Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-04-06

TALON, and they send us out a captain
of %, a Corsican named Gentili, just
out of school, cold, ambitious, clever
fellow, very exacting, hard on his men,
giving you eight days for speck of
rust on your gun or a button off your
CATERS; moreover, never having served
i'll Algeria, not tolerating fantasia or
the slightest want of discipline. The
two took hatred to each other from
the first; result, the guardroom for
Dry-Jean after every drinking bout.
When the captain, little fellow, as
stiff as bristle, with the mustaches
of an angry cat, flung his punishment
at Dry-Jean's head, adding curtly, Il
know You, my man, and I'll bring
you to order!' Dry-Jean answered
never word and walked away quietly
to do pack drill. But all the same the
captain might have come off his high
horse a bit had he seen the rage that
redeemed the sergeant's face as soon
as he turned his head and the hatred
that flashed through his terrible blue
eyes.
"Hereupon the emperor declares
war against the Austrians, and we are
shipped off to Italy. But let me come
at once to the day before the battle of
Melegnano, where I left my arm, you
know. Our batta!io was camped in
little village, and before breaking
the ranks the captain had made us
speech-rightly enough-to remind us
that we were in friendly country and
that the slightest injury done to the
| ,nl -, ,ta ,ro,,I1 haI
exemplary way. During the speech
Dry-Jean "A little shaky on his pins
that morning, and for the best of rea-
sons - shrugged his shoulders slightly.
Luckily the captain didn't see it."
cat midnight Dry-Jean was en-
gagged in brawl with some peasants
and was being prevented from molest-
ing young girl when Captain Gen
till arrived. With one look-the lit
tie Corsican had paralyzing way-he
cowed the terrified sergeant; then he
said to him:
Dogs like you deserve to have
their brains blown out; as soon as l
can see the colonel you lose your
stripes again, this time for good.
There's to be fighting tomorrow; try
to get killed
sat dawn the cannonade awoke us.
The column formed, and Dry-Jean-
never had his blue eyes glittered more
omlnously placed himself beside me-
The battalion moved forward; we were
to dislodge the white coats, who with
Forward, marchl At the second kilo-
meter the Austrians' grape shot cut
down Is of our company's men. Then
our officers, waiting for the order to
charge, made us lie down in the grain
field, sharp -shooterwise; they remained
standing naturally, and our captain
wasn't the least straight of the lot
Kneeling in the rye, we kept on firing
at the battery, which lay within range.
Suddenly some one logged my elbow.
l turned and saw Dry-Jean, who was
looking at me, the corner of his lips
raised leeringly, lifting his gun.
:" DO you see the captain?' be said,
nodding in that direction.
" yes, what of it?' said I, glancing
at the officer, 90 PAGES of.
He was foolish to speak to me as
he did
with swift, precise gesture he
shouldered his arm and fired. 1 saw
the captain his body bent backward,
his head thrown up his hands beating
the air for an instant drop his sword
and fall heavily on his back.
e" Murderer I cried, seizing the
sergeant's arm. But he struck me
with the butt of his rifle, rolling me
, over and eyciaiming:
" Fool! prove that I did it!'
81 rose in rage, just as all the
sharp p-shooters rose likewise. Our
colonel, bareheaded, on his smoking
horse, pointed his sabre at the Austrian
battery and shouted:
" Forward, Zouaves! Gu. with
your bayonets!
"Could do otherwise than charge
with the others? What q famous
charge it was, too! Have you ever
seen high sea dash on a rock? Each
company rushed up like breaker on
reef. Thrice the battery was GOV:
cred with blue coats and red trousers,
and thrice we saw the earthwork re-
appear with it's cannon laws, i'm
passable
But our company, the Fourth, was
to snatch the prize. In 20 leaps 1
reached the redoubt; helping myself
with my rifle butt 1 crossed the talus.
| I had only time to see blonde mus
, tache, blue cap and carbine barrel
almost touching me. Then thought
my arm flew off. 1 dropped my gun,
, fell dizzily on my side near gun-car-
riage wheel and lost consciousness.
when l opened my eyes nothing
i wss to be heard but distant musketry.
| The Zouaves, forming disordered
i half-circle, were shouting 'Vive pEm-
( pereurr and brandishing their rifles.
> can old general followed by his
/ staff galloped mp. He pulled up his
r horse, waved his gilded helmet gayly
and cried: