Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1897-10-22
CHAPTER I.

CE1AT1
believe that the last story that ]
.o,d YOU, my friends, was about how
. 'o at the bidding of the emperor
.he cross for valor which had, if
nav be allowed to say SO, so long de.
saryed. Here upon the lapel of my coat
~, NAV see the ribbon, but the medal
;+salf keep in q leathern pouch athome,
.na never venture to take it out un-
lace one Of the modern peace generals,
~ some foreigner of distinction who
snds himself in our little town, takes
odvantage of the opportunity to pay his
resnects to the well-known Brigadicr
Gerard. Then place it upon my breast,
and 7 give nv mustache the old Maren.
90 twist which brings a gray point into
either eye. Yet with it all fear
that neither they, nor you, either, my
friends. will ever realize the man that
was You know me only as civil
;an-with an air and a manner it is true
lint still merely as civilian. Had
rou seen me as I stood in the doorway
n the inn at Alamo on the first day OF
Julv in the year 1910 you would then
have known what the hussar may at
tain to.
aecursed village, and all on account OF
lance thrust in my ankle which made
| il impossible for me to put my foot to
the ground. There were three Of us at
frst-old Bouvet, of the hussars:
jacques Regnier, of the cuirassiers,
and funny little voltigeur captain
whose name I forget-but they all got
well and hurried on to the front, while
L sat gnawing my fingers and tearing
nv hair, and even, as must confess,
weeping from time to time as l thought
Of my hussars and the deplorable condi.
ton in which they must find themselves
when deprived of their colonel. 1 was
not a brigadier yet, you understand,
although l already carried myself like
one. But was the youngest colonel
in the whole service. and my regiment
was wife and children to me. 1t went
to my heart that they should be be-
reaved. 1t is true that Villaret. the
senior major, was an excellent soldier.
but still even among the best there are
degrees of merit.
All, that happy July day of which I
speak when first I li,nped to the door
and stood in the golden Spanish sun
shine! It was but the evening before
that had heard from the regiment.
They were at Pastores on the other
side of the mountains face to face with
the English-not forty miles from me
BY road. But how was l to get to
them? The same thrust which had
pierced my ankle had slain my charger.
l took advice from Gomez, the landlord,
and from an old priest who had slept
that night in the inn, but neither of
them could do more than assure me that
there was not so much as a colt left
upon the whole country side. The
landlord would not hear of my cross
ing the mountains without an escort.
for he assured me that FL Cucl,illo, the
Spanish guerrilla chief, was out that
way with his band, and that it meant a
death by torture to fall into his hands.
The old priest observed, however. that
he did not think French hussar
would be deferred by that. and if l had
had any doubts they would of course
have been decided by his remark.
But horse! How was to get one?
Twas standing in the doorway plotting
and planning when heard the clink of
shoes, and, looking up saw great
bearded man with a blue cloak frogged
across in military fashion coming
towards me. He was riding q big
black horse with one white stocking on
his near forelcg.
"Hullo, comrade!" said I, as he came
up to me-
"Hullo!" said he.
Il am Col. Gerard, of the husAars, -
SAID l. II have lain here woundedfor a
month and l am now ready to rejoin
my regiment at Pastores.'
Il am NJ. Vidal, of the commissariat, ;"
ne answered, land lam myself upon my
way to Pastores. I should be glad to
nave your company, colonel, for 1 hear
mat the mountains are far from safe. y
"Alas!' said I, II have no horse. But
II you will sell me yours 1 will promise
mat an escort of hussars shall be sent
back for YOU"
tie would not hear Of it, and it was
10 vain that the landlord told him