Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-02

aud sen. By miracle bis transeressiou
| was NOT dip0vcred The facts came %
/ III rht long afterwards. bot at the time
there wore only two who knew d.
lt was bis last failure Late one even
I Ing / received huuiedly scrawlcd note
from his wife, begging me 20 come
\ round.
"a terrible thing has happened il ran.
] Charley went up 20 his study after din
| uer saving ile had some uiFinc up. as
I be calls 10. 90 do, and did uot wish to Zoe
| disturbed. In clearing out Dis desk he
must have handled carelessy the revolver
I Tint he always keeps there. not reneul-
/ bering / suppose. that it was loaded.
We heard q REPORT. ard on rushing into
the room. found him lying dead on the
hoor. The bullet had passed night
through his heart.
Hardly the type Of a man for q hero
And yet ! do not know. Perhaps he
fought harder than amy man who con
quers III The worlds courts we are COM
PEELED 90 judge on circnnsiqnclal cyl
dence only, aud the chief witness, the
mans soul. cannot very well be called.
remember the subject 81 bravery be-
ms discussed one evening 90 u dinner
party. when O German gentleman present
related an aueCdote, the hero 81 which
was q young Prgssian officer
II cannot give you bis name our
German friend explained -'thc man HIM
sell told me- the story in confidence and
though he per onally, by virtue of his
after record. could afford 60 have it
known, there afe otler reasons why 81
should not De bruitej about
How ! learned % was 100 this WY.
For o doshing exploit performed during
the brief war against Austria hc had
been presented with Che iron cross. This.
as SOU are well aware. b. tho most ignly
priced decoration iH the German army.
Alen who have earned be are usually cone
ccitsd about it. and indeed. have some
excuse for being So He, on the con-
trnry, kept bis locked iu q drawer in
his desk. and never wore b. except when
compelled by official etiquette. The mere
sight 0i ID sct med 60 be painful 10 him.
Ono day I asked him tlc reason We are
very old and close friends aud be told
ne
'rhc incident occurred when ne was
q young lieutenant. Indeed. b was his
first engagement by some means or
other ne had hecome separated from his
company, aud unable 90 regain H. had
attached himself 90 q LgndwCrh regiment
stationed at the extreme right of the
Prussiau lines
The enemy efforts were muinly 81.
rected against the left ccnter and for
g while our young lieutenant was moth
ing more than % distant spectator Of the
battle. Suddenly however the attack
shifted, and The regiment found itself
Occupying an extremely critical and im-
pOrtant position .hc shells began 10
iall uupleasoutly near, aud the order was
Ciypu 90 grass
Tie men fell upon their faces aud
waited The shells ploughcd the ground
around them. sMutherlng them with dirt
horrible gripping pain started I'm my
young trWa's stomach, aad began creep
ms upwards iis head and heart both
seemed 90 Or shrinking and growing
cold. A shot tore OF the head of the
maa Dozt 90 him, sending the blood squirt
lug into u's face, "a minute later another
ripped open the back of poor fellow
lying 90 the front of him.
IT'S body seemed not 10 belong 10 him.
self mo all. A strange shriveled creature
seemed 20 hdsc taken possession of H.
he raised his head and peercd about him.
tc had three scidieu-yoUurs Ike
himself, who had never before been nm
der nrc-oppcared to be utterly alone In
THAT hell They were the end 81 the reg
imcnt aud tie cOuhgurution OF the ground
completely hid them from their COM
radcs
They glinced al each other. these
four, and read each others thoughts Ina
each others eyes. Leaving their rifles ly-
ing ON the grass. they commenced 10
crawl stealthuy upon their bellies, the
lieutenant leading the other three follow
ing.
Some few hundred yards in front Of
them, rose small, steep hill IL they
could reach this Il would hide them out Of