The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-10-04
miscellaneous.
DEFENSE OF DAMLI.

DEFENSE OF DAMLI.
1t was sultry in the smoking room.
For one thing the weather was hot, for
another, the commodore had just finish
ed yarn. Markham always maintained
that the atmosphere became sulphurous
after the commodore had recounted
personal "Reminiscences, but then he was
given to cxagSeration. Still we felt
grateful that the story had passed off
without the intervention of thunder
bolt and sat gaspins relief and credulity.
Then Mildmay, from sheer nervousness,
1 believe, MT from any desire for re-
currcnce of the Ananias episode, stirred
up the colonel The colonel was sitting
behind big chcroot, evidently incubat
ing kettle wherein to cook the COM
modore's cabbage.
Wonderful escape that, STRIP said
MildnIay, addressing the colonel.
Eyes, sir. We i'll the service in the
old days, before it became school for
step dancing AID circus riding, used to
have experiences which the country new
er heard of. Adventures were common
as bilberries, sir, in those days. Cad,
sir, British soldier in those days
thought no more of walking 900 miles
through the enemy's country than you
do of step dancing round the park.
Probably, sir, you've never heard Of
the defense of Fort Damli? No, sir, I
don't blame you, sir, if you have not
heard of Il feat Of arms which preserved
half continent for her majesty, God
bless her! Wo've all heard of suppressed
dispatches and inSratitude i'll high places
lest the feather bed step dancers should
be replaced by men.
cit was i'll yer mind the date, sir,
and never mind me place. If l mention
ed them, you would recall the episode,
and it is not for me to boast by telling
the full extent of the services it was my
! good fortune to render this country.
ga foreign. power Ono, Sir, will
mention no lgame-damme, sir hope
know my duty better than to rekindle
| international complications) had stirred
up the uiggers against us. Twas in COM
maid Of Fort Damli, sir, at that time,
with IL handful of mcn-a mere handful
but men, sir, such rs your dancing
schools do not turn out nowadays.
Fort Damli is built Oh promontory
running out into the sea and is only
| get-at-able from one side. The niggers
had massed all their forces in the plain
in front Of the fort. Twenty thousand of
them, sir-or rather, as wish to guard
| against exaggeration, will say that
counted 10, S6j-a-swarming over the
plain thick as cheese mites in a Stilton.
81 had 90 men all told, including
one eyed drummer boy, but we laughed
at them, sir Whenever the niggers
came at the fort, we loaded our big guns
with broken bottles, bedsteads, war Of
flee regulations, which was about the
only thing they had supplied us with
from home, and moved them down by
the dozens. When they reached the walls
my boys, giving them cold pig, took tea
with the niggers
II used to sit on the powder maya
zine, smoking cheroot, as comfortably
as I'm doing now. Cad, sir, how it all
comes back to me! That little devil of
drummer used to nip out after the
fight and mend his drum with niggers'
skins. After about q fortnight of it we
had tho niggers piled up three deep fac
ing the fort.
"Well, we had held that fort for
seven weeks-no, damme, let's be ac-
curate, for AZ days-and we looked like
holding it for seven years, or until there
WASH t niger left to come on, when
one afternoon, it was about half past
Oh Feb. 21-I'm not likely to forget
that date in hurry-Lieutenant Simp-
kins of the Bombardiers, my subaltern,
calne to me and said: It's all up, sir
Wo haven't round Of ammunition left,
and the niggers are preparing for Il gen.
eral assault tonight. He was brave
man, was Simpkins-fell afterward ut
Seringapatam, cut clean i'll half by
cannon ball-but he looked a bit scared
then.
"'Is that alp said otfhand. Then
we shall have some fun with the bayo
net. am surprised at you, sir, for re-
porting such trife After this rebuke
l turned away, when the little drummer
almost ran into me in his excitement.
"'Captain, said he, saluting-I was
only captain in those days-'three
men-of- war reported in the bay. look
ed out to sea and saw, as plainly as
see you, sir, three frigates standing on
tho horizon, flying the-tlying the flag
of the foreign power which was aiding
and abetting the niggers.
well, sir, must admit that when
saw these ships and remembered that
VIC had not Il grain Of powder in the
whole blessed fort l admit, sir, that, for
moment, l felt at loss. Another
man, who was less anxious to keep to
facts, might tell you, sir, that he never
hesitated, but l, wishing to deal with
things as they We're, confess l felt at
loss.
''But only for moment. Lieutenant
Simpkins said, with sort of grin,
Now, sir, you had better surrender to
the Fr--to the foreign power Sir, I
answered, drawing myself up, "a Tom
linson dies, but never surrenders. l
beg your pardon? Yes, sir; quite right.
BY IL perversion of history these words
were attributed to Butcher at Sedan.
But l hope, sir, you will allow that l
ought to know when they were first ut
tered. Blucher may have adapted them.
/ make 10 complaint. Well, as l said,
for mCment-a breathing space felt
that the game was indeed up. 1 sat
down on one of the now useless 40
Founders To review the situation. AS |
mcditatcd my eye fell on some coils of
telegraph wire which Hudson of the
survey department had brought into the
fort before the outbreak of the disturb
ance, to connect US with the capital As
| INV ulurra 70 II ,,I,CO If a thOnOht fa shefl