The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-03-02

i Ald her up, Dry-Jeana Cut on the head
from q tringlo that nearly finished him,
a fortnight in the guard room, and the
loss of his stripes the second time he
had lost them.
"Of we!l-to-do parents and with some
education, hewoQld have risen to be an
officer long before II 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
4 is promoted chief of battalion, and they
send us out captain of rs, Corsican
named ,Gentili, just out of school, a
cold ambitious, clever fellow, very ex-
acting, hard on his men, giving you
eight days for a speck of rust on your
gun or a. button off 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 Dry-Jean
after every drinking bout. When the
tcaptain, blackavised little fellow, as
stiff as bristle, with the mustaches of
an angry cat, flung his punishment at
! Dry-Jean's head, adding, CURLY: L
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 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 left my arm, you
know. Our battalion was camped in a
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, a 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. I
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. l was fastening to help,
when Capt. Gentili arrived. With one
look-the little Corsican had a par
alyzing wayne cowed the terrified
sergeant; then reassuring the Lom-
bardA 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 -Jean-never had his cursed blue
eyes glittering more ominously-placed
himself beside me. The battalion moved
forward; we were to dislodge 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 men,.
Then our officers, waiting for the or
der to charge, made us lie down in the
gfainfield, sharp-shooterwise; they re-
manned 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. turned, and saw Dry-Jean,
who was looking at me, the corner of
his lips raised leeringly, lifting his
gun.
edo you see the captain?' he said,
nodding in that direction.
"'Yes, what of it?' said I, glancing
at the officer, 20 PAGES off.
"'He was foolish to speak to me as
he did last night
with swift, precise gesture, he
shouldered his arm and fired. I 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, Selling the
sergeant's arm. But he struck me with
the butt of his rifle, rolling me over,
and exclaimed:
Fool! prove that did it!' =
Il 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:
"'Forward, zouaves: Use your bay
onets!'
Gould do likewise than charge with
the others? What a famous charge it
was, too! Have you ever seen a high
sea dash on a rock? Each company
rushed up Like breaker on reef.
Thrice the battery was covered with
blue coats and red trousers, and thrice
we saw the earthwork reappear with its
cannon jaws, impossible.
"But our company, the Fourth, was to
snatch the prize. In 20 leaps reached
the redoubt; helping myself with my
rifle butt, I crossed the talus. Ihad only
time to see blonde mustache, blue
cap, and carbine barrel almost touch
me. Then I thought my arm flew off.
I dropped my gun, fell dizzily on my
side near gun carriage wheel, and
lost consciousness. --.'r-f~~~ -.-- -"
"When*I opened my eyes nothing was