The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-05-30
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
INTERESTING READING FOR THE
YOUNG PEOPLE,

INTERESTING READING FOR THE
YOUNG PEOPLE,
rhe Last Fight In ArmOr-A Dainty
Tor Elephants-Thc Formidable
0strich-StOries About Brave Boys
-Royal COurtcsy.
"The last fight in armor," Temple
Bar calls a curious incident in the
time Of Napoleon, though indeed it
may not prove to have been the last,
now that there is war in Corea. Tray
elers in that odd country describe the
Corean soldiers as wearing uniforms
of the queerest construction. Some
of the men are still attired in armor
and bear antique spears, their mill
tary costume being completed by a
red-tasseled black hat to which, when
they are obliged to turn out in rainy
weather, a small umbrella is cOnve-
niently attached. 1t is hardly proba-
BILE, however, that these singular men-
alarms will prove very formidable
opponents, still less that they will be
able to achieve the destruction Of
battery of artillery, as did the last of
the mail clad French.
The incident in question occurred in
the town of Aquilla in 1899. The main
body of the French having withdrawn.
a body of some 400 soldiers remained
in the place, whose inhabitants were
we'll diSDOSed toward them.
But the peasants of the surrounding
region were bitterly hostile, and rising
in revolt, penetrated the town and
drove the Frenchmen into the fortress,
which was small and weak, yet pow
erful enough to hold the insurgents at
bay with it's cannon.
The insurgents numbered 10000 or
$4,000. They barricaded the streets
and loOpholed the houses so that they
were safe from attack; but this did
not satisfy them. They wished to take
the fort, which, without artillery, was
manifestly impossible. Finally some
cunning brain devised a scheme that
came near to being successful.
Between the fort and the nearest
houses there lay on the >glacis, with
out carriages and resting upon pieces
Of wood, twelve guns which the
French had not had time to take into
the fort with them. The position Of
the guns exposed them to fire from
both sides, so it was not thought they
would not be interfered with, though
by way of precauti two of the guns
of the fertilization were kept trained
upon them.
One night the sentinel heard a noise.
He fired, but they continued and did
not Immediately cease after other
shots, though it seemed to draw far
Their off. When daylight .came it was
seen that under cover of darkness the
insurgents had reached the nearest
gun, attached a rope to the breech and
then, fastening the rope to a capstan
In the nearest house, had attempted
to haul the piece away.
Had the military man tried the same
trick he would have succeeded; but
the peasants did not know enough to
throw rollers under the gun before
hauling, and consequently the breech
dug a furrow into the soil, which soon
became deep enough to stop further
progress.
Nevertheless the besieged were very
much exasperated, and determined to
prevent all further attempts. They
cannonaded the house from which the
rope issued, but when the walls fell
they found that the capstan was in
the cellar and consequently un1njured,
although blocked for the time by de-
brls. This did not content them.
Then it was that the cOmmandant of
the fort remembered having seen
slowed away in it somewhere a dozen
suits of ancient armor. He selected
twelve Of his coolest men, gunners
gunners and grenadiers. clothed them
IN this manner and sent them out to
spike the guns
Covered with steel from head to foot
and carrying spikes and hammers, the
men marched heavily and awkwardly
out of the fort and moved in dead
silence toward the coveted guns, the
white smoke curling about their mail
ed figures and bullets pattering HARM
lessly against antique helm and cor
selet. Many of the peasants were hor-
ror-struck and believed the strange
figures to be diabolical and invulnera-
bic, while after the first anxious mo-
ment was passed their own comrades,
looking from the walls, broke into eX-
ultant roars Of laughter.
The twelve gallant latter-day knights
returned safely from their raid, hay
ing spiked the guns and cut the rope
Though many times hit, they had
but one wound among them-a slight
one received by soldier who had
wrongly adjusted "brassart," so that
it fell off and left his arm exposed.
The insurgents were discouraged and,
though the blockade continued, there
was little more fighting and the be-
sleged were soon relieved by their
friends.-Youth's Companion.