The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-03-30
Tie OLD UNIFORM.
A Story Of the zouaves.
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20
; talon, and they send rs ont a captain
! OF 2S. Corsica1 named Centili, just
out Of scLo2l, a cold, ambitious, clever
fellow, very exactins, hard on his men,
giving you eight days for speck Of
! rust on your gun or q button off your
! CATERS; moreover, never having se-ved
Ia Aloe il, not tolerating fantasia OF
the slightest want OF discipline. The
| two took a 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 Z bristie, with the mustaches
Of an angry cat, flung his punishment
at Dry-Jean's bead, adding cartly, T.
know you, nv man, and III bring
you 10 order!' Dry-Jeaa answered
neve- word ard walked away quietly
to do psck-driII. But all the same the
ca"tain might have come off his high
hos, bit had he seen the rage that
reideaed the sergsaat'3 face as soon
as lie turned his head and the hatred
that fa ;hed through his terrible blue
eyes.
"acreupon the emperor declares
var against the Anstriaas, and We are
shipped off to Italy. But let NE come
at once to the day before the battle Of
Nelegnauo, where I left my arm, you
know. Our batta ion was ca!npsd IN
little village, and before breaking
the ranks the captain had made rs c
speech-gjght!v cnough-to remind Us
that we were iu friendly country and
that the slightest injury dcce to the
Inhabitants would be punished il an
exemplary way, During the speech
Dry-Jeau little shaky on his pins
that morning, and for the best Of rea.
so2s shrugged his shoulders slightly.
Luckily the captain didn't see it."
~
gagged in a brawl with some peasants
aal was being prevented from inoiest-
ing young girl when Captain Cen
till arrived. With one iook--the lit
tie Co-sican india paralyzing way--he
cowed the terrified sergeant; then he
said to him:
"'Dogs like you deserve 70 lave
their br.:ins blown out; as soon as I
can see the colonel you lose your
stripes again, this time for good.
There's to be fighting tomorrow; try
10 get killed.
AT dawn the csaDonade awoke us.
IL. column formed, and Dry-!ean-
neve: had his blue eyes glittered more
on:inously-placed himself beside me.
The battalion moved forward; We were
to dislodge the white coats, who with
their cannon. occupied .Ielesaaro.
Forward, march! AZ the second kilo-
meter the Austrians' grape shot cut
Down ID Of our couraDys men. Then
or officers, waiting for the order to
charge, made Us lie down in the grain
field, sharp-slootevwise; they remained
Standing naturally, aud our captain
wasn't the le ,st straight of the lot.
Nnee;ing in the rye, we kept on firing
al the battery, which lay within range.
S;nddealv so:pe one logged my elbow.
I turrea and saw DIy-Jean, who was
looking at ne. the corner of his lips
;aised lee.ingIy, lifting his gun.
g DO YOU see the captain?' be said,
nodling in .hat direction.
" les, what of it?' said 7, glancing
at the officer, 20 PAGES OF.
s;'He was foolish TO speak TO me as
he did
with q swift, precise gesture he
shoulderea his arm aid fred. [ 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 bis back.
:; 'Mur:tererr 7 cried. seizing the
sergeant's ann. But he struck ne
with The butt of his rife, rolling e
over and eyciaiming:
" Fool, prove that I did it,
Il rose IN rage, just IS all the
sharp-shooters rosc likewise. Our
colonel, ba1eheaded. on his smoking
horse, pointed his sabre at the Austrian
battery and shouted:
Forward, Zouaves! Out with
your bayonets!
"Could do otherwise than charge
with the others? What a famous
charge it was, too! Have you ever
seen high sea dash on rock? Each
company rushed up like breaker on
reef. Thrice the battery was COW
cred with blue coats and red trousers,
and thrice we saw tbs earthwork re-
appear with it's cannon jaws, im-
passable.
"But our company, the Fourth, was
to snatch the prize. In 20 leaps I
reached the redoubt; helping myself
with my rife-butt I crossed the talus.
I had only time to see blonde mus
tache, blue cap and a carbine barrel
almost touching me. Then T thought
nv ann few of. I dropped my gun,
fell dizzily on my side near 5un-car-
riage wheel and lost consciousness.
when I opened my eyes nothing
was to be heard but distant m1sketcy.
The Zoaaves, forming a disordered
half-circle, we're shouting 'Vive PEN
pereur.' and brandishing their rifles.
"An old general followed by his
staff galloped up. He pulled up his
horse, waved bis giJdsd hslmes gayly
and cried: