The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-05-05

hgs hin pro1ls was Su1AsRly yuvsals1.
&istinctly outlined against The neon,
hght I shall never f0sgss Il; - ~ y
vAs lndsedrs startling sevslssioa n
Aaa Nhoss bruins I was On IL poi.1 g
baowAg out ives Johannes. ny hes1l>s
servant and the driver q my ArUAA He
had not heard the instruction which
had been given. and bsing too ~ TO
sleep, had erept out 70 smoke.
With . trembling hand raise1 The
musxle Of that revolver and eassfully
lowered the trigger. johannes Nd
humanity speaking-been saved 10 his
uAmlstak6bly squiline nose.
I will ask you to-day to Join ne out
side the hesieged town of San ssbas-
tisn, st the most advanced republican
post. during the Carlist rising of ls7l;
st . point known - Oriamendes, where
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 four
miles of1. there TO occupy q leo exposed
position. and Il was during the retreat
, OF those batteries that experienced ~
great and a. long-sustained jeopardy
a. ever I've endured.
It must be understood that artillery
I 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 helter
skelter was open all the way 70 hot
fusillade from the Carlists on q cor
responding ridge, It may be imagined
that the excitement was At fever heat
when the bullets, having already
plentifully bespattered the rocks with
lead, began to take effect. One Of the
battery horses being shot, brought US
10 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
dsred 1t easier to cope with what might
have been fatal catastrophe. To the
rattling 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
moment we discovered our mistake
but 1t was too late. The impetus which
the steep descent gave us made II quite
impossible to retracs 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 THAI memorable
retreat. '..
We took, as have mentioned. the
most precipitous and longest road.
Now, had we taken that other road to
the.right, what would the consequence
have been? A few days before there
had been landslip short distance
th;, 80 .l,slAInv,nav,t ~
earth, which had completely blocked q
descent that would, in all human prob
ability, have been fatal to our whole
party.
recall another hairbreath escape Of
mine when in the land of the Cid. 1t
was a lovely autamn morning. I 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, l took mine ease
ut mine inn" After dinner I strolled
out Of the town along the French bOnk
of that frontier river till arrived al .
spot where, facing me-the stream be-
ing about 40 yards across at this point
-wos On encampment Of Carlists,
picturesque enough to make Salvetor
Rosa turn in his grave. They were div
cussing their evening meal. copper and
eorthenwsre vessels lying about In all
directions.
Being in q peaceful country. could
without interruption devote as much
time az l thought proper to what l
fondly hoped might be an Effectively
warlike front page TO my illustrated
London paper. opened my camp
stool. and proceeded to LAY In" my
subject-in fact. was becoming posi-
lively engrossed in II. when 'Bsng!
bang!" and in moment / lay prone on
the river bank with one leg completely
shattered; while the next instant had
made, Ms best could. for the kindly
protection Of o neighborlng tree, where,
hidden from view. hnished that
sketch. It Ia but fair should add that
the shattered leg" was that Of the
cnm mu.stoo1 nm which I VIVA sittinD II