat IL seep him that nothing was
lost.
Unfortui as tbera MOS
nghtlhs' .1nel kept the flag at his
quar'eis i the suburbs of Metz,
ana hohespus was very like a
lnotner "hfld is out at nurse.
ne continually, and when
ms iohs.nS became uncomfortable
q "ouiu b colonel 8 house,
wnere Inc light of his flag, rest
ing aiiquait place against the
wall "oupuhim back with u
age 'fm under his SOAK
ing tent OF of battles of tho
flag floating own there on A.
Prussian treA
An order DIAL Raz,;na
ed these illusbne mSo,nina IT.,
nus awoke tol eamn IN ! !, -
IoaI, 1n0 excited groups
shouline anu kangrily and ges-
"Of with boot b;r -, 4ha-5
cried, and thu walL;na -
with heads b hana 49, r.
men, iet .usin nheeded.
twas To $50, 600
~eh men had Just