, 1896-07-11

covered that tnelr bullets uiu ho hAiH'
for they replaced them by a fire OF
shells, which began to reach US in the
hollows where we lay. One OF these in
its explosion knocked off my shake and
killed u man beside me.
II congratulate you," said the cap
tain as l picked up my shake. you are
safe now for the day
1 knew the military superstition
which believes that the axiom mon bis
in idem'' is as applicable to the battle
field as to the courts of justice. l re-
placed my shake with a swagger.
That's q rude way to make one raise
ores hat" l said as lightly as could.
And this wretched piece of wit was. in
the circumstances, received as excellent.
Il compliment you." said the cap
tain. ..You will command a company
tonight, for I shall not survive the day.
Every time l have been wounded the
officer below me has been touched by
some spent ball, and" he added i'll Il
lower tone, "all the names began with
p"
l laughed skeptically. Most people
would have done the same, but most
would also have been struck, as l was,
by these prophetic words. But, con-
script though l was, / felt that l could
trust my thoughts to no one, and that il
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
battalions. The second had to take the
enemy in flank. The two others formed
the storming party. was in the third.
On issuing from behind the cover we
were received by several volleys, which
did but little harm. The whistling of
the balls amazed me. but after ALL
1 thought. "a battle is less terrible than
l expected
We advanced at a smart run, Our
musketeers in front.
All mt once the Russians uttered three
hurrahs, three distinct hurrahs, and then
stood silent without firing.
81 don't like that silence" said the
captain. at bodies no good"
l began to think our people were too
eager. l could not help comparing,
mentally, their shouts and clamor with
the striking silence of the enemy.
We quickly reached the foot of the
redoubt. The palisades were broken
and the earthwords shattered by our
balls. With n roar of give Tempe
reur!' u soldiers rushed across the
ruins.
l raised my eyes. Never shall forget
the sight which met my view. The
smoke had mostly lifted and remained
suspended like a canopy at 90 feet above
the redoubt. Through a blush mist
could be perceived behind the shattered
parapet the Russian grenadiers with
rifles lifted, as ]motiOnlcss as statues.
I 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 u few feet distant u man with u fuse
stood by a cannon.
I shuddered. l believed that my last
hour had come.
"Now for the dance to open,' cried
the captain. These were the last words
I heard him speak.
There came from the rcdoubts q roll
Of drums. l saw the muZzles lowered.
I shut my eyes. Iheard n 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 i'll
smoke. l was surrounded by the dead
and wounded. The captain was extend
cd 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 a kind
of sturpr. The neXt instant the colonel,
with his hat on his swords point. had
scaled the parapet with Il cry of "Vive
lempcrcurI' The survivors followed
him. All that succeeded is to mo a kind
of dream. We rushed into the rcdoubt,
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 sahcr dripping blood, l
heard Il shout of 'Victory!' and in the
clearing smoke l saw the carthworks
piled with dead and dying. The can
non were covered with n heap of
corpscs. About 200 men in the French
uniform were standing without order
loading their muskets or wiping then
bayonets. Eleven Russian prisoners
were with them.
Tho colonel was lying, bathed in
blood, upon a broken cannon. A group
of soldiers crowded round him. up
preached them.
"Who is the Oldest captain?' he was
asking of Il sergeant.
The sergeant shrugged his shoulders
most expressively.
"Who is the Oldest licutenant?'
"This gentleman. who came last
night" replied the sergeant calmly.
Tho colonel smiled bitterly.
"Comc, sir" he said to ne, you are
now in chief command. Fortify the
gorge of the redoubt at once with wag-
ons, for the enemy is u in force. But
General c. is coming to support
you"
Colonel" L asked him, "are you
badly wounded?"
"Pish, my dear fellow. Tho redoubt
In fnkaO t-prcSper N,riTlCp.