The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-21
ropyright, 1855. by Irving Bachciler.)
CHAPTER

s.nr~rizbt, 1856 by Irving Bachelor,
CHAPTER I.
xcu do very well. my friends TO treat
In some little reverence, for in hon
.,s.x me you are hoBorins both France
- yourselves. II is not only an Old
-.v-mustacbed officer whom you see eat
- lis omeiette or draining his glass. but
: a. niece Of history, and of the most
..ersous history which our own or any
.rtry ever had. In me you see one of
- last of those wonderful men. the men
- xere veterans when they were yet
sn~s who learned TO use sword earlier
.xsn A razor. and who during a hundred
x.,t,ee had never once let the enemy see
- color OF their knapsacks. For twenty
..-x we were teaching Europe how to
x-ns and even when they learned their
,.s.ou II was only the thermometers and
..vsr the bayonet which could break the
card Army down. Berlin, Naples, Wen
- Madrid. Lisbon. Moscow-wc stabbed
n,- horses in them all. Yes, my friends.
cav again that you do well to send your
shstdreu 10 me with flowers, for these
- have heard the trumpet call of
srancs. and these eyes have seen her
s,.udards In lands were they may never
y seen again.
Even now when doze I'm my armchair
nan see those great warriors stream be-
Snre me the green jacketed chasseurs. the
rant cuirassiers. DombrowskPs iancers,
ne white-mantied dragons. the nodding
harskins of the horse grenadiers. And
mere comes the thick, low rattle OF the
drums, and through wrsaths OF dust and
smoke see the line Of high boanets. the
r,w of brown faces, the swing and toss
n the long red plumes amid the slop.ng
Fne on steel And there rides Ney with
Tr.f- -.vSt Il IL -
aog jag, and Lannes with his Gascon
szageer. and then amidst the CLEAN OF
brass and the Haunting feathers catch
glimpse of him, the man with the pale
snlIe the rounded shoulders and the far
oa eyes There Is an end of my sleep
nv friends. for up I spring from my chair
With cracked voice calling and a silly
hand outstretched, so that Madame Tt
tsux has one more laugh at the old fel-
low who lives among the shadows.
Although / was a full chief of brigade
xhen the wars came to an end. and had
every hope of soon being made a general
Of division IL is still rather to my earlier
days that turn when I wish to talk Of
me giories and the trials of a soldiers
NE. For you will understand that when
an officer has so many men and horses
under him he has his mind fun Of recruits
and remounts. fodder and farriers and
quarters, so that even when he is not in
the face of the enemy life is a very seri-
Gus matter for him. But when he is only
a lieutenant or a captain he has nothing
heavier than his epaulets upon his shout
ders, so that he can clink his spurs and
sElns his doiuan. drain his glass and kiss
his girl thinking of nothing save enjoying
q gallant life. That Is the time when he
Is likely 10 have adventures. and 50 IL is
,.Ets hos hat oh faIr
in the stories which / may tell you. So II
viii be tonight. when l tell you OF my
visit 70 the Castle OF Gloom. OF the strange
mission of Sub-Lieut. Duroc and of the
horrible death of the man who was once
known as Jean Carabin and afterwards
as the Baron straubenthal.
You must know. then, that in the Feb
raary OF 1857. Immediately after the TAX
Ing OF Dantzic. Maj Legendre and / were
commissioned TO bring 400 remounts from
Prussia into Eastern Poland.
The hard weather and especially the
great battle at Eylau had killed so many
OF the horses that there was some danger
Of our beautiful Tenth of Hussars becom-
ing a battalion of light infantry. We
knew, therefore. both the major AMI /,
that we would be very welcome at the
front. We did not advance very rapidly.
however. for the snow was deep. the roads
detestable. and we had but twenty return
Ing invalids 20 assist us. Besides. IL Is
Impossible when you have a daily change
OF forage and sometimes none at all. TO
move horses faster than a walk. j am
aware that In the story books the cavalry
whirls past at the maddest of gallops. but
for my own part. after twelve campaigns.
] should be very satisfied 20 know that
my brigade could always walk upon the
march and trot in the presence OF the
enemy. This / say OF the hussars and
ehasseurs mark you. so that IL is far
more the case with cuirassiers and dra-
gcons
For myself. I am fond of horses, and 10
have 900 OF them. OF every age and shade
and character. all under my own hands
was great pleasure TO me. They were
from Pomerauia for the most part,
though some were from Normandy and
some from Aisace and IL amused US 10
notice that they differed In character as
much as the people OF the provinces. We
OBSERVED also what / have often proved
since that the nature OF horse can he
io'f by his color from the coquettish light
nsy. full Of fancies and nerves. 10 the
hardy chestnut, and from the docils roam