The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-03-23

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three days' spree. He and two compan.
ions of the same kidney rolled through
the low quarters of Algiers in a cab
flying tricolor bearing the words:
It won't last forever 1t did wind uT
with . knock-down fight at . Moor
ish woman's dive. She got kick that
did her up. Dry-Jean cut on the head
from q tringlo that nearly finished him
fortnight in the guardroom. and the
loss of his stripes-the second time he
had lost them.
'Of well-to-do parents and with some
education, he would have risen to be an
officer long before il it had not been
for his conduct. Eighteen months later
he got his stripes back again. thanks
to the indulgence of the old African
captain who had seen him under fire
in Kabylie. Herupon our old captain
is promoted chief Of battalion. and they
send US out captain Of rs, Corsican
named Gentili. just out Of school. q
cold, ambitious, clever fellow. very ex.
acting, hard ON his men, giving you
eight days for q speck Of rust on your
gun or button of your CATERS; more
over, never having served in Algeria,
not tolerating fantasia or the slightest
want of discipline. The two took a
hatred to each other from the first;
result, the guardroom for DryJean
after every drinking bout. When the
captain, blackavised little fellow, as
stiff as bristle, with the mustaches Of
an angry cat, flung his punishment at
Dry-Jean's head, adding, curtly: i
know you, my man, and I'll bring you
TO order!' Dry-Jean answered never a
word and walked away quietly to do
pack-drill. But all the same, the cap
tain might have come of 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 of TO Italy. But let me come
at once TO the day before the battle of
Melegnano-where l left my arm, you
know. Our battalion 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 in
habitants would be punished in an ex-
emplary way. During the speech, Dry
Jean, little shaky on his pins that
morning, and for the best OF reasons
shrugged his shoulders slightly. Luck
lily the captain didn't see it.
"At midnight noise woke me. l
sprang from my heap of straw into the
farmyard, and in the moonlight saw
group of comrades and peasants
wrestling from the arms Of Dry-Jean,
raging like lion. handsome wench,
disheveled and half-dressed, who was
calling loudly on the Madonna and all
the saints. I was fastening to help,
when Capt. Gentili arrived. With one
look-the little Corsican had par
alyzing way-he cowed the terrified
sergeant; then reassuring the Lom-
bard girl by few words in italian, he
held UP trembling finger before the
scoundrel and said:
"'Dogs like you deserve to have their
brains blown out; as soon as can see
the colonel, you lose your stripes again,
this time for good. There's to be
fighting tomorrow; try TO get killed
"Sure enough, at dawn the cannonade
awoke us. The column formed, and
Dry y-Jean-never had his cursed blue
eyes glittering more ominously-placed
himself beside me. The battalion moved
forward; we were to dslodge the white
coats, who, with their cannon, occupied
Melegnano Forward, march! At the
second kilometer the AustrianS grape
shot cut down Is Of our company's
Then our officers, waiting for the or.
der to charge, made US lie down in the
grainfsld, sharp-shooterwise; they re-
manned st standing naturally, and our cap
tain 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 DryJean,
who was looking at me, the corner Of
his lips raised leeringly, lifting his
gun.
"'Do you see the captain? P he said,
nodding in that direction.
"'Yes, what Of It" said I, glancing
at the officer, 20 PAGES of.
"'He was foolish to speak to me as
he did last night
"With swift, precise gesture, he
shouldered his arm and 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 his back.
'Murderer!' cried, seizing the
sergeant's arm. But he struck me with
the butt Of his rife, rolling me over,
and exclaimed:
"'Fool! prove that did it!'
II rose In rage, just as all the sharp
shooters rose likewise. Our colonel,
bareheaded, ON his smoking horse, point
ed his saber at the Austrian battery,
and shouted:
y