The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-09-24

satisfied with this bloodless march
upon Mekhey, and so, on February s,
he left Goree with a small flotilla of
four dispatch ships, a cutter and other
small vessels, and the marines, COM
manded by Lieut.. WALTON, of the Dial
math, disembarked on the 10th oppo-
site Sedhion, and marched immediate
ly on Sardinieri.
The village was strongly held by the
natives; every mud hut was pierced
for the guns, ard as the column adj
vanced heavy fire was poured upon
it. The French commander sent on
the native volunteers first, then the
Spahis from Algeria, to see that the
volunteers did not run away, and then,
in reserve, came the marines.
From every hut came flashes of light
and puffs of smoke, which hardly
foated away, but hung about on the
still air, and presently concealed the
village and those nearest to it. The
marines were moved up nearer, and
half of them were led round to the
rear, just in time to see issuing from
the huts the desperate natives, who
fred upon their advancing foes, and
then turned and fed The marines
opened fire upon the fugitives, and
they, realizing that their retreat was
cut off, rushed back to the village only
to be met by the merciless black volun-
teers and the Spahis. Some of the un-
fortunate wretches advanced boldly
against the marines, killing one of
them and wounding two others, but
they could not Withstand the heavy
fire directed against them, and the
few who were left alive fell upon their
knees and Frustrated themselves, cry
ing for quarter.
The French officers, by dint of driv-
ing back their allies with threats and
blows, even shooting few of them,
managed to save the lives of small
remnant of the gallant foe, but most of
them lay dead or desperately wounded
by the time the firing had ceased. Gas
pard was sick at heart as he marched
past those grooming or silent bodies;
his comrades cheered and laughed, but
it had come home to him with appall-
ing directness that he was murderer!
Never before had he seen his position
clearly. In the excitement and the
confusion he had fired as he had been
taught to do, and two men, at least,
he had seen fall after he had aimed
at them. The fisher lad had not the
heart of soldier for all his courage,
and in his mind perpetually was the
cry: II have slain a man to my wound
ing. and ayoung man to my hurt"
That day the victors rested in the
captured village, and toward night the
women came from the country outside
and tried to carry off the bodies of
their men, wailing out their death
chants with an awful, piteous monot-
ony that depressed the most exuber-
ant of the marines. Fascinated, yet
Mortified, Gaspard watched their 1.-THE
dark forms as they tore their hair and
flung their arms above their heads in
gestures of wild grief, and wept over
their dead. One of the women, who
was crouched beside the body of fine
young warrior, turned upon Gaspard
as he passed and spat at him, uttering
words which, from her manner of de-
livering them, seemed to be curses.
Gaspard looked at the woman; he
met the full gaze of her eyes of hatred,
of savage agony and savage love, and
he flung down his rifle with chatter
and marched on.
Private Meudon, what means this?"
shouted Sergt. Croix. go, pick up
your rifiel"
II shall not use it again, sergeant.
Look at that woman!"
''What have the black cattle to do
with you? You have done your duty;
It is enough. Pick up your rifie!"
Gaspard strobe on and never an
,wered. and SO the sergeant picked up
the rifle himself, and reported Private
to the lieutenant, and the cul-
prit was sent for.
do you know what you deserve ?"
asked Lieut.. vallon, who was kindly
man, although severe disciplinarian,
and who had no wish to be severe with
4 man who had fought his first battle
CALAMITY.
Gaspard was silent.
death is the punishment" hazard
I'd the lieutenant. He had no exact
knowledge of what the punishment
vas for such unprecedented behavior.
Clearly, however, Gaspard had been
guilty of disobedience of orders while
in an enemy's country.
Gaspard was unmoved. 1t was evil
dent to the officer that this man was
no coward. and so he tried to reason
with him.
"You must have had some motive for
throwing away your rife. Come, out
with it, my lad!"
II have killed men," The words