The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-03-30
L" Bravo, ZoGaves Lou are tho

&c Bravo, ZoIaves Lou are tho
first soldiers in the VI ,d!'
II found myself sitting near the
wheel, supporting my poor broken
paw, when suddenly I remembered
Dry-J cans awful crime. At that very
instant he stepped out of the ranks
toward the general. He had lost his
fez, and from a big cash in his close
shava1 head ran trickle Of blood.
Leaning on his gun with one hand,
with the other be held ont an Austrian
flag, tatterel and dyed red-a flag be
lad taken. The general gazed at him
admiriugly. .
"'Hey there, Bricourt!" turning to
one Of his stiff; look al that, if you
please. What men!'
"Wne:eupon Dry-Jean spoke up:
"'Quite so, my general. But You
know-the First Zonaves there are
only enough left for once more!
&c T would like to hug you for that?
cried the general; you'll get the cross,
you know and still repeating, what
nen!' he said TO his aid-de-camp some
thing I didn't understandable no
scholar, YOU know. But remember it
perfectly: Worthy of Plutarch, wasn't
il, Rricourt?'
".At that very moment the pain was
too 1nuch for me, and I tainted. You
know the rest. I've often told you
how they sawed off my arm and how l
dragged along in delirium for two
months in the hospital. IN my sleep
less hours I used to ask myself i it
was my duty to accuse Dry-Jean pub
licly. But could T prove it? and
then 7 said, Hes a scoundrel, but
he's brave; he killed Captain Gentili,
but he took flag from the enemy
Finally, IN my convalescance,l learned
that as reward tor his courage Dry
Jean lad stepped up into the Zoua7es
of the Guard and had been decorated.
All! at first il gave me DISGUST at my
own cross which the colonel had
pinned on me IN the hospital. Yet
Dry-Jean deserved his, too; only his
Legion of Honor ought to have served
as the bull's-eye for the squad detailed
TO put him ont Of existence.
"It's all far away now. I never
asw him again; he remained IN the
service, and l became good civilian.
But Just now. when l saw that uni
form with its bullet-hole-God knows
how it got there-hanging stones
throw from the barracks where the
murderer is, it seemed to me that the
CAPTAIN, the crime still unpunished,
was clamoring for justice"
I did my utmost to quiet Pere
Vidal, assuring him he had acted for
the best. Five days later, on reaching
the Office, Vidal handing me pager
folded at a certain paragraph, muir
INJURED gravely: ''What did [ tell
you?' I read:
e.ct! u
dav afternoon, on the <GoulAvard de Gre
nellie. certain Jean Ma!et. known as Dry
Jean. sergeant in the Iouaves OF the 1mpe-
rial Guard. who with two companions nad
been drinking freely, was Selzei with deilr-
ium treneas while lookin: at some old uni
forms hanging IL Z second-nand shop. II"
drew his nayolet aud dashed down :; g
street to the terror Of al pasSers-by. I: Q
two priYates with him had tho utmost d IL
Gully il securing the madman. who shouted
ceasc!cssiy: I an not a murderer: l TOOK
an Austrian flag AZ Meiegnano. It seems
that tho later statement is true. Mal!es
was decorated for this feat; his addiction 70
drink has alone prevented him from risin:
ia the ranks. Nallet was condlcted to the
military spital Of Gros- Gallon. whence he
will soon be transferred to Charen:oa, for j.
IS doubtful if he can recover his reason
As returned the paper to Vidal, he
looked at ne meaningly and con-
cluded:
captain Gentili was Corsican-
lie has avenged hims Elf! f!''-Translated
10" the Argonaut from the French Of
Francois Coppee.