Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-02-02

rather creeping. few hundred yards,
wheeled to the right at point where
there was little cover. and then adj
vanced as stealthily Us Indians on the
war path towards q part OF the French
position which we had reason to believe
was very indifferently guarded.
Djezzar, who knew every yard of the
ground, went first with hundred men;
next came Murad, and with my blue
jackets brought up the rear.
1t was not very dark, rather the gray
of a misty morning; and as emerged
from the sallyport / fancied caught q
glimpse of a ghostly figure gliding to-
wards the French lines. The next mo-
ment it was gone. Could it be one OF
the dervishes whom we had seen near
the mosque? Djezzar's soldiers were
not incorruptible, and false dervish
with money in his pocket would have
no difficulty in smuggling himself out
of the city.
But it would have been absurd to sug-
gest the abandonment of the expedition
because imagined that had seen a
figure which might be that of spy,
and SO contented myself with warning
my men to keep sharp lookout and re-
solving 10 do the same myself.
At first all went well. We overpow-
cred the outlying picket before they
could give the alarm, reached the
trenches unobserved. killed the slender
guard to man, and while Murad and
score OF two of his men were collect
ing intrenching tools, for the double
purpose OF incoveniencing the enemy
and providing ourselves with imple-
ments of which we stood in great need,
the rest of US ran on to spike the guns.
But they were farther off than we ex-
pecsed, and we had hardly reached
them when we heard the firing and
frantic shouts in our rear.
1--WE have been betrayed. They are
attacking Murad. Back! back! or we
shall be cut off, shouted Djezzar.
We found Murad fighting at desper-
alto odds with crowd of French sol
dicrs, whose numbers, in the misty
darkness, it was impossible to esti-
mate. lat they were between US and
Acre.
''CharGe!" shouted the pasha.
"Allah il Allah!' cried tho Maugra-
bins, as they rushed wildly on, their
scimitars in their right hands, their
daygers in their left. Thus armed,
they were more than 4 match for the
French inesmen, whose bayonet-thrusts
they could ward off with one weapon
while they smote with the other.
Rally to me! keep close together, and
take care of the old mani sang out to
my Kangaroos.
There was very little shooting. One
volley from our pistols, and then the
cold cold steel. 1t was man to man,
bayonet and sciInitar, cutlass and
sword. What happened to me person
ally / can hardly tell. Once, Djezzar
went down. and if had not stood over
him, and the Kangaroos had not stood
by ne, he would have been either cut
in pieces or taken prisoner. The
French, seeing what prize was with
il their grasp, tried hard to take him.
If the Albanians at the sally-port had
not heard the sounds of the fray and
come promptly to the rescue, we should
all have been taken. When the French
found themselves attacked in the rear
they hesitated, became slightly con-
fused, and before they could recover
themselves we got through, By the skin
OF orr teeth, and shortly after sunrise
were once more AT Acrc-thoSe of US who
survived. -
It was Il bad business, that first sor-
tie. Fer though we did not spike a sim
gle gun, we left behind us, alive or
dead. more than hundred Maugrabins
and five OF my Bike jackets. Most OF
us we're wounded, though not danger
ously. got two or three cuts; the pasha
came of with n severe shaking and two
or three Commissions.
You saved my life, Capt. Roy" ne
said, when we had mustered our men
and counted our losses. 81 thank you.
They say Djezzar never forgives his enc
mics. You will find that he never for
gets his friends. Who was the traitor?-
Murcd?"
AS did not want TO see Murad's head
struck from his shoulders, suggested
that the traitor was much more likely
to be one of the dervishes who had been
hanging about the mosque, and men
toned the figure which 1 had seen steal
ing through the mist.
Djezzar agreed with me, and ex-
pressed sincere regret that. owing to
the absurd religious prejudices OF the
townfclk and the troops, he could not
stranglc every dervish in the place.
But ne would try to turn the tables on
the French by bribing q genuine der
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