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VOL. V. An h Enemy’s v -r ■ hSM Bullet. BT CHA8. B. LKWIS. He had been a captain for a year of rifere-^Captain Bligh of com p»iy^“B, 1 ” t J?ourteeuth infantry— 4»ut he had been on detached ser Vice instead of in the field with JHSjjuey. Ik> had i^ad, and talked df'the batfcftfc in whifth the Four¬ teenth he was h&d'4mi4g«#jtfm&lf < ex til tt»& ufcer/ it* 1 victories. He with the company, in time of battle—in his place as commander— calling out orders—cheering on the fighting— holding the men up to their work like a stone wall. It had never occurred to him that his courage might not stand the test of battle. Had any one questioned it the cap¬ tain would have fought him on the Spot. And Captain Bligh had finally been released from special duty and sent to the front of his com¬ mand, and he arrived to find the camps in commotion. Orders had been issued to prepare three days’ rations, aud that meant a iqove mentaud opening of the campaign. He was judilant at first, and wondered that the men were were glum and grim instead of exultant. Now and then he caught the sound of laughter, but it was not sincere. Now and then some soldier broke into song over his camp-fire, but a score of others growled him to si¬ lence. Captain Bligh was looking for a pomp of war, aud this grim nessdisappointed him and serious thoughts. Through the cot¬ ton walls of his tent he heard two of the privates of his command talking as they stood guard some commissary'stores. “Goin’ after Lee, eh?” queried the first. “That’s the chalk, old man. Grant’s goin’ to find Lee and for him, and we’ll be right in “Wonder if our captain’s sand!” “Dunno. If he hasn’t he’d ter go out and hang himself. look to me like a very CUS8.” . “Nor me, either. He hasn’t even seen a fight yet, and oh ! Lord, how he’ll weaken iu his knees when shells begin to fly and the to hum! If he goes bock on some of the boys will put a into him.” The words struck Captain Bligh strangely. The rank and file been sizing him up, and the dict was unfavorable. The were questioning his courage, Mi going into battle every eye would be upon him. If showed the white-feather-! it possible, asked the captain himself, that his courage could fail him, aud that he might be branded as a coward! To ask that question was to doubt himself, and as the” doubt found lodgment, his lips became dry and his breath grew short. Ten minutes later he was asking of a corporal whom he had sent for; “Corporal Henderson, you have been in several battles, you?” “Three big ones, sir, and three or four skirmishes,” was the reply. “How did you feel in your battle?” “I wanted to bolt, sir, and Lord only knows bow I - through it. I didn’t get over ing scared till the seargent kicked me and made me mad. I am told that seven of our men got into ditch and had to be kicked out. The first battle is hell, on the nerves, sir. begging ypur pardon.” “But no officer ever bolts, corp- I 26 97 o V* 3 CORD f" # Devoted to the Interest of Johnson County and Middle Georgia, WRIGHTSVILLE, GA,, TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1807, “Of course not. if acommisioned should ever run away it be worse than death for him. No. sir—his way would be to shoot hiinselt on the field.” For an hour after the corporal away the captain sat and thought over the matter and dis¬ it with himself. He feared his courage, now that was to bo put to the test, but he was grimly re¬ not to disgrace his company. corporal had given him an idea, and if worst came to worst would act upon it. A hundred thousand men broke and went marching to the for twenty miles, and then found a lion in the path. The heads of columns filed to the right and left, guns were hurried up and planted at intervals, and the le¬ faced each other in battle line. There was only skirmishing that day—developing the strong and weak points in each other’s po¬ sition. A few hundred werekilled a few hundred wounded. The Fourteenth had three or four men wounded by stray bullets, and the victims were laughed at as they went to the rear. “Watch the captain! Watch the captaiu!” whispered the Com¬ pany “B” men at frequent inter¬ vals during the afternoon. And Captaiu Bligh realized that his every move was under criticism. As the lines of battle were formed he became pale-taced, and there was a treamor in his voice as he spoke. As a shell screamed over the head of the regiment he looked furtively about him, but shut his teeth hard. The cries of the wounded men and the sight of blood made him stagger, but he pulled himself together after that one betrayal of weakness. “He aiut going to flunk,” sa>d one veteran to another, as they watched. If there was a single man awake in Company “B” Captain Bligh did not knottf it. He lay for hours looking up at the stars and fighting with him¬ self. The events of the afternoon had proved t® him that he was lacking in courage. It was a hard thing to admit, but it was true. He had wanted to seek the cover of a wall—to fling himself down in a ditch-to turn his back on his com¬ pany and tty to the rear. He had suffered with fear until he was ex¬ hausted. Yes, he lacked courage, but he had pride. Pride will com¬ pel a mau to halt when fear is car¬ rying him away. In one sense pride is the superior of courage. At midnight the Captain rose up and walked about, and after awhile he came upon the corporal whom he had talked with before the army moved. He roused the mau from a sound slumber and whispered to him: “ Corporal were you watching me this afternoon?” “Not much,” was the reply. “Did I—did I seem to be upset?” “Somewhat nervous, sir but that was to be counted on. It would be better if you could sleep.” “ I can’t sleep—I can’t sleep !” groaned the captaiu. “Do you know, corporal, that I am a cow¬ ard!” “Good God! but you don’t mean itl” “Yes, I do. I was on the point of running away several times this afternoon. We shall have a bat¬ tle tomorrow, and I’m afraid of myself. If I could only get killed at the very opening of the fight!” “But cheer up, sir. You are no coward. It’s just the strain on the nerves. It is always so in the first battle.” “No, corpora], uo!” sighed the captain, as he sadly shook his head. It Is Not How Cheap You can adver tise, but what ' good results you can obtain. by using THE RE coun’s: columns. Cheap . Advertise,» ments i Can get nothing sults. but cheap Try re- 1 ,1 The Record’s VI i columns for up.-~ l to to-date your satisfac- results- 3 - 1 tion. Imm} COMMERCIAL >1r PRINTING. W e’s—Plam and: ornamental: Jnh Prmtmg of Every llescmhum—fi Letter Heads, Note Heads, Bill Heads, Card's, Envelopes, linvitations,“"POsters, Etc V _ WE COMPETE erH TH E CIT! ES IN QUALITY AND PRICE % ____________________________________ THAT 0!!!! WORK OUTBIVALS THAT OF OUR OOX'ETII‘ORS BOTH IN QUALITY AND PRICE WE ONLY‘ASK A TRIAL'IO DEIONBTBATE THIS FACT—TER:3ECOBD OFFICE—WRIGHTBVILLE, GA. [mt Qmmm ’AIG’BEELIXW—fi’fif—“mt H Were If You He! Yes, if you were the creditor and saw the merch ant sitting idly in his shop ac ‘ cum’latiug more dust, cobwebs and out-of-style goods than cash, ‘ you would prob I ably feel like ask iug, Why don’t you , Wake Up and use the ad ; vertising col’una of THE RECORD. and exchange your stock for i What legal say tender? you? “Welt, yon go to sleop again you can. It’s my la8t night on earth, and I can’t close my eyes.” “But who can say you’ll even be scratched tomorrow?*’ protested the corporal. “Let me tell you something.' I haven’t the courage to go through a battle which may last two I shall want to run away at oiibe. Then I shall do this.” And he pulled his revolver from his holster and put themuzzle to his temple, and for a half a minute the men looked into each eyes and neither breathed. Then the corporal gasped: “It’s awful, sir—it*s just “But I’ll do it,” said the captain, as he rose up and moved away. The sun was scarcely above the treetops next motniug when the battle opened. It began on right wing and rolled along down the front as you have seen a wave run along a breakwater. In quarter of an hour from the crash of musketry the ceuter was fighting for its life. The men company “B” who had said to each other the afternoon before: “Watch the captain,” gave him uo thought on this morning. They saw the battle lines of the enemy marching out one after another to attack them, aud they waited with baited breath for the first shock. Only the corporal had his eye on Cap¬ tain Bligh. As the men roused up from sleep and took a hasty bite the captain moved among them. As the orders came to form battle hues he repeated them. He was palefaced, but he held himself erect aud his lips were compressed. “It will be ten minutes more of this waiting,” said the corporal to himself, as he looked across the fields at the tramping lines. “If he can hold out ten minutes he will pull through the battle 1” Tramp! Tramp! Tramp I A host of meu in gray, with flags rip¬ pling in the morning breeze aud lines dressed as if on parade, moved across the barren fields with stern set faces. Along the lines in blue the man lay in thou¬ sands behind the breastworks of rails and dirt, with every musket at the full cock and every finger on the trigger. “God! how pale he Is,” whispered the corporal as he turned his head to look at the captain. “They are coming—they will be in range in three minutes tnofe-“fie will pull through!” Tramp! Tramp! Crash! Crash! A wall of flames two miles long-a cloud of blue-black smoke rolling back ever the meadows—ten thou¬ sand cheers and yells and curses as the shock came. Before the volley there had been silence in the ranks of Company “B.” As the sheets of flame leaped out every man be¬ gan to cheer or cuise. “This will break the strain and hearten him up all right now,” said the corporal, as he peered throug! the smoke. Five minutes later as lie was pulling a dead man aside, the cap¬ tain stood before him. He had de¬ serted his place. His face bore the pallor of death, oven when seen through the heavy smoke, aud his looked the terror which was at his soul. “Go back, captain-for God’s sake back!” shouted the corporal as he pointed to the head of the line. “I’m running away — running 1” replied the captain, as he the man by the shoulder sc retried the words into his oar. “I told yon 1 couldn’t stan<J it,, I told you—’ In his right hand he had! hi® re¬ volver. Be lifted the weapon to¬ ward his face, and the corporal seized it and cried: “Don’t, captaiu—don’t I You are NO 25, all right now! Go back—go back! No, I won’t—! God,- but look at that!” A bullet from the breastworks had struck the captain in the head and spattered the corporal with his blood. It was a thousand times better that than dishoneT or sui¬ cide, A SIMPLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Hand grenades, the simplest form of fire extinguisher, can be made at home cheaply and easily. And it is well to have at hand a simple contrivance for extinguish¬ ing a small fire at its start. Take twenty pounds of common salt and ten pounds of sal ammo¬ niac (nitrate of ammonia, to he had of any druggist), and dissolve in seven gallons of water. Procure quart bottles of thin glass, such as are ordinarily used by druggist, and fill with this, corking tightly and sealing, to prevent evapora¬ tion. In case of fire throw so as to break in or near the flame. If the fire is ia-sach a place as to pre¬ vent the bottle from breaking, as in wool or cotton, knock . off the neck and scatter the contents. The breaking, of the bottle lib¬ a certain amount of gas, the heat of the fire generates more, thus working its owii destruc¬ .—Scientific American,. CHINESE DETECTIVES. The North China Herald pub¬ lishes the following report from! its Newchwang correspondent “A notable arrest was made in the native town some days ago by the Government detective. The crim¬ inal, who goes under the name of Kang, was a resident of soldo years in Pekin, where he lived in good style. Unfortunately, however, being of quarrelsome disposition,he during that time knifed forty men, and such was his skill that none of the victims was ever known to re¬ cover, death as a rule being instan¬ taneous. Two hundred of his sect were pressed into government ser¬ vice and sent to ecour the country round disguised as cake vendors, despatches were also forwarded to 1 all the district officials, the Taotai : of this port among others, to the* that should it be proved that Kang had been in their town os' without capture having been effected tlie consequences' to' would be unpleasant, and a special band of Pekin de¬ tectives were sent on his tracks. “In spite of all Kang would have? them had not the detectives' across a friend on his by Lien, whom they prevailed! to act as decoy. Lieu, itr whom Kang had the utmost’ con¬ being in fact his own es¬ comrade, agreed to invite' friend to dinner, and as- Kang mtered the door bowing the usual Habitation he was seized from be lind, thrown on his face and ir jiied. A man of indom i table pluck powerful physique, the detec¬ with a brutality essentially further secured him- by iron rings through each' and proceeded to Shau theuce by rail to- Pekin. the then bad state - of the 1 the journey By cart to Shau means hard traveling for' days, and the unfortunate' suffering must have been ex¬ Nevertheless when a temp¬ halt was made before leaving ports East Gate he regaled the* with a comic song.” “Does-your wife call you as many names as she did when you first married?” “Er—not as pet oues.”—Indiannagoli#.