The record-union., 1896-02-03

4
and IN this instance it is careless of in
cidental details, which added little but
/ local color to the picture. The tale was
| elected by question as to whether
| Lord Wolseley knew Charles Gordon in
the Crimea and what he thought of
him.
"Oh, yes, I knew Gordon-knew him
very well. We were subalterns to-
! gether; young fellows, just beginning
life, full of spirits and CO. In spite Of
all the hardships the road before us
| seemed bright, nterminable-alwa
leading upward Gerald Graham, Cor
don and were often together in the adj
vanced works in front Of the Redan.
We had already come to look on Gra-
hams courage as something almost
supernatural. You know his. hight
well on to feet 6 inches I should say
Well, he used to stand up on the
trenches and pay no more attention to
! the Russian fire than if the bullets had
| been snowballs, and when he was re-
lieved in the evening, instead Of crawl
ing along the trench under cover, he
used to step out of it onto the open
ground and make a bee line for his
quarters. AT first the Russians were
too astonished at this piece of cheek to
take any steps to put an end to it, but
as it was repeated again and again
their sharpshooterS grew more numer-
Gus, till at last perfect mob of them
used to wait for Graham's appearance
and then let fly. But he walked away,
with his back to them, evening after
evening, as cool as a cucumber, and was
never touched. Again and again we
demonstrated with him, told him he
had no business to make cock-shy of
himself, but nothing we could say
altered his resolution. He'd be hung
he said, before he'd take the trouble
to crawl a quarter of mile out of his
way-to avoid the Russian fire-let them
shoot, and be damn'd to them.'"
And you," we asked, interrupting
the narrator; "how used you to go to
your tent?"
oh he went on, modestly, with a
gleam of hunior in his eyes. Il crawled
along the trench in the mud and slush
till I was we'll beyond gunshot. 1 sup
pose my disposition was calculating
and ambitious. I did not see what
could be taken by getting a bullet in
the back for no reason"
And Gordon?" again we interrupted.
That's the curious part of it" was
the reply. zone evening Charley Cor
don would link arms with Graham and
walk away as if hailstorm of bullets
had no power to hurt him, and the
very next evening he would crawl
along the trench after me as if he would
like to hide in the slush."
The second story is concerned with
the man who will probably be found to
have won enduring reputation, though
not exactly the fame of the heroic de-
fender of Khartoum.
WAR correspondence" exclaimed
Lord Wolseley. "Some of them are des-
perately brave, while others are any
thing but heroes. The majority, think.
Go their duty well, even when it leads
them into tight places. BY the way,
talking of tight places and war corre-
spondents, / remember an incident that
may interest you. 1t was at the begin
ming of the Ashantee campaign, just
after our landing; a square built little
man came to me and said, speaking
slowly and with an unmistakable
American accent:
General, allow me to introduce my
self. I am the correspondent of the
New York Herald" r
TOO busy to attend to him, I cut
him short with, What can 1 do for
you, SIR?
He replied imperturably, with the
same exasperating sIowness, We'll,
General, I want to be as near you as
1 can if there is any fightin' to be
seen.
Captain So-and-so has charge of
all the arrangements concerning cor
respondents 1 replied curtly; you had
better see him And with this 1
turned on my heel and went about my
business.
81 saw no more of my correspondent
with the aggravating coolness and slow
ness of speech for many a day. I did
rot even know whether he was accom-
panying the column or not.
Personally speaking, 1 was only in
danger once during the whole expedi-
ton. 1t was shortly before we entered
Coomassie. I had pressed forward with
the advanced troops, hoping to break
the last effort at resistance and have
done with the affair, when the enemy,
utilizing the heavy covert, came down
and fairly surrounded us. For a few
minutes the position was critical and
every man had to fight, for the enemy's
fire was pouring in at close quarters.
They pressed upon US from all sides,
lodging from tree to tree, and contin-
ually edging closer, hoping to get hand
tion was caught by a man in civilians
clothes, who was some fifteen or twenty
yards in front of me, and who was COM
pletely surrounded by the advancing
savages. He seemed to pay no heed to
the danger he was in, but, kneeHng
on one knee, took aim and fired again
and again, and I seemed to see that
every time he fired a black man fell.
was fascinated by his danger and
GOODNESS. AS our main body came up and
the savages were driven back, l went
forward to see that no harm came to my
civilian friend. who rose just as
reached him. To my astonishment it
was the correspondent of the New York
Herald" and he began again in the
same slow, calm way:
well, General
again I interrupted him: You were
lucky to escape. Didn't you see that
you were surrounded?'
"'Well, General he began again, L
guess I was too much occupied by the
niggers in front to pay much attention
to those behind
THAT was evidently the simple truth
Whatever may be said in the future
about Henry NJ. Stanley, no one that
has seen him in danger will deny that
his courage is of the frst quality. /
took liking to him on the spot, and
we became great friends, nor has anv-
thing occurred since to alter my opinion
of him. Saturday Review.
No one can ask honestly or hopefully