Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-09-02

1epes There were three old mules, too,
none of which were strong enough to
carry man, but together they might
draw the coach. The sight of their
gaunt ribs and spawned legs gave
me more delight than the whole
two hundred and twenty hunters
of the emperor which l have seen IN
their stalls at Fontainebleau. In ten
minutes the owner was harnesslng
them into the coach, with no very good
will. however, for he was in mortal
dread Of this terrible Cuchillo. 1t was
only by promising him riches In this
world, while the priest threatened him
with damnation in the next, that we at
last got him safely upon the box with
the reins between his fingers. Then
he was in such n hurry to get of out
of fear lest we should find ourselves In
the dark in the passes, that he hardly
gave me time to renew my vows to the
innlkeeper's daughter. | cannot at this.
moment recall her name, but we wept
together as we parted, and l can re-
member that she was very beautiful
woman. You viii understand, my
friends. that when a man like me, who
has fought the men and kissed the
women in fourteen separate Kingdoms,
gives a word of praise to the one or the
other it has little meaning of its own.
The little priest had seemed a trifie
grave when we kissed goodbye, but he
soon proved himself the best of com
panions in the diligence. All the way
he amused me with tales of his little
parish up in the mountains and l IN
my turn told him stories about the
camp, but my faith | had to pick my
steps, for when | said a word too much
he would fidget in his seat and his face
would show the pain that had given
him. And of course 1t is not the
act of a gentleman TO talk In anything
but a proper manner to religious
man, though with all the care in the
world ones words may get out of hand
sometimes. He had come from the
north of Spain, as he told me, and was
going to see his mother in a village of
Estremadura, and as he spoke about
her little peasant home, and her joy in
seeing him, it brought my mother so
vividly to my thoughts that the tears
started to my eyes. In his simplicity
he showed me the little gifts which he
was taking to her, and so kindly was
his manner that l could readily believe
him when he said that he was loved
wherever he went. He examined my
own uniform with as much curiosity as
q child, admiring the plume of my
busby and passing his fingers through
the sable with which my dolman was
trimmed He drew my sword, too,
and then when told him how many
men / had cut down with it, and set
my fingers on the notch made by the
shoulder bone Of the Russian emperor's
aide-de-camp, he shuddered and placed
| the weapon under the leathern cushion,
declaring that it made him sick to look
at II.
Well, we had been rolling and crcak-
ing ON our way whilst this talk had
| been going forward, and as we reached
| the base of the mountains we could
hear the rumbling of cannon far away
upon the right. This came from
| Messena who was, as / knew, besieging
| Cindad Rodrigo. There was nothing
should have wished better than to have
| gone straight TO him, for he was the
best jew that / have heard Of since
| Joshuas time, and II you arc In sight
/ of his bealky nose and bold, black eyes
you are not likely TO miss much of what
| IL going on. Still n Siege Is always
poor sort of "a picl1-and shovel business,
and there were better prospects with
my hussars in front Of the English.
/ Every mile that passed my heart grew
| lighter and lighter until found myself
shouting and singing like n young en-
sign fresh from Saint Cyr, just to think
Of seeing all my fine horses and my gal
! liant fellows once more.
As we penetrated the mountains the
road grew rougher and the pass more
savage. At first we met u few mule
| teers, but now the whole countr'
seemed deserted, which Is not TO l.
wondered at when you think that the
French, the English and the gucrrillas
! had each in turn hnd command over H..
So bleak and Wild was IL, one great
brown wrinltled cliff succeeding anotn-
er, and the pass growing narrower and
narrower, that ceased 10 look out, but
sat In silence thinking Of this and that,
OF women whom | had loved and of
horses which l had handled. /
wns suddenly brought back from
my dreams, however, by observing the
difficulties Of my companion, who was
trying with sort Of bradawl which he
had drawn out 90 bore IA hole through
the leathern strap which held up bis
water flask. Az he worked with twitch-
ing fingers the strap escaped his grasp
and the wooden bottlo fell at my feet.
j stopped TO pick IL up, and as | did 80
the priest silently lcaped upon my
shoulders and drove his bradawl into
my eye.
My friends, l am, AS you know, n man
steelcd To face every danger. When
one has served from the siege Of Gonoa
TO that last fatal day Of Waterloo, and
has hnd the special medal which
/ keep ut home In lcathcrn
pouch, one can afford TO confess
when ono Is frightened. II may
console some OF you when your own
nerves plny you tricks 20 remember
that you have heard even me, Brigadicr
Gerard, say that | have been scared.
And besides my terror Mt this horrible
attack, and the maddcning pain OF my
wound, there was sudden feeling OF
lonthinR such ns you might feel were
some filthy tarantula TO strike It's fnngs
into you | clutchcd the creature In
both hands and hurlinR him onto the
floor OF the coach / stamped on him
with my heavy boots. He had drawn a
pistol from the front Of issoutauc, butl
Kicked II out Of his hand, and again fell
with my knees on his chest Then for
the first time he screamed horribly,
while ], half blinded, felt about for the