The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-08-03

the serenity above without the least
premonition. If he escaped to tell of
the incident it was related as a mere
ordinary, everyday affair, that was all.
What may seem to the civilian strange
and eXtravagant narration, to the vet
eran is commonplace, without novelty
or interest. That is why, perhaps, old
soldiers who love to talk of the war to
their comrades find no enjoyment in re-
lating their experience to such as are
devoid of the credulity begotten of eX-
perience, who are apt to manifest their
apprehension that the narrator draws
the long bow with reckless disregard.
The canteen had just passed around
For an instant there was one of those
momentOus lulls that everyone remem-
bers who has experienced the operations
of siege or a battle The soldiers
raised their heads to glance along the
trenches and take survey of the silent
camps far in the distance to the rear.
Men and officers moved hither and
thither secure for the moment in the
silence. Death in the air rested to
catch its breath. Then from gulch at
some distance came dull, muffied ex-
plOsion, and cloud of smoke and dust
rising showed that mortar shell from
the siege batteries of the enemy had
fallen and exploded. That was all,
| and that was all anyone thought about
it. But it happened at that spot and at
that moment drum head court-martial
was sitting A poor devil had somehow
| impressed his commanding officer with
the belief that he was a coward. do not
remember, if | ever heard, the particu-
lars At any rate, he was being tried
by a drumhead court-martial IN this out
of-the-way place on the charge of cow
| ardice. OF course the the penalty, if
convicted was death A few minutes
had passed since the explosion of the
artificial aerolite. 1t had been forgot
| ten, if it had been made a matter of
even passing remark. The general was
debating to his adjutant general. Aids
and clerks We're all busy, when sudden
ly an apparition appeared before them.
1t was evidently soldier, but bare
| headed, his hair and face begrimed
with powder and so covered with thick
| dust that, saturated with reeking per
! spiration, it ran into mud and gave
| him the appearance of wild Indian.
The hue of his clothing had evidently
once been blue, but it was covered
with dirt and to all appearances fresh
| ly torn into shreds. His audacity in
| appearing in such a plight before the
! general and his staff without even ask
ing permission was the first wonder,
but when he did so with the exclama-
ton; II am no coward, general!' sur
prise gave way to the indulgent i'm
preston, another poor fellow gone
daft, perhaps affected by the heat"
well, who said you were? What do
you want here? See to him, adjutant,"
quickly spoke the general and again
turned to his work.
What is the matter, sir? Don't YOU
know better than to intrude yourself
this way in the presence of the gen
eral?" asked the aid. "Speak up at
once, sir"
Il am no coward, don't want, to be
shot for a coward the poor fellow con-
tinued pleadingly. what am l to do?"
he asked wiping the trickling Crime
and mud from his face and forehead
with the remnants of the sleeve of his
old woolen shirt. Then, more compos-
edly, he related how he was being tried
for cowardice by a court-martial "down
the gulch over there's" how tremen-
dous mortar shell had dropped, explod-
ing and interrupting the proceedings,
knocking him over, tearing his cloth
ing, mutilating his body to some extent,
and had left him half dead and half
buried; how he had come to, and, look
ing about, could see no one of the Off
GERS before whom he was at the
time being tried for his life; and
so he had come to the general to ask
what he should do and to tell
him he was no coward. A hurried in
vestigation proved the truth of the poor
fellows story. The shell had exploded
in close proximity to the court, but the
accused was the only one who had suf-
fered other inconvenience than a des-
perate shock of the nerves. Every mem
Der of the court had excitedly taken
himself to more secure place and be-
fore they had recovered their compla-
cency sufficiently to remembe that they
| 3
latter had reported to the general by
whose order he was being tried 1t was
lucky fall for the soldier. The COM
mander thought he had shown more in
trepidity than the officers who were try
ing him. He ordered him to report to
the captain of his company for duty
The hour that, had it not been for the
interposition of the enemy, might have
marked his death as craven saw him
restored to the confidence of his com
RACES. A few days afterwards he gave
proof that this confidence had not been
misplaced. He fell with his face to the
foe, in the assault that followed the
famous mine explosion, a hero.-Omaha
Bee.
Go on remarked the earth to the
comet; there isn't room enough for
you around here" Great Scott. :"
sobbed the luminous visitor; crowded
out for want of space. Who do YOU