The herald., 1896-08-02

unelr walls. rms fusillade lasted only
| about ten minutes, but shall remember
| 1t long time
However, it could not continue In this
way. The bugle sounded the charge
| Sapristii That music always sends .
shivor Of gayety through me. Behold US
| running with fixed bayonets, like mad
menl But as have already noticed the
gateway of the citadel opened upon high
| embankment scarcely three meters wide
| To enter that We must climb the narrow
ascent and push in two by two under q
| terrible fire, and that, too through pail
| SADIE Of bamboo which the rasoals had con-
| struoted to bar the way, already narrow
| enough.
All, it was sufficiently difficult without
| that cursed bamboo, and heaven only
| knows what it cost usl saw my two lieu
tenants fall the adjutant Of the battalion
| and many others. Impossible to pass that
| cursed bamboo. My captain ragged like a
| demon.
At last he commanded, "a section up
there''
This time 1t was very serious. No time
to hesitate; all who climbed there were
| sure of certain death.
think the captain must have retained
some spite against Jacque, for he turned
to him and said, go up thore, sir, and
tear away that bamboo"
| 1t is but justice to say that he did not
wait to be told a second time. Touching
his cap, with Gan right, my captain" he
started at a quick run. In passing me he
drew q packet of letters from his pocket.
Take care of this for me, Bertrand.
And in the twinkling of an eye he was up
with his section.
Tear away this. Throw that into tho
| ditch" He was as tranquil as II superin-
tending squad of soldiers on fatigue
! duty. And all the time the enemy were
pouring upon them q deadly fire, the balls
whistling, tearing the bamboo, blowing
up the ground, every now and then crush
| ing In shoulder, carrying away on arm
or breaking Il leg.
| Heaven, what q sightl They were all
left there, all my comrades-Jacque among
the number, but he was the last. just as
| the work was finished a ball struck him
between the eyes. AS he raised his arms
to shout great "Hurrahp' he fell dead,
| face foremost.
Perhaps it was not very proper what
did next morning, but truly 1t was too
much for me-that packet Of letters that
Jacque gave me as he went to his death.
I could not keep them.
| 1 thought: "A boy who acts like cow
ard, and few hours after dies like man
| 1t Is unnatural; there must be something
under this"
And felt had the explanation there
under my hand in those letters. They
burned me. 1t was impossible to keep
them. Ma fol could not Then then
drew out the packet.
Upon my word there was only one let
ter, the one he had received that morning.
Nothing else. All, blood Of BLOOD what a
letter. He was right, poor boy. One ought
not to receive letter like that just before
a battle. As for me, cried like baby
and was scarcely able to read 1t for the
tears in my eyes. 1t was from his mother,
to her boy as she ended her letter:
"Now, my precious Jaoque, take care Of
yourself for my sake. Remember you are
all 1 have in this world and If anything
should happen to you would surely go
mad. 1t is true the time passes very YEARLY
when one is waiting, but l try to be pa
tient, to forget the present and only think
of the future when you will return. Above
all things, my precious boy, be prudent.
| Do whatever you are commanded to do,
like q brave soldier, but do not expose
yourself unnecessarily. forbid you. No,
no, my darling Jacque. I forbid you
nothing. I iinplore you, before entering
into any engagement, to think of your
mother, who is always thinking of you,
and do not risk too much. Promise me
this, will you notp And remember, man
Is not coward because he loves his
mother
Pie letter fell from my hands. I under
stood all now. He had thought of his
mother, the brave boy, and waited until
he was directly commanded to go. And,
no doubt, that morning when he was look
ing far away to that bit of blue sky where
there was nothing to be seen he was
thinking Of his mother and Of that prom
ise he had sworn to keep.
And that is why Sergeant Jaoque, who
died like hero, with his foe to the ene-
my, was considered coward twice in one
day.-From the French