The Washington times., 1902-03-16

! and countermining," / interjected, and
they have none of them prevented human
beings from staying each other"
There was one fight under ground.
when one of our tunnels ran into them
while they were digging a mine. that
lasted two whole days. We won that
| fight, and slowly but surely we fought
our way, underground as you might say.
up almost to the scarp of the citadel.
But it was hard work getting men
to fight that way. They offered us money
and promotion time and time again. That
/ was my chance. We had a tunnel that
ran up, as near as we could calculate
to within fifty yards of one OF their
| bastions. when our men refused to work
any longer. They had got to within few
feet of French mine. and through the
earth they could hear the Frenchmen
making it ready.
! No doubt the enemy heard us also and
were preparing to blow us up as soon as
1t suited their convenience. / was stand
ing near the entrance to the tunnel when
the Duke of Marlborough rode up to in
spect it.
{" "A captaincy and undying fame said
he, to the man who will go into that
tunnel, dig through to the mine and cut
| the fuse
' Henry Hawkins will do it, said +,
grabbing pickax and running into the
tunnel.
Il could hear the cheers of the men as
/ went, but 1 kept mighty quiet myself.
for 1 did not want TO be heard by the
enemy. Well, how l managed it, and
how l found the strength to dig through
to that mine alone / know not. but at
the end of a terrible labor 1 worked down
till just thin screen OF earth separated
me from it.
Il made a small hole and looked
| through. / was surprised to find it quite
light in the mine-the French were much
smarter than We were at such things, and
they were throwing sunlight into it by
means of mirrors. could see that was
just in time. They were almost ready to
fire it, and only one man was in the en-
trance. That man was attaching the
fuse to the powder.
".My Frenchman, I'll have you,' I said
to myself, and, drawing my bayonet, 1
threw my weight on the screen of earth
| had left between us, and dropped down
on him.
He may have been surprised, but ne
did not show it. On the contrary, ne
fought like a soldier. But L was SOL
der. too, and after I had stuck him
few times with my bayonet, he gave up.
He called out lot of things in, French
l did not understand, though, and immc-
diately the light was shut on, and the
Frenchman and were left in utter dark
ness.
THAT did not matter to me, however.
l felt around, found the fuse and cut it.
1 even destroyed it for several yards 20
make sure. I'm a captain and I'm ia
nous said i to myself. And then
and them" / broke in.
and then / died-was killed." he an
swered.
81 was killed SO quickly l never knew"
he continued. Il have always supposed
that it was the Frenchman who did IT.
1 had not killed him, probably, and he got
a weapon and killed me, But / did not
care. I knew they would find my body
and know that l had cut the fuse, and
would be called Captain Hawkins and be
famous anyway.
But he could not have killed you in
stantIy with any weapon he had at hand'
and with the little strength ne mad ie''i
after you had wounded him SO many
times with your bayonet.'
sThat's so.'' he said; 81 never thought
of tbat-and I've plenty of time to think
about it, too But who else could have
M
around"
must say that 1 felt rather queer
at telling man who had died nearly TWO
centuries before how he had been killed
Hut I thought 1 could make shrewd
guess at the solution of the problem
..you know" said 1. that the French
had mines under their mines? In other
words their mines were double, SO tnat
IL Won English should capture mine
they could blow you up while you were
in it,
mo didn't know that he answered,
SLOWLY. what iends they were!
well thew did, and used them many
times but probably after you were killed
So that accounts for you not knowing
about them. Now, you say this French
man called out. He was probably telling
his comrades that the English were in
the mine, supposing that there were more
than you They, of course, sprang the
under mine, and that would account for
what l may call the suddenness of your
taking off. That will account. also, for
the fact that your name Is not inscribed
on the roll of fame. for how could the
Duke of Marlborough know that you had
succeeded in cutting<the fuse?"
NV strange acquaintance unused over
this proposition for long time and with
gradually saddening countenance.
II think you are right, my good sir,
he said at last. In fact. am thorough
ly convinced that you are. l will cease
nv search for fame this very moment"
He turned and began to fade through
the side OF the building. Just as he
was almost enveloped by the white wall,
however he looked around and said:
81 think that after all did, though. sir,
it was very rough luck on me-" And
he disappeared entirely from my view as
answered:
Il think SO, too
1T CAVlARE.