Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-07-30

in idem" IL as applicable to the battle
field az to the courts Of Justice / re-
placed my shake with q swagger.
THAT'S a rude way to make one raise
ones hat, said as lightly as could.
And this wretched piece of wit was, in
the circumstances, received as excellent.
''I compliment you," said the cap
tain. "You will command company
tonight, for shall not survive the day.
Every time l have been wounded the
officer below me has been touched by
some spent ball, and, F" he added in
lower tone, "all the names began with
p"
/ laughed skeptically. Most people
would have done the same, but most
would also have been struck, as was,
by these prophetic words But, con.
script though was, ! felt that could
trust my thoughts to no one, and that it
was my duty to seem always calm and
bold.
At the end of half an hour the Rus
sian fire had sensibly diminished. We
left our cover to advance ON the re-
doubt.
Our regiment was composed Of three
batulious. The second had to take the
enemy in flank. The two others formed
the storming party. l was in the third.
On issuing from behind the cover we
were received by several volloy5, which
did but little harm. The whistling Of
tho balls amazed me. ''But after ull, "
1 Thought "a battle is less terrible than
expected. "
We advanced at smart run, our
mue,etccrs in front
All at once She Russians uttered three
hurruhs, three distinct hurrahs, and then
stood silent without firing.
81 don't like that silence" said the
captain. at bodies no good"
l began 60 think our people were too
eager I could not help comparing,
mentally, their shouts and clamor with
the striking silence Of the onomy.
We quickly reached the foot Of the
redoubt. The palisades were broken
and the earthwwds shattered by our
balls. With a roar of give Tempe
reurp' our soldiers rushed across the
ruins.
1 raised my eyes, Never shall forget
the sight which met my view. The
smoke had mostly lifted and remained
suspended like canopy at 20 feet above
the redoubt Through n blush mist
could be perceived behind the shattered
parapet the Russian grenadiers with
rifles lifted, as motionless as statues.
can see them still-the left eye of ev-
cry soldier glaring at us, the right hid
den by his lifted gun. In an embrasure
at few feet distant q man with fuse
stood by a cannon.
shuddered 1 believed that my last
hour had come.
Now for the dance to OPEN" cried
the captain. These were the last words
/ heard him speak.
There came from the redoubts a roll
of drums. / saw the muzzles lowered.
shut my eyes. Iheard a most appalling
crash of sound, to which succeeded
groans and cries. Then l looked up,
amazed to find myself still living. The
redoubt was once more wrapped in
smoke. I was surrounded by the dead
and wounded. The captain was extend
ed at my feet. A ball had carried off
his head. and 1 was covered with his
blood. OF all the company only six men
except myself remained erect.
This carnage was succeeded by kind
of stupor. The next instant the colonel,
with his hat on his swords point, had
scaled the parapet with u cry Of "Vive
lempereurW The survivors followed
him. All that succeeded is to me kind
of dream. We rushed into the redoubt,
I know not how; we fought hand to
hand in the midst of smoke so thick
that no man could perceive his enemy.
I found my saber dripping blood,
heard shout of "Victory" and in the
clearing smoke l saw the earthworks
piled with dead and dying. The can
mons were covered with u heap of
corpses. About 200 men in the French
uniform were standing without order
loading their muskets or wiping their
- bayonets. Eleven Russian prisoners
were with them.
The colonel was lying, bathed in
blood, upon broken cannon. A group
of soldiers crowded round him. ap.
preached them.
"Who is the oldest captain?" he wa:
asking Of sergeant
The sergeant shrugged his shoulders
most eXpressively.
"Who is the oldest Lieutenant"
This gentleman, who came last
night" replied tho sergeant calmly.
The colonel smiled bitterly
Come, sir, " he said to me, ''you arr
now in chief command. Fortify The
gorge Of the Todoubt at once with wag
ua#, for Che enemy is out in force, Lu
General C is coming to supper
you"
Colonel" 7 asked him, faro yoJ
BADLY wCuudol:'
4 n