Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-03
The Argus Daily Story
The Miller's Ghost-By F. A. Mitchell
Copyrighted. 1912, by Associated Literary Bureau,

been murdered"
go back" cried out Guardet, land
bury me, King Bomba's men have left
my body in a thicket near my mill.
will haunt you till you place it under
ground and put cross over it
AS he spoke he kept on at the same
pace The soldiers recoiled before
him to the side of the road and as
soon as he had passed began TO con-
suit as to what they should do. Not
one Of them dared TO stand against the
threat he had made in the millers
name, and. trembling. they retraced
their steps and spent hours in a fruit
less search for his body.
Meanwhile Guardet encouraged at
his success, rode on, keeping at safe
distance behind the advance of the re-
treating army, till he came TO the top
Of a declivity from which he could look
down on Palermo. He saw King Bonn
ba's flag flying over the palace, the
Neapolitan ships OF war IN the harbor,
besides several war vessels flying the
British flag He noticed the enemy's
camps and. considering their extent,
could not conceive how his general
could prevail against them. He OBJ
served their positions and saw that
they were on the farther side of the
city. while the dechvity on which he
stood led down TO the narrow streets
on the hither side that had been left
without protection. Ali this he consid-
cred. and 1t occurred to him that It
would be well for his general TO know
what was before him.
By this time darkness had come on,
and he determined to take advantage
of 1t to ride back to inform Garibaldi
of what he had seen.
There was another road leading TO
ward the revolutionists which Joined
the one on which they were advancing.
Guardet made for this road. Just as
he was about to ride into It, looking
over an open space, be saw the dark
forms of men marching westward.
"AhaT exclaimed Guardet to him.
self. "A force is moving by this road
either to strike the general on the
flank or cut him off. We shall see
about this"
For some distance the road on which
these troops were marching lay over
partly open ground, and Guardet how
cred on their flank. He appeared now
and again to the soldiers as a white
mass moving in the same direction as
themselves. He was minded to block
the road before them to delay or turn
them back, but he remembered that
their leader would be at their head
and, being of superior intelligence, was
not likely TO be frightened by an ap-
partition So he fell back to the rear
with a view to detaching some portion
| of the force. When the dawn was
| far enough advanced to enable the
! troops TO see him he put himself on the
road between the main body and a
company marching Il short distance in
| the rear. A bomb dropping among
them could not have more effectually
scattered them.
Without waiting for them to invesi-
gate him Guardet. who every moment
was becoming more convinced Of the
importance of bearing the information
he possessed to his general, crossed
from the road on which the Neapoli-
tans were marching TO the one on
which Garibaldi was advancing and
during the morning took position at
point where the general must pass. He
had not waited long when the head
of the revolutionary column came in
sight Guardet rode to meet them.
and the skirmish line melted away
like ice under the rays of hot sun.
Guardet kept on causing a commotion
in the little army TIL he approached
the general and his staff.
whats this?" the general demand
ed. who are you who have rugged
yourself like a phantom?
II am Private Giuseppe Guardet,
taken in yesterdays fight by King
Bomba's men. | escaped and hid In a
mill. That's what gives me a ghostly
appearance. | have been to the crest
Of the hill overlooking Palermo ami
have noted several features that it
may be well for you to know"
What are they?'
There must be 10000 troops in IA
IermO but they are all near the palace
at the other end of the city. There is
a fleet Of war vessels in the harboT,
some of them bearing the English
flag"
"EnglishT
Yes, general"
eco on
1.-THE part of the town nearest the
foot of the declivity is unguarded
You may find an entrance on that side"
Anything else?'
"a force has been sent out to inter
cept you. 1t is marching by another
road"
They have gone on a FOOLS GRAND
Thank YOU, Private Guardet You
cut a ridiculous figure, but you have
brought me valuable information"
The general rode on. and Guardet
took position beside the road. As the
soldiers passed, now knowing that he
was harmless, he was greeted with
shouts of laughter
History tells how Garibaldi after n
eng fight on the streets Of Palermo
finally forced the evacuation of King
Bomba's army. thus striking the first
and the main blow for Italian unity.