Year: 1861

The Ghost He Didn't See.


/ was rather disappointed, if the truth must be
told-so indeed we all were at home-at his
scanty flow of words, when he returned to us
from that grim Crimean campaign.


As for the general story of the war,we did not
want that from him, as they might have done
whose kinsman should have returned to them
from so distant scene of warfare in the old days
when electric telegraph and express trains and
steamers were not, and when the Times had not
invented its Gown Correspondent" We used to
send him that general story, in comprehensive
chapters on that journals broad sheet, and with
the pictorial panoramas of the London illustrated
Ne,1s. He and his comrades read it thus, so
have heard him say, with curious, eager and in
tense delight.


l think his heart must have beat quick one day
upon reading, in Of its very noblest chapters,
his own name, scored under by my pen as | had
read it proudly, before sending him that paper.


But what we wanted were particulars of what
had personally bafallen him; for we knew that,
though it was hard, indeed, to be pre- e-eminent in
discharge of duty daring of danger amidst
that flower of the worlds soldierhood, he had
been noted as noteworthy, even among such, by
those who had the best means of approaching his
courage and his industry. In explanation of the
latter word, | may remark that his arm of the
service was one of those which our then allies
desnated "Armes Savantes," or Scientific
Arms"


/ have found this modest manly silence, touch
ing personal exposure and achievement, an al
most invariable characteristic of our noble fight
ing men. NV readers will, therefore, kindly
bear it in mind that the detailed and continuous
narrative put under his eyes here, is of my
writing rather than of his telling, short as it is.
= But have interviewer in it, so far as | know,
nothing but authentic threads of recollection. l
g. fIaw
bit out of his conversation, as an old woman
might pick out of a long hedge row, at great in
tervals, wool enough 10 furnish worsted for her
knitting needles to work up into stocking or
pair of mits.


He had been under fire continuously for seven
hours and more, on one of the most hard-fought
days of all that hard fought struggle, and as he
rode away at evening towards the camp, rode
bare headed, in reverent acknowledgment to
Heaven, for the marvel that he was riding out of
that hail of iron himself unhurt.


As for the unobserved incidents of that days
danger, from which so merciful a preservation
had been vouchsafed, they would be hard to
reckon; upon three several occasions during
those seven exposed hours, it really seemed the
messengers of death avoided him, as in some
legend they turn aside from the man who bears
a charmed life. There was a six-pound shot,
which he saw distinctly coming, as a cricketer
eyes the proectile which threatens his middle
wicket. 1t pitched right in front of him, and
rose as a cricket-ball when the turf is parched
and baked, bounding clean up into the air, and so
passing right over his untouched head. 1t fell
behind him, and he looked at it more than once
that day, and, but for its inconvenient bulk,
thought of carrying it away for memento
There was four -and-twenty pound shot next,
sort of twin brother to that which, some three
weeks before, had actually tore his forage cap
from off his head; but it came too quick for sight.
He was at that moment backing towards the
shafts of an ammunition cart a horse, whose reins
he held close to its jaws, he spurred his own
to make it give way in the right direction. Smash
came the great globe of iron, and as the bones,
and blood and brains bespattered him, he almost
himself fell forward; for the poor brute was res
tive longer headless horses don't strain against
the bit, although It's just hard as ever to back
them into the shafts.


Then there was a moment, cne of those of
direst confusion, of what other than such soldiers
as fought that fight would have reckoned mo
ment of dsmay. A moment wherein regimental
order itself was in part broken and confused;
guardsmen mingled with linesmen with blue
coated artillery.


There had been fearful havoc among those
noble servants of the deep-voiced cannon, and
men were wanted to hand out the shells from a
cart he had himself brought up, replenished, to a
breastwork. He called in some of the linesmen
One of them stood by him foot to foot, almost OF
actually in contact. They were handing am
muntion, from one to other. as men do fire
buckets when fires are blazing in street.


He leant in one direction to pass On the load
he had Just taken from the soldiers hand; the
soldier was bending towards the next man in the
chain; Russian shell came bouding with a whir
then burst and scattered its deadly fragments with
terrific force. One of its great iron shred passed
there was just room for it-between his leg and
rl.os Isa-,1 hat l.,lr lraf
each other in the face.


"a near shave that, sirl" said the man, "N earel
than you think for, perhaps he answered, for hs
had felt the rounder surface of the fragment actu
| ally bruise him it passed. whereas its ragged
| edge had shaven, with marvellous neatness
from his trouser, part of the broad red stripe upor
| the outer seem.


venture to give these minute details because
| they may help other civilians, as they helped me
to "reaze," as they call it now -a-days, NOR,
vividly the risks of day of battle, and the larg,
| drafts they draw upon mans fund of nerve auC
composure, just as he stands without comm,
| into any close encounter


| But at last the firing was done, and barehead


ed, as | have said, he turned and rode back to


ward the camp.


1t was before the famine period there, ant


though there was no superhuity of food. Their
| was food to be had, and that long days fighting
i men we're in more need of it.


Ii was dusk, and he was lighting a candle T.


sit down to his meal, when the voice of Frenc


soldier called something like his name from tn


outside. He was himself perfect master of tina


language, as the "Soldat-du-t train who stoo


outside found to his great relief upon his first ui


terance of inquiry.


Il The Frenchman held mule by the bride, an


across the creatures back lay something tina


looked like heavy filed parti colored sack.


was far otherwise CHASTITY burden. The bod


of an officer, stripped bare all but the trousers


the dark clothed legs hanging one way, the fan
skinned naked shoulders and arms the other, tn


face toward the ground


81 was directed, mon officer, to bring this poe
7 gentleman's corpse to you. They say you wei
a friend of his-his name is Captain Il"
Even at that early stage of the campaign sue
shocks lost the startling effects of novelty; ne,
~ertheleSs there were few names among those
his friends and comrades which it could shoe


and grieve him more to hear pronounced undt
such circumstances. The light was fetched. II
raised the poor body; then with sigh, let it ono
more gently down. There was a small, roun
, hole in the very center of the forehead, where.


the rifle ball had darted into the brain of his haJ
: less friend


He called an orderly and directed him to a,
r company the Frenchman to the dead mans ten


He would himself soon follow and see to h


receiving soldiers obsequies. His weariness an
) exhaustion such as to render it imperativ el
necessary that he should first take his food,


which he returned, with what increased weight


heart who shall rightly tell?