The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-07-17
/. ASK YEARS MYSTERY. :
BY GEORGE A. WADE.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
r7LsIE BENNETT put down

emotion.
"Isn't 1t splendid, father?" she said.
Don't you think this Robert Connell
must be indeed brave man? Oh, i
should SO like 10 shake his hand. =
Yes" she continued, after n moments
pause, and with her eyes hndling with
a bright light. II am proud of being
soldiers daughter, father. when read
OF such deeds as this being done by your
comrades--your old comrades, perhaps,
ought to say, seeing that 1t is at least
90 years since you left the -th Ian
GERS"
"Aye. aye, Elsie" said the old vet
eran. right you are there, my grill
1t does make me proud of the profess
sion, and prouder still of having been
one of the dear old Lancers which con-
tains such noble fellow as this Con-
nell you've read of. And so they're go /
ing to give him the Cross, are they? /
All, well, well, he ought to have IL, FL
sic. Shall ever forget when the grand
old queen-though she wasn't old then!
herself pinned the V. G. on my own
breast after the glorious struggle in the
Crimea? Do you remember" said he,
after pause, how Barlow used TO be
so fond of looking at the Cross, and how
often he used to say IL was pity he was
only a grocer's assistant, instead OF
soldier, since there is no decoration for
valor' for grocers' assistants, or any
other business folks, for that matter?
And yet, Elsie, I've known some civil
ians who did very heroic things, more
than once"
Ill. fnf nm
thinldngly, had touched very tender
chord in her heart. She had been car
-ied away for the moment, so TO speak,
by reading the long telegraphic ac-
count in that mornings paper OF the
pallantry of the --th Lancers in one
OF the fierce fights In Burmah against
the hill tribes, and especially of the
heroic deed OF one, Private Robert Con-
yell.
The til Lancers was her fathers old
regiment, and, naturally, she always
took the greatest pride and interest In
all It's doings. Her father would be
kept up-to-date in all that concerned.it;
it's present station, it's officers, Its stand
ing in the army; and all the news about
IL he eagerly listened to. This morn
fng's paper had given an account in
\ full OF what had yesterday been mere
telegraphic dispatch, but the bare news
of which had made a shout of triumph
ring through the whole length and
breadth of the old country, with in
Vulnerable blessings on the head of the
brave soldier of the gallant Lancers
who had done such deed.
II appeared that. a few days before
two squadrons of the regiment, com
manded by captain, had gone for
ward to attack a hill-fort of the Bur
mese. Contrary TO their expectations
they had found the place almost de
serted, or, at least, SO il seemed on then
approach. But this was only ruse o
the enemy, as they found shortly aft
erwards, when, having landed inside
the fort after slight struggle with |
handful of defenders, they found them
selves surrounded on every side by thou
sands OF the natives, and so hemmed ii
that escape, except with very great los
of life, appeared practically impossible
There was, however, no other metho
of regaining their liberty. They ha
been trapped, and must make dash TO
IL. Calling upon his men to follow him
the captain, stung by the knowledge o
having been so easily "gulled." rod
out, and boldly made n dash throug
the opposing hordes. The Lancers cam
bravely after their leader. and, despit
the tremendous odds. at last succeede
an getting free, but only after loss {
nearly half their force, though som
dozens of the enemy lay dead and d.
ing between them and the fort.
IL was whilst thus taking stock
that Robert Conncll, who was a privat
soldier, noticed that, in the late dasl
ing attack, the brave soldier who hn
borne the regimental standard Ia
gone down, and that the flag WI
missing. Scarcely had he observed tn
than he also saw that flag being wav,
friumphantly by Burmese soldie
who was close 10 the fatal spot.
make dash for the standard, throul
that troop of shrieking Burmar
meant almost certain death. but Ro
ert Connell never thought of that.
WINS sufficient for him that he was Of
of the --th Lancers, and that q
--th Lancers' standard was I'm q
hands of the enemy With wild ru
he urged his horse along, and, bran
ishinp his weapon, advanced on Z
Zoe, towards where the flag had Ia
waved. lie threw down man after m
who opposed his progress; no bullett
sword seemed to injure him. Tru
he bore charmed life. At last
reached the sacred standard, alm'
before the Burmese had really ga
cred what was his object, and In a Or
he had run the bearer of il Gle
through the body with his lance. Sc
ing the dear old flag, he set Oft back
mis- wild career through the shots u
thrusts Of the enemy's weapons, a
even though bullet passed throu