San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-06-28

"While we were lying in the harbor
of Genoa and waiting for arrangements
TO be made to send us ashore there oc-
Cured a very interesting incident
Though we were first class passengers,
there were number of the poor zouaves
down in the hold 1t was dreadfully
hot there, and they had no water and
were suffering so much that Darcy
made bold to let cans of water down to
them through the hatchways The Ital-
ian marines did not like this and gave
us some fierce looks Growing out Of
this affair an argument occurred at din
ner between the captain Of the guards,
a pretty decent sort of fellow, and DAT
Icy The latter said the captain was not
good Catholic because he had been
lighting against the pope The captain
maintained that he was good Catholic,
but that it was his duty to uphold his
government and obey military orders.
The argument was good natured enough,
but the stewards who had overheard it
reported the conversation to the guards,
and next day, while the captain of the
guards was ON shore, leaving sergeant
In charge, the guards got hold of some
liquor and became tipsy and ugly. /
overheard them uttering threats against
Darcy.
Presently one of the tipsy guards
came to me demanding to know where
my captain was, and / told him he was
on deck. As quickly as could 1 hunted
up darcy and O'Cleary and told them
that the guards meant mischief and
urged upon them the necessity of keep
ing cool and quiet under all circum-
stances. DARCY replied that he thought
he could keep his temper, but just the
same he went down to his cabin, took
revolver out of his satchel and kept it
in his hand in the outer pocket of sack
coat which he was wearing at the time.
We were walking up and down the deck
when party of the guards came up and
marched us before the drunken sergeant,
surrounded by his men. The sergeant
ordered Darcy to stand up before him,
and then the petty tyrant and his Off
GERS commenced abusing us. Just as
things were getting squally l saw a boat
with some zouaves coming toward us
from the shore, and / shouted to them
to go back for the captain of the guards
because his men were threatening DAT
cy with bodily injury.
"All this time the sergeant was do
ing his best to tantalize Darcy into
some sort of retaliation. He called Us
all the vile names he could think of and
said if he had the pope there he would
dip. him in the sea heels uppermost
Through all this TRADE of insult OAR
cy stood erect, cool and calm, with a
cigar in his mouth and his right hand
ON his trusty revolver in his coat pocket.
1t was a moment Of terrible suspense
for me- knew Darcy like brother.
He was a man Of fiery temperament, as
brave as lion and in fact did not know
what fear was. He was great lover of
the pope, and when the miserable SER
geant uttered his insults against the
pontiff l thought Darcy would lose
control of himself and use his revolver.
At this moment caught his eye and
put my fingers to my lips as q signal Of
encouragement to him to keep himself
well in hand. 1t was one of the finest
examples of self control under difficult
circumstances that have ever seen. Ap-
parently he was as composed and thor
oughly self possessed as if standing in a
drawing room. Finally he asked if he
might light his cigar, and the sergeant
roughly told him No
| tGNToa1vrhi1a tba bic
guards continued drinking and getting
tipsier and tipsier. At length the SER
geant turned to the others and said,
I've a mind to shoot the dogs. This
suggestion was greeted with drunken
cheers, and things began to look prett-
serious for us. Load your guns, boys,
commanded the sergeant. The men load
ed their carbines with savage glee,
meanwhile making coarse jokes about
our speedy departure into the next
world. The sergeant lined his men up
facing us and then turned and said to
them:
"'Now then, boys, when I say Fire p
you fire I'm in charge here, and ]
guess 1 can do what like with these
, beggarS
81 don't think will ever forget that
moment" continued General Tracey.
1.-THE scene is as wildly before my eye;
at this moment as it was at that time.
The men were simply waiting for the
! word to fire, and considering the des
7 perate character and drunken condition
of the sergeant we all expected thai
word to be uttered at any moment.
would not have given so confines fol
my life
"Just then, as luck would have it
the boat which 1 had hailed and told t.
! go back for the captain of the guard
:, came alongside The swish of the oar