Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23


minutes. still unable to frame the gauzy
idea that had terminated ne. Then one Of
the farrfers who had been fitting q kissing
shoe on to Q hind hoof. chilled the hot iron
fetlock on to his apron again.
The fellow picked up q hammer, took a
nail from his mouth. and drove the nail
vicious one" swore he. II put that spike
through the vent in a matter Of seconds,
but with these four others beside 1t. thoult
not RID thyself Of it In ~ many weeks"
Five louis for that hammer and q score
Of nails!"
The military smith dropped the hoof from
But he looked at me queerly, and answered
nothing. l could see he thought me mad.
very likely excitement had made me look
Ten louis. There is the money, in gold"
My officer. the things are yours"
steel spikes. brittle rods that would snap
on short, would have been better. But time
was growing narrow. and must take what
my purpose. And now for the river. The
current was swift, and could not swim q
stroke. must go upstream. and trust to
hnd some tree trunk or wooden balk that
would aid me in floating down.
III.
OF the matters that happened after this
I cannot speak with any minuteness. To
think back at. the whole time seems like q
blurred dream, broken by snatches of dead
sleep. I know / gained my point on the
river bank. some miles above the village.
and entered the water there finding 1t chill
as Ice think 1t was q small fence gate
that aided my choking passage. I can only
recolIect clearly that the thing / chung to
was terribly unstable. and that on being
landed by chance eddy on q strip of
shoal. / lay there for fully half an hour.
listening to sentry plodding past and
able to move limb. Then I gathered
strength, and crawling not only from eau
| ton, but through sheer helplessness, made
my stealthy way still further along the
shore.
Four batteries commanded the approaches
to the bridge. Two were on either flank,
to deliver a converging Are; two. one above
the other. were In q direct line with it. So
to end.
1t was in the lower OF these last hat 1
found myself-by what route come cannot
say. Only then my senses seemed 10 re-
turn to me. 1 was lying In an embrasIre.
Overhead was the round black chase Of
sixty-pounder. ! crawled farther and
looked down the line. Six more guns
doomed through the night, making seven IN
all.
The rain was coming down in torrents.
sending up spurts Of mud. There were men
within dozen yards, wakeful men. ind
then, and not before. did 1t flash upon me
that my farrier's hammer was a useless
weapon. Fool that was to bring 1t. Idiot
must have been to forget that The frat
clink would awaken the redoubt. My life?
No. pah! didn't count that But 1t would
mean only one gun spiked enectually, If
30 much. I drew back into the ernbrasure
and knitted my forehead afresh. Tie right
thought was tardy but it came. I drew
| off my boot. 1t was new ana 1t YVES heavy
-badtnage had been poured out by my COM
rades over Its heaviness. The strong sewn
heel would drive like a calker's mallet.
ed and primed The locks were covered
with leather aprons. I used infinite caution;
crawling like cat, crouching in deepest
| shadows, stopping, making detours. not for
mere LIES sake. be II understood, but be-
cause life was wanted for work yet un-
done.
The seven guns were put out of action,
and still the night was dark and the Aus
TRANS were ignorant behind the curtain Of
rain. And then on to the upper
battery. Two. four. eight gunsl
Three spiked, and the night began to
gray. Three more and men were stirring.
got reckless and sprang openly at another
The air was filling with shouts. and sinking
EHowder smoke. and crashes and the red
nash of cannon.
The French were advancing to the storm
In the wet. gray dawn. Both nanking bat
teries. fully manned. had opened upon them;
but OF the guns which had direct command
Oh tne OTlUge, only one spoke.
Into the roar of artillery, tho wind
brought up yells. and oaths and bubbling
shrieks. And then the eagles came through
rush.
Somehow I found myself among COM
rades. fighting with a claw backed farrier'a
hammer; knowing nothing OF order or rea-
son. or how these things came to pass: but
heated only by an insane desire to kill. and
kill, and kill! And then I grappled with q
man who was struggling or with q nag.
and wrestled with him in q crimson slough,
and choked him down into It whilst heavily
shod feet trampled madly on both of us.
And afterward there was more shouting and
cheering. and mighty hand claps between
my shoulder blades. and the old major. who
gave me cognac out Of a silver nask-cog-
mac which seemed to have been sadly over
watered.
And that's all remembered TIL I woke
UP In the afternoon from the sofa in that
village Inn. Reveille had sounded. We
called. Many did not answer.
And then: Stand out, Lieut. Ramardi''
said the colonel.
! advanced and salutcd.
You will consider yourself under arrest.
SIR for desertion before the enemy. Pres
emily. you will surrender your sword, and
report yourself at headquarters
The colonel turned and EXCHANGED some
words with little, pale man near him,
who sat awkwardly on a white stallion.
He resumed: THE emperor has considered
YOUR Case siF' cohnrmS the arrest. ana
orders you to be reduced to the ranks"
The colonel paused and continued
But as a reward for your gallantry
your commission Of captain win be made
| out with promotion to the first vacant
majority, and you will also receive a decor
alton"
And then / was ordered to advance again
and the emperor transferred a Cross of the
Legion from his own bI east to mine
Captain Of the twenty-second," he said.
"thou art my brother"
I never asked for the colonels apology.
FLOWERS OF THE NIGHT.
They Are Peculiarly Adapted to At
| tract the Attention Of rWlnged Insect.