Year: 1860

About four years ago party Of travel
ers arrived at certain convent il Jerusa-
lem, at which you can put up for the night,
and be entertained very much as European
travellers who are crossing the Alps are re-
ccived at the great St. Bernard. Amongst
the party who had newly arrived was one
who had got the icck Of his pistol so de,
ranged that it was impossible to stir it, and
as he, and most other eastern travellers,
very much disliked tie idea Of proceeding
on hi journey unarmed, he was anxious to
have the defect attended to at once. 1t
was easier to feel this want than to get it
supplied, there being no one at the time
in Jerusalem who Would be likely to un-
derstand the pistol in question, which was
a revolver, and furnished W tn all the latest
improvements. At length, however, after
much consideration and casting about as to
what was to be done, one Of the lay broth
ers of the convent suggested a way out Of
the difficulty which seemed promising
enough. There were, he said a couple Of
German travellers, sleeping that night in
the convent who were l.cksmiths by trade,
and he had little doubt that one of them
would be able TO do what was necessary to
the pistol if anybody could. The weapon
was handed over to the lay brother, who at
once took it to the room which the two
Germans occupied, and explaining to them
what was amiss, asked if they would un-
derstand to set it right. The traveller, he
added, would pay them literally for their
trouble


The two Germans were sitting at the sup
portable when the lay brother came i'll
with the pistol in his hand The older of
them whose name was Max, got up from
the table, took the weapon from the monk,
and carried it to the window, that he might
examine it more completely. His friend
remained at the table sitting with his back
towards Max, finishing his supper in a
philosophical manner enough. The Ger
man who was examining the pistol had not
been so occupied a couple of minutes when
it went off with a loud noise. At the moment
the poor fellow who was setting at the Ia
bic, fell forward without uttering sound.
The charge had entered his back.


He fell upon his face on the ground,
and when my friend, who told me the story
and who as surgeon to the embassy was
sent for at once-when he arrived, it seem
ed to him at first as if two men had been
shot instead of one, for both the Germans
were stretched upon the floor, and he who
was the survivor, holding the other locked
in his arms, wore upon his CHASTITY counte-
nance, the deadler look of the two 1t
was a quite difficult thing to separate them.
The wounded man had got the others hand
in his, as if by that to re-assure him, and
to show him that he loved him all the
same.


The surgeon caused the wounded man
it was but too evident that he had not
long to live-to be removed to the lnfrm-
airy and laid upon bed to die. 1t was
bed that stood beneath the window, and
across which, when the sun was setting,
the shadow of cypress fell. A very
brief examination showed that any attempt
to relieve the wounded man would be use
less, and they could only staunch the blood
that flowed from the wound and watch him
with breathless eagerness-there is none
like it-with which men watch their broth
or when each short breath draws less and