Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-01-22

"A company fire--ready No. 2F
shouted the lieutenants, but the men
were now past all control. They had
comrades blood to svenge and shouted
and yelled as they thrust cartridge after
cartridge into the chamber AS fast az
they could turn the sniders over. The
fever of the fight was on them, for they
now felt their time had come after the
weary waiting.
Meet them with the bayonetp The
colonel hardly knew his own voice, it
sounded SO hoarse and cracked. Then he
gasped: Good heavens! What was
that?" For above the rattle of the rifle
the words Courage, mes braves!" rang
out sharp and clear through the smoke
Dropping his smoking revolver he
sprang among his men shouting Cease
fret But the hanmcring Of the sniders
drowned his voice and the acrid smoke
choked him, and he stood in silent hor-
TOR and watched the fight. 1t did not
last long. The swarm Of savages had
not nerve to rush upon the unbroken
line Of flashing bayonets-they turned
and fled from the imprcgnable breast
work. Then came the turn of the de-
fender, and with hoarse shouts the
west Indians leaped over the brushwood
and with dripping bayonets drove the
foe through the forest.
The colonel sat down with his back
to tree, horrible fear III his heart,
and longed for the dawn as he had never
longed for anything in his life. Fortu-
nately there was not long to wait, for
the suspense was deadly. The shadowy
palm fronds sharpened into shape;
soft gray light, growing rapidly clear
er, filtered through the overhanging
branches and broad crimson streak APP
pearcd over the forest. Then morning
came suddenly, as il always does in the
tropics. The colonel looked around. The
enemy had gone, leaving only dead and
wounded, but his first care was TO see
after his own men. Three white officers
and sergeant major of the west Indians
had fallen at their posts, with faces to-
ward the foe. Six privatos were killed
and a score Were badly wounded, and
| the colonel groaned, as with dry lips
and contracted brow he recognized the
pity OF it ard the uselessness OF this
waste Of life; for there was worse to
come.
The bright sun rays fell on the scene
Of the fight, and the gloomy forest clear
ing became at once place Of warmth
and light, but the space i'll front Of the
square was dotted every here and there
with a rigid, motionless figure and the
surrounding bushes were full Of Woand-
ed men. For few moments the officer
hardly dared go forward and examine
the slain, and when at last he slipped
over the breastwork and stood over the
| quiet dead the sight was what he eX-
pectod-thcy Were not Sofas.
Many were naked savagcs, auxiliaries
| only, but ten Of the chief assailants lay
there, with distorted features, clad III the
uniform of the French Sencgalis. The
colonel wondered who would be called
to account for this nights work, but the
browning horror Of the whole affair was
reached when HausSas carried i'll a
white officer and laid him on the dewy
grass, coughing up gulp' Of blood.
He smiled az an Englishman raised
his head and he saw the plying faces
bent over him, for the defenders had al
ready solved the riddle, then gasped,
"Helas, mes amis!" and swooned away.
A few drops Of spirit were poured
down his throat, and then after awhile
the eyes rcoponed and he murmured the
story how, deceived by native chief,
Koronah, he supposed the British force
TO be Sofas and did not find out the mis-
take until too late.
"There-therc, that will do. Don I
fret yourself It's CHASTITY thing, but
il can't be helped. Take another drink
and go TO sleep" said the surgeon. The
Frenchman swallowed mouthful OF
the liquor, then his speech wandered
and his eyes grew hazy. Poor fellow!
said an English officer. Its gone
case, but we must do what we can fol
him. Take him to the tent, sergeant.
1t would have been an instructive
; lesson to the colorcd editors Of the Sierra
Leone journals, who are fond of de
claiming against the "dissolute sol
diery," to have seen an EnglishmaI
seated by the side of his late foe mois
tening the black parched lips from time
to time and wiping the hot perspiratloi
from the hot forehead. The command
ing officer came round occasionally, anC
the last time the younger man RAISED
his head for silence. Hush! He's com
ing to-" he said The white lids opened
, and a. faint smile shone in the tired eye
I as the wounded officer raised his head
r He stretched out cold hand which
3 felt like ice when the Englishmal
took ii.
? "Adieu, mes amis-je vous souhait
un meilleur sort, +" he gasped, then brok
off and chozed A stream of dark blooc
l stained his white uniform and he SAN
back dead.
D This mistake caused Intentionally b.
the treachery Of koronah, who was dull.
L hanged for it afterward, cost the live
Of four officers, who could be but badl
spared, besides numerous privates an
; auxiliaries, and forms one Of the dar
d pages in our west African history. Yet
although the details seldom reach tn