The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-16

last one want to get the full benefit oil
it,, he said.
Finish it if you desire, but you prob
ably will smoke many more. 1 have a
reprieve for you." said the officer.
The pipe fell from the mouth of De
Rudio. In the face of death he had been
a stole. Now that he was to live he
suddenly began to shiver
The newcomer gave orders to the guard,
Monsieur de Paris, and the governor of
the prison examined the paper the mes
senger had brought, and then De Rudio
was led down the steps and along the
walk back toward the prison. As De
Rudio was nearing the prison Orsini en-
tered the prison yard from another gate.
With a common impulse the prisoners and
the priests who accompanied them halted
Then Orsini and De Rudio stepped for
ward and kissed each other.
What does this mean?" asked Orsini
81 do not know" replied De Rudio
Then he explained how the reprieve had
reached him on the scaffold. II only
know 1 am not to die yet." he said.
Better two than three" said Orsini
as the soldiers hurried him along.
The priests and De Rudio stopped halt
minute in the prison door. They saw
Orsini mount the scaffold steps, saw him
turn and a smile light his face as his
eyes met those of De Rudio Then he
bowed farewell to his youthful friend
Tears came to the eyes OF De Rudio. He
shook his head impatently to clear his
sight When the tears no longer bothered
him he looked forward once more AS
he did so he saw the big blade flash and
then he saw the head of Orsini fall
It was not until late that March day
that De Rudio understood how he came
to be reprieved or who was responsible
for saving his life. Then he learned
that the Empress, moved by the tears OF
De Rudios youthful wife, moved too
perhaps, by knowledge of how fiery is
the blood of the southern born had asked
the Emperor to save the young mans life
The Emperor had refused. The Empress
angered by this refusal, and unable to
withstand the passionate pleadings of the
grief-stricken wife, had gone at the last
minute to the project of police and or.
dered him to stay the execution
Not until two hours after Orsini was
dead did Napoleon III know that De
Rudio lived. Then he was furious He
and the Empress had a violent quarrel
legally the Emperor would have ordered
De Rudio sent back to the scaffold, but
he could not But De Rudio had only a
short CLEAN of hope. He was tried once
more and again was condemned to die
By this time the Emperors wrath had
cooled and the tears of the Empress were
too much for him, 80 he committed the
sentence to life Imprisonment in one OF
Frances penal settlements. There De
Rudio spent more than five years, and
then by taking advantage Of a series OF
queer happenings he managed to escape
and make his way to America.
The north and the south were at war
when he reached the United States He
Joined Company A of the Seventy ninth
New York volunteers as a private, fought
under Grant and other great commanders,
and when he was mustered out in 1866 he
was second lieutenant of the Second
United States infantry. In August, 1867,
he Joined the regular army, and was ap-
pointed second lieutenant of infantry.
Two years later he was assigned to the
Seventh cavalry and under Custer saw
lots of Indian fighting. For more than
ten years he was on the frontier. Few
men in the army saw more hard service
than Rudy did In those stirring days.
Ia 1876 the government realized it was
going to have trouble with the Sioux. but
no one supposed it was going to be so
serious as 1t proved later For several
years the government had been endeavor-
ing to get the famous tribe to move from
Montana to a new reservation In Dakota
Sitting Bull and the chiefs refused. The
government, after all efforts at treaty.
making had failed, ordered the Indians OF
move by certain date or they would be
considered enemies of the United States.
The Sioux thereupon took position in the
rugged country In southern Montana,
gathered all the malcontent Indians they
could and prepared to give such fight to
the paleface as he had not had since the
days of Tecumseh.
Once the disposition Of the Indians was
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