The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-07-20
THE PARTISAN"

In the regiment he was certainly not
a favorite with the officers, but he al
ways managed to get along very we'll
with his fellow soldiers, for he was SO
lively and had such fund of ready wit.
He had scarcely had any education, as
he was apprenticed at very early age,
but he had read great deal-every-
thing, in fact. that he had been able to
! get hold of-noyels, newspapers, books
of travel and adventure, all kinds and
sorts of literature, and as he had an
excellent memory he was certainly cap
ital company.
Then, too, he could sing fairly we'll,
he recited like born actor, and he was
always up to the most irresistible nom
sense, SO that he was the very life and
soul of the regiment He had been nick
named by his fellow soldiers, on account
of his liveliness and wit, ''the Pari-
sian," and no one ever thought of call
ing him by any other name. AS far as
second rate sort of soldier, for nothing
had ever been able to persuade him that
he owed implicit and passive obedience
to the officers, of no matter what rank
they might be.
On the other hand, he kept his uni
form and his arms in the most immacu-
late state of cleanliness, he was a first
class shot and could march any dis
lance. When 1t was announced in his
regiment that volunteers were wanted
for Tonquin, he enrolled himself with
out a moments hesitation, for, as he
said, he had always wanted to have a
look around in other countries On board
the Mytho, the vessel which transported
the troops, he very soon made himself
quite at home.
In the first place, he managed to get
himself employed down in the kitchen,
and in very short time was the favor
lite of the head cook.
Then, when he was off duty, he
would install himself comfortably in
the forecastle, and, while smoking ciga-
rettes made with tobacco contributed by
the sailors, he would entertain his audi
ence by reciting monologues and by i'm
itating the Partisan street cries of the
various hawkers.
He was wonderfully clever, too, at
initiating people and animals, and he
had baptized every thing and every one
on board with the drollest of names of
his own invention, so that even the
officer leaning over the bridge during
the watch would often roar with laugh
ter at the absurd nonsense going on
down below
For six months the Partisan had been
incorporated in one of the companies of a
marching regiment, and there had been
some hard fighting several times, but
SO far, as he himself said, she had kept
his skin whole, and, what was more
extraordinary, he had escaped all fevers
and illness of every kind. He was just
as lively as when in France, and many
a time his gayety had put new courage
into some of the younger soldiers.
His superiors appreciated his bravery
and sang froid when under fire and the
happy way he had of making the best
Of all kinds of privations and fatigue
Hes fine soldier, remarked his
lieutenant one day to the captain, but
the latter, who had noticed his tenden-
oy to characterization, answered:
eyes, fine soldier during the cam
paign, but bad one in the barracks
headstrong fellow to deal with
A little later on detachment of the
regiment was told off to occupy an iso-
lated point C. observation near the banks
Of the Song-Cau. For some time the
country round had appeared quite calm
and peaceful, and, as the guards were
on duty as sentinels, the soldiers had
for the time being neither fatigue nor
privations to endure.
In order that their inaction should
not have demoralizing effect ON the
men, the officer in command saw fit to
occupy them in various ways, such as
digging trenches, collecting fagots and
all kinds of details connected with their
temporary encampment. One afternoon
a section of the troop was engaged in
clearing out the quarters, under the di-
rection of Sergeant Butin.
The Partisan had never been able to
reconcile himself to handling the pick
ak, and generally he passed his time in
looking on while his comrades did the
work, and as he always kept them en-
tertained with his jokes and nonsense
neither the men nor the subofficer in
command had ever made any difficulty
about this. As it happened, though, on
the afternoon in question Sergeant Blu
tin was i'll very bad humor, for he had
that morning been hauled over the GOALS
himself by his superior officer.
On seeing the Partisan, therefore,
seated on the ground making a ciga-
rette. he called out to him roughly to
take his place and work as the others
were doing.
"Oh, they'll get through it without
me- he urged.
Take your place, " said the sergeant
roughly.
"But, sergeant, assure you my trade
is in metal work, and I don't know how
to go about turning the soil over. -
The sergeant was furious, and seiz-
ing the soldier by his arm Numbered
out:
Enough of your. foolery, and you
can take days prison for change
With one bound the Partisan was on
his feet and had shaken himself free
from the sergeant. He was livid with
indignation, and there was no sign of
Joking about him now. He stepped up
close to the subofficer, and looking him
straight in the face said simply, but in
| a hoarse voice: