Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-15

ed these illusions. One morning Hor.
nus awokc to find the camp in an up
rO:r, tho soldiers in excited groups
shouting and talking angrily and ges-
ticulating toward one part Of the town.
"Of with him! Shoot him!' they
cried, and the officers, walking apart
with heads bowed in shame before the
men. let them talk on unhecdcd.
1t was indeel sha,neiui! To 80, 900
we'll armed. ablebodicd men had lust
been read an order surrendering them
t. tho enemy without blow.
"And the aa.ys''- demanded Hornus.
Tho flags were surrendered with the
rcst-the gus. the remains Of the
wagon trains everything.
''Th-th-thunder! 2 'stammcrct. the poor
fellow. ''thcy shan't keep mine"
And he set OF on tho run toward that
eide Of tho town.. There, too, all was
confusion. National guards, civilians
and garles mobiles were walking
about. DeputatiOns passed. trembling.
on their way TO tho marshal's house.
Ho-nus saw nothing. heard nothing.
He hurried mp tho street, mutterlng to
himself:
ITO take my Gag from ne! Come
| now. can this I've possible? Let him
give the Prussians what is his own-his
silver plato ard his eildcl coaches-but
this Is ininc. It is my honor. l forbid
any enc to touch it,"
His sentences were broken up by
his hurried pace and his stammering
tongue: hut, after all, the old fellow
had q plan. a clear and fixed purpose to
take his flag. to carry il into the midst
Of the regiment, ard with any who
would follow him to fall upon the Prus-
SLAMS end destroy them utterly. When
he reached the cOloncl's ho,lsc. he was
not even allowed to enter. Tho colonel
too. was furious and would admit no
ore. Int HCrnu5 did net understand
this. He wept. hc sworc, he tried u
push past the orderly.
MY f.s! l want E:y iag!" he
shouted.
Finally n window WIS thrown open.
1T is you. Hornus:''
YES, colonel-Al''-
"All tho flags arc ct Inc arsenal.
Ycu have only to go there Tor q re-
ccipt.''
"A recoip.-for WHAT
1T is tho marshal's order"
"Eut, coloacl'---
"Gi-m-peace:" Gad down went
tho window.
Old Hornus staggered like q drunken
man.
"A receipt. A receipt" he repeated
mechanically. Finally he went Off
with Int ono clear idea in his head
that his flag was 1t the arsenal. and
that, come what would, h. must see it
again.
Tho arsenal gates were opened wide
for the passage Of the Prussian wagons
which were ranged in the yard. A chill
passed o:er Hornus us nc entered. All
the other cnsigrs Were there and 50 or
GO officers, silent and heartbroken.
With the somber wagons standing in
the rain and the groups of men with
ba-ed heads, it was like funeral. All
the flags of Bazaine's army wero lying
In heap or ono corner Of the muddy
pavement. Nothing could he sadder
than those Gtrips Of bright hucL silk.
that debris Of golden fringe and carved
sticks. all that glorious paraphernalia
thrown On the ground, soiled with mud
and rain.
An officer picked them M. one by
one. end as his regiment was called
each ensign went forward to get q re-
ceipt. Hard and unsympathetic. two
I'rlssian officers watched the registrar
ton.
And you arc going away thus!-O.
sacred, glorious tatters--displaying
your rents, trailing sadly over the pave
mcnt, like birds with broken wings!
You arc going away with the shame of
beautiful things soiled, and each Of YOU
Will curry away little of France. In
your worn folds the sunshine Of the
long marches still fingers. In your
bullet holes You preserve the memory
Of the unknown dead. fallen perchaance
beneath the banner, struck''-
"HOrnus. you--they are calling YOU
Go get your receipk.''
There was thc DIG before him: It
was really his, the most beautiful, the
most mutilatetl u them all. and sesing
1t once more he seemed 70 he standing
ayynin on the railroad bank, He heard
the balls sing, the Chclls burst and the
coloncl's voice. Ito the flag, boys
His .. comrades lay there ON the
ground, and ne, the twenty third, was
springing forward In his turn to seize il,
to lift the poor iiag, tottCring for want Of
n sustaining nr1n. All! he swore that
day to dcfo;:l it. to guard it till death.
And now-thc thought Of al this sent
every drop If blood in his body to his
head. Maddrnetl. desperate, he sprung
upon the Prussian oliiccr. tore from his
grasp his beloved ensign and tried to
lift II very high. very upright, crying.
ITO the A. Int his voice died in his
tfruat. The staff t-cmbled and slipped
from his fingers. In that weary mir,
that deadly lir that weighed 80 heavily
on the surrendered town, no flag could
v'svc. M. pride could live. and old Hor-
nus fell, crushed. -Alphonse Daud.t.