The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-02-16
TIE DEFENSE OF 1AMI

H"H"HHH"|
finished yarn. Markham always
maintained that the atmosphere BE-
CAME sulphurous after the commodore
had recounied a personal "reminiscences.
but then be was given 10 exaggefa.
ton. stiIl We felt grateful that The
story had passed on without the Inter.
yenilon Of q thunderbolt. and sat gasp
Ing relief and credulliy Then Mild
may. from sheer nervousness. b.
lseve not from ans desire for q recrf
renee OF the Ananlas episode. stirred
up the colonel The colonel was Sc.
ting behind big cheroot. evidently
lncubatine q kettle wherein 10 cook
the commodore y cabbage,
Wonderful ESCAPE that. SIR said
Mildmay. addressing the colonel.
'Yes. sir. We Ia the service Ia the
old days. before Il became d school for
step dancing and circus riding. used 70
have experiences which the country
ie-er heard %. Advgniurss We COM.
mon ~ bnberries. sir. In those days.
Cad, sir. British soldier inihose days
thought no more ~ walking LIN miles
through the enemy's country than you
do Of step dancing around the park
Probably. sir. you've never heard "
the defense Of Fort pamli. No. sir.
don't blame you. sir. II you have not
heard Of d feat OF arms which pre-
served half a continent for her maj.
esty, God bless her. We've all heard
Of suppressed dispatches and lngrali-
tude In high places lest the feather
bed step danccrs should he replaced hy
men.
1t was ln-never mind the date. sir.
aud never mind the place. II / men
toned them yOu would recall the cpl
s0de. aud IL Is not Tor me 10 boast by
telling the fun extent Of the services
Il was my good fortune 10 render this
country.
"A foreign power lno. sir J will men
ton no name damme. sir. ! hope ]
know my duty better than 10 reklndle
International complications had stir
I'd up the nlggefs against ~. ] was
ia command Of Fort Damii. yir. at that
time. with a handful - men "a acre
handful-bmt men. sir. such as your
dancing schools do not turn out nova
DAYS.
-Fou Damll Il built on a promon-
: tory running ont into the sea and =
only gei-ai-ahle from one side, Tlp
niggcrs had masscd all their furrrs IN
the plain Ia front Of the fort Twenty
thousand ~ them. slr--or rather. A.
wish 10 guard against cxaEHcrHtion.
will say that counted in.stfl--a-
swarming over the plain Thick -
cheese mites In a Silii0n.
4 hal nincty-ihrcc men all told. In
cluding a onecycd drummer boy. hut
We laughed ~ them. sir. Whenever
the nlggcrs came 40 the tort We luadrd
our biz guns with hroken bottles. bed
steadS. war office regulations. which
was about the only thing they had sup
Piled us with from home. and moved
them down by the dozens When they
reached the walls my boys. giving
them cold pix. took tea with the mtg
gers.
Il used 20 III on the powder maya
zine. smoking a cherooi. rs comfort
ably a. I'm doing now. Cad. SIR. how
Il all comes back a. me- That little
devil Of a drummer used 10 nip out
after the fight and mend his drum
with niggeTs skins. After about {.
Z fortnight Of q, We had the ulggers piled
up three deep facing the for.
Well We had held that fort Tor
seven weeks-no. dammc. lei's be ac.
curute. for forty-elghi days aud Ne
looked like holding Il for seven years
or until there wasn't Niger left a.
come CA. when one afternoon. u vas
about half-past on Feb. 2l-i'm not
likely 10 forget that date Ia q hurry
Lieut.. Simklns % the Romlnrllers
my srlalteiu. came 20 me and said
It's all MP. SIR We haven't a round
Of ammunition left and the nls,fer.
arr preparing Cor a general a'Sluli io
night lie was brave man. wo'
Siupklns tell aferWnft az SrfinEap
atam. cat clean la half by cannoI
lall-hut b. looked a bic SCARED then
Ills that allf ! said. 81 hand
Then We shall have some fun win
ll,c i,ayonet ! am surprised az you
sir for reporting such a tribe Ate
this rehukc I turned away. when th'
little drummer almost tan into me u
} his excitement.
Captain. said Ia. saluiing-i wa.
Only a captain In those days-'ihre'
men-of.war reported IN the hay.
locked aut t. SEA aud saw. rs plalul.
~ ! see You. sir. three frigate~ stand
lng on the horizon. fying the -nylnl
the Dag OF the forrlgn power whicl
was aiding aud aheitlng the nlggcrs.
well. sir. ! must admit that when
saw these Shlps aud remembered thu
We had not grain of powder Ia th
whole blessed fort, admit that for
moment feli az lass. Another man
who was less anxious % keep 10 faci,
mlght tell you that h. never hcsiiatcd
hrt |. wishing TO deal with thlnrs q
they were. confess felt ai loss.
"l'ut oniy for moment. Lieu
Sinpklns said. with sort 1T efii
Now. sir you had better surIender I
the fr-io the foreign power Sir
} answered. drawing myself up. a Inn
llnsOn dies. hut never surrnders.
! beg sour uardonf Yes. sir. quite tigh
BY a perverslon Of history these word
were attributed To Hucher ai Soslai
Rri hope you will allow that I oiixl
10 know when they wetc first uitcrci
plucher may have adapted Them
make no complaint Well rs ! eai,
fur q momcnt-a breathing Space
felt that the game was indeed un
fat down ON one ~ the now -. 49,
Orty.uuuulers "a review the sliWtiinl