Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-06-02
AN INVOLUNTARY HERO.
~. Pieces Of Hot Ham Won an omcers
Promotion.


A Polish officer, now dead, who came
10 The United States soon after the
Russians suppressed the Polish insur-
roct;on under Gen. Chlopicki, In 1881,
.sea n tell with much zest the story o.
his promotion from the ranks. He was
a private of cavalry when 'Chiopickis
ratreat began. The troops had mnde
n weary night march, and we're IN
i,iyouac fer breakfast when scouts
brought word that they were almost
surrounded by Russian force. IN
SANITY the Poles hurried to their SAD
dies. mounted and sought way OF es-
cape. -,
The Young cavalryman had been boil
INC some pieces OF ham for himself IN
F.. camp kettle. Anxious to save his
Lacon.a be dumped the half-boiIed
meat into his saddle bags ana joined
lis companions. Two minutes Inter Liz
l,orsc became FESTIVE, at most mop
,ortune moment. for on Sirmonntng
ridoe the Poles had found themselves
confronted by Russian force OF IL
fnntry.
There was but one thing to be done
The Russinn line must be broken
through at once. It was being rapidly
reinforced. II the Poles should fail to
cut their way out ut the iirst cnarge
they must be all captured.
On they rushed at the order to charge,
and now our young troopers horse had
become fairly frantic and quite uncon-
Arol,able. lie sprang away far In ad-
vance of the charging line. The rider
determining to make the beet hight ne
could. swung his saber. took stronger
grip with his knees and gazed hard at
the face of the Russian he expected 10
be launched against.
just then volley hurled into the
charging line, but the foremost morse
and rider escaped unframed. a few
sa.oments and they were uron the
enemy. Usually horse refuses to
leap at bayonets, but this ore jumped
furionsiy OF the kneeling front rank,
and such was the momentum and fury
OF the beast that the Russians just in
his front lost their nerve, broke and
gave him entrance.
Through the gap thus made other
Poles snrang a moment later. Striki-N
right and left, they widened the breach,
aud in ten seconds the Russian infantry
was Gf.aoralized. The Poles escaped
with slight loss, and 1t was not long be-
fore their young leader Quoted his
steeN, SJsrcoupted and found chance
10 examine his balf-cooled ham.
A few hours later the Polish general
OF cavalry rode up to the captain Of the
troop that had 50 distinguished itself.
eomplimented him and said: "By the
way, cantain, who was that splendid
young officer who led you ri inp"
"He wasn't an officer; that was only
one of my ls>ys."
mot an officer! May the bullets
strike me IL don't make him one! Call
him out here at onceP
The general shook hands with the
youth, promoted him to the lieutenant
cy then and there and gave him place
on his staff.
Some days later. when the captain
called at headquarters. he sought out
the new lieutenant, whom he found
dolefully contemplating his unsaddled
horse. which had huge, raw sore on
each side.
What on earth is the matter with
your horse?" asked the captain.
"Oh, nothing muchi"
aBut what made these terrible
sores?"
THE same thing that made me a
lieutenant" said the hero. "A big chunk
OF hot ham in each saddle bag; but for
the love OF the saints, don't tell the
general or the boys."-Youth's Com
Danion