Connecticut western news., 1896-02-06
DEFENSE OF DAMLT.

For one thing the weather was hot. for another, the commodore had just finish ed yarn. Markham always maintained that the atmosphere became sulphurous after the commodore had recounted @ personal reminiscence, but then he was given to eeaggeration. Still we felt grateful that the story had passed off without the intervention of thunder bolt and sat gasping relief and credulity. Then Mildmay, from sheer nervousness I believe, not from any desire for a re- currence of the Ananias episode, stirred up the colonel. The colonel was sitting behind big cheroot, evidently incubat- ing a kettle wherein to cook the com- modore's cabbage.
 Wonderful escape that, sirI' said Mildmay, addressing the colonel.
 "Yes, sir. We in the service in the old days, before it became aafchool for step dancing and circus riding, used to have experiences which the country nev- CT heard of. Adventures were common as bilberries, sir, in those days. Cad, sir, a British soldier in those days thought no more of walking l, ,00O miles through the enemy's country than you do of step dancing round the park.
 Probably, sir, you never heard of the defense of Fort Damli? No, sir, I don't blame you, sir, if you have not heard of feat of arms which preserved half continent for her majesty, God bless her We've all heard of suppressed dispatches and ingratitude in high places lest the feather bed step dancers should be replaced by men.
 ''lt was in-never mind the date, sir, and never mind the place. If mention et them, you would recall the episode, and it is not for me to boast by telling the full extent of the services it was my good fortune to render this country.
 "A foreign power (no, sir, will mention no name-damme, sir hope know my duty better than to rekindle international complications) had stirred up the niggers against us. Twas in com mand of Fort DamG, sir, at that time, with handful of men-a mere handful but men, sir, such as your dancing schools do not turn out nowadays.
 "Fort Dami is built on promontory running out into the sea and is only get at-able from one side. The niggers had massed all their forces in the plain in front of the fort. Twenty thousand of them, sir-or rather, as l. wish to guard against exaggeration, will say that I counted 19, 9,863-a-swarming over the plain thick as cheese mites in a Stilton.
 1T had 93 men all told. including a one eyed drummer boy, but we laughed at them, sir. Whenever the niggers came at the fort. we loaded our big guns with broken bottles, bedsteads, war of flee regulations, which was about the only thing they had supplied us with from home, and moved them down by the dozens. When they reached the walls my boys, giving them cold pig, took tea with the niggers. !.
 'I used to sit on the powder maga- zine, smoking cheroot, as comfortably as I'm doing now. Cad, sir, how it all comes back to mel That little devil of drummer used to nip out after the fight and mend his drum with niggers' skins. After about a fortnight of it we had the niggers piled up three deep fac ing the fort.
 'sWell, we had held that fort for seven weeks-no, damme, let's be ac- curate, for 48 days-and we looked like holding it for seven years, or until there wasn t nigger left to come on, when one afternoon, it was about half past 1 on Feb 21-I'm not likely to forget that date in hurry-Lieutenant Simp. | kjns of the Bombardiers, my subaltern. came to me and said: It's all up, sir. | We haven't round of ammunition left l and the niggers are preparing for a gen eral assault tonight. He was brave man, was Simpkins-fell afterward al Seringapatam, cut clean in half by [ | cannon ball-but he looked bit scared | then.
 "'Is that all?' said offhand. 'Ther we shall have some fun with the bayo net am surprised at you, sir, for re porting such trifie. After this rebuk' turned away, when the little drumme almost ran into me in his excitement.
 "tCaptain, said he, saluting-I wal only captain in those days-'thre, men-of war reported in the bay I look ed out to sea and saw, as plainly as
 see you, sir, three frigates standing ol the horizon, flying the-fying the fiai of the foreign power which was aiding and abetting the niggers.
 "Well, sir, must admit that whel saw these ships and remembered tha we had not grain of powder in tn
 whole blessed fort admit, sir, that, fo moment, felt at loss. Anothe man, who was less anxious to keep t facts, might tell you, sir, that he neve
 hesitated, but I, wishing to deal wit
 things as they were, I confess felt at
 loss.
 "But only for moment. Lieutenan
 Simpkins said, with sort of grin
 Now, sir, you had better surrender
 the Fr-to the foreign power. Sir,
 answered, drawing myself up, a Tom
 linson dies, but never surrenders.
 beg your pardonp Yes, sir quite right
 By perversion of history these word
 were attributed to Butcher at Sedar
 But l hope, sir, you will allow that , ought to know when they were first u
 tered. Butcher may have adapted then
 make no complaint. We'll, as 1 sait
 for a mon.hnt-a breathing space-I fs that the game was indeed up. s down on one of the now useless
 pounders to review the situation. As
 meditated my eye fell on some coils
 telegraph wire which Hudson of t
 survey department had brought into t
 fort before the outbreak of the distur
 ance, to connect us with the capital. my glance fell upon it thought flash
 through my brain. -..
 "Savedp I cried, leaping from D cannon. The captains got lem agail s remarked that devils imp of drul l pasg boy Without needing this brsa