The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-04-23

A head black against the moonlight.
peered into the dim recess of the khan.
l raised the trigger higher and higher.
The owner of the head was now within
less than foot of the muzzle of my un-
seen reyolyer-in a second he would be
in eternity-when. providentially turn
ing, his profile was suddenly revealed,
distinctly outlined against the moon
light. / shall never forget it; to me it
was indeed startling revelation. The
man whose brains was on the point of
blowing out was Johannes, my favorite
servant; and the driver of my ARABIA. He
had not heard the instruction which
had been given, and being too hot to
sleep, had crept out to smoke.
With a trembling hand raised the
muzzle of that revolver and carefully
lowered the trigger. Johannes had
humanity speaking-been saved by his
Enthusiastically aquiline nose.
will ask you to-day to join me out
side the besieged town of San Sebas
tan, at the most advanced republican
post, during the Carlist rising of 1874;
at a point known as Oriamendez, where
q fort of that name, materially assisted
by several batteries of artillery, was
dealing death in all directions. Two OF
our batteries had to be strategically
removed to San Sebastian, some fouI
miles off, there to occupy less exposed
position, and it was during theretreat
of those batteries that experienced as
great and as long-sustained jeopardy
as ever I've endured.
1t must be understood that artillery
in retreat. having quite enough to do
to look to their guns, are probably
more assailable than any other arm of
the service. AS the mountain path down
which we were now flying heller
SHELTER was open all the way to hot
fusillade from the Carlists on a COR
responding ridge, it may be imagined
that the excitement was at fever heat
when the bullets, having already
plentifully despatched the rocks with
lead, began to take effect. One of the
battery horses being shot, brought us
to momentary standstill, as the traces
had to be cut before we could proceed;
and thankful we were that at the par
ticular spot where it happened the COM
paratively level nature of the road rem
dered it easier to cope with what might
have been fatal catastrophe. To the
rafting fire which those Carlists kept
up, our side found it utterly impossible
to respond, and another and most un-
expected dilemma occurred. A sudden
fork in the road left two routes open
to us, both of which were commanded
by the whitening fire of the enemy.
In the excitement of the retreat, the
guide, instead of turning to the right
which seemed the safest road, kept
straight on, the artillery, with whom
was, following close on his heels. In
a moment we discovered our mistake,
but it was too late. The impetus which
the steep descent gave us made it quite
impossible to retrace our steps; SO on
we rushed, hardly realizing the
imminent danger we were in from the
perpetual irregular fire of the enemy,
whose bullets simply poured in upon us
from the protecting cover of the neigh
boring rocks. We saw the roofs and
spires of San Sebastian in the distance
which eventually we entered, covered
with blood, mud, and the foam of our
painting steeds. Now comes the most
remarkable part of that memorable
retreat.
We took, as / have mentioned, the
most PERCEPTIONS and longest road.
Now, had we taken that other road to
the right, what would the consequences
have been? A few days before there
had been landslip short distance
down this road, vast dislodgment of
earth, which had completely blocked a
descent that would, in all human prob
ability, have been fatal to our whole
party.
I recall another hairbreath escape OF
mine vhen in the land of the Cid. 1t
was a .o~ely autumn morning. l had
crossed from Spanish Behobea to
French Behobie by the little parti-col-
ored bridge (red and white), which
spanning the frontier river (the Bid
dasoa), separated France from Spain
as well.
Being then in France, which was at
war with no man, took mine ease
at mine inn." After dinner l strolled
out of the town along the French bank
of that frontier river till arrived at a
spot where, facing me-the stream be-
ing about 40 yards across at this point
was an encampment of Carlists,
picturesque enough to make Salvador
Rosa turn in his grave. They were dis
cussing their evening meal, copper and
earthenware vessels lying about in all
directions.
Being in peaceful country, could
without interruption devote as much
time as l thought proper to what
fondly hoped might be an effectively
warlike front page to my illustrated