The Irish standard., 1897-08-28

My faith, It was enough to mako Q.
man mad to see this fellow riding away
20 gayly to join his beef barrels and his
brandy casks, and then TO think Of my
I've hundred beautiful hussars without
their leader. was gazing after him,
with bitter thoughts In my mind when
who should touch me on the elbow but
the little priest whom have mentioned.
st is who can help you," said he, II
am myself travelling SOUTH"
put my arms about him and as my
ankle gave way at the same moment
we nearly rolled upon the ground to-
gether.
Get me to Pastores."I cried, "and
you shall have rosary of golden
beads" had taken one from the con-,
vent Of Spiritu Sancto. 1t shows how
necessary 1t Is to take what you can
when you are upon q campaign, and
how the most unlikely things may be-
come useful. f,
II will take you" said he, In very ex.
cellent French, mot because hope for,
any reward, but because 1t is my way
always to do what can to serve my
countryman, and that is why am so
beloved wherever CO." With that he;
led me down to the village to an old
cowhouse in which we found tumble,
down sort Of diligence such as they;
used to run early in this century be-
tween some Of our more remote viii
lagos. 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 Harvesting,
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 hurry to get off 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
innlseepcrs daughter, cannot at this
moment recall her'name, but we wept
together as we parted, and l can re-
member that She was q very beautiful
woman. You will understand, my
friends, that when u man like mo, who
has fought the men, and kissed the
women i'll fourteen separate kingdoms,
gives a word Of pr.fsc to the one or the
other it has Il little meaning of it's own.
The little priest had seemed II triile
grave when we kissed goodbye, but he
soon proved himself the best of COM
panions in the diligence. All the why
he amused me with tales Of his little
parish mp in the mountains and l In
my turn told him stories about the
camp, but my faith | had to pick my
steps, for when l said a word too much
he would fdget in his seat and his face
would show the pnin that had given
him. And of course it Is not the
act Of gentleman to talk in anything
but proper manner to religious
man, though with all the caro- in tho
world ones words muy get out of hand
sometimes. He hud come from the
north of Spain, as he told me, and was
going to see his mother in village of
Estrenetlura, and as he spoke about
her little peasant home, and her Joy in
seeing him, it brought my mother 80
wildly to my thoughts that the tears
started to my eyes. In his simplicity
he showed mo the little gifts which he
was taking to her, and so kindly was
his manner that could readily believe
him when he said that he was loved
wherever he went He examined my
own uniform with us much curiosity as
child, admiring the plume of my
busby and passing his fingers through
the sable with which my dolmnn 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 shuddcrcd and placed
the weapon under the lcnthern cushion,
declaring that it made him sick to look
at it.
Well, we had been rolling and creak-
ing on our way whilst this talk had
been going forward, and as we reached
the bnse 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 1
should have wished better than to have
gone straight to him, for he was tho
best Jew that have heard OF since
Joshua's time, and II you are in sight
Of his beaky nose and bold, black eyes
you are not likely to miss much Of what
is going on. Still siege is always
poor sort OF pick -apd-shovcl 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 young en-
sign fresh from Saint Cyr, just to think
of seeing all my fine horses and my gal
liant fellows once moro.
As we penetrated the mountains the
road grew rougher and the pass more
savage. AZ first we met n few mule
teers, but now the whole country
seemed deserted, (which is not to DO
wondered at when you think that the
French, the English and the guerrillas
had each in turn had command over it.
SO bleak and wild was it, ono great
Turkeyy-Rccelpts are very light. There 10 a
fair inquiry and offerings are beng clhsrI .ut
n aitly at about CI.c.
bucks-N"t many coming. In iair demand at
quotations.
Gees--Vrry few coming. and acirccly any
inquiry. Quotations nominal